For Women, It Pays to Be Very Thin (ZT)

We have posted before on how obese women have a far harder time climbing the career ladder than their slimmer female counterparts, while men actually improve their chances of reaching the corner office when they gain weight.

Now, a new study goes a step further by showing that employers seem to treat women exactly the way the fashion industry does – by rewarding very thin women with higher pay, while penalizing average-weight women with smaller paychecks. Very thin men, on the other hand, tend to get paid less than male workers of average weight. Men earn more as they pack on the pounds – all the way to the point where they become obese, when the pay trend reverses.

The study is the first look at the effects of being very thin on men vs. women. Separate studies of 11,253 Germans and 12,686 U.S. residents led by Timothy A. Judge of the University of Florida found very thin women, weighing 25 pounds less than the group norm, earned an average $15,572 a year more than women of normal weight. Women continued to experience a pay penalty as their weight increased above average levels, although a smaller one — presumably because they had already violated social norms for the ideal female appearance. A woman who gained 25 pounds above the average weight earned an average $13,847 less than an average-weight female.

Men were also penalized for violating stereotypes about ideal male appearance, but in a different way. Thin guys earned $8,437 less than average-weight men. But they were consistently rewarded for getting heavier, a trend that tapered off only when their weight hit the obese level. In one study, the highest pay point, on average, was reached for guys who weighed a strapping 207 pounds.

The study suggests employers should examine their assumptions about employees’ weight, because they may be rooted in prejudice. However, there also may be a logical explanation, the study points out: People who conform to others’ ideas about the ideal body image may actually perform better on the job, because they can wield more influence over other people and get more things accomplished.

Meanwhile, in separate research, economists at George Washington University tabulated the cost of obesity and found that it’s more expensive for a woman to be obese than for a man, according to the New York Times. (Their calculations included direct costs, like medical expenses, and indirect expenses, like lost wages and reduced work productivity.) While a man racks up $2,646 annually in extra expenses if he is obese, a woman’s obesity costs her $4,879, almost twice as much, the Times reported.

Readers, do you see body-image stereotypes at work in your workplace? Do thin women and heavier guys get higher pay or more chances for promotion? Are these rewards deserved, reflecting these people’s actual abilities to influence other people? Have you ever sensed your career was helped or hurt by your weight?

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Note: 有些原文的跟贴写得很有趣的， 值得一看

所有跟帖： 

• 这个是BUSINESS WORLD。在HIGH TECH可能是越NERD配得越高 -小胖子的妈妈- ♀ (12 bytes) () 10/10/2010 postreply 23:07:30

• MM好， 是啊， 我和我先生都希望如此呢， 不过 -gzlady- ♀ (59 bytes) () 10/10/2010 postreply 23:15:14

• ：) 同意JJ，EQ最重要，按那统计数据 -小胖子的妈妈- ♀ (46 bytes) () 10/10/2010 postreply 23:19:35

• MM说得对， 我们这有点晚， 深夜2：38了， 不过， 好在我明天不用上班， 晚安 -gzlady- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/10/2010 postreply 23:37:57

• According by an article "Women's sizes by country; The age group -gzlady- ♀ (577 bytes) () 10/10/2010 postreply 23:10:28

• 长相漂亮的人也多赚钱 -猪胖子- ♀ (134 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 07:30:15

• Are her bosses all man? -螺丝螺帽- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 07:31:47

• 目前是，她是 -猪胖子- ♀ (16 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 07:32:50

• I believe who is doing marketing job, the looking is important -螺丝螺帽- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 07:37:24

• 那我太伤心了，又入错行了~~ -alazycatinsd- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 09:33:19

• I donno -猪胖子- ♀ (23 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 09:36:41

• I have seem some American waitresses were very slim and pretty, -gzlady- ♀ (426 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 09:56:43

• 看来我得痛苦地再减一点了：） -alazycatinsd- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 09:32:29

• 妹妹够苗条的了， 正是给那个实验一个正面的例子 :) -gzlady- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 09:59:40

• More reasons to loss weight for me :( -臭臭妈妈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 09:40:06

• Yes, me too :))) But I doubt I could get a raise even if I am t -gzlady- ♀ (76 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 10:03:27

• haha, there are three women in my dept, I'm in the middle. :) -臭臭妈妈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/11/2010 postreply 10:06:13