Western University study finds obese women earn less money

Obesity hits women in the paycheque, but men don’t suffer the same financial consequences, Western University researchers have found.

The cost of obesity for Canadian women turns out to be about a four per cent reduction in hourly wages or 4.5 per cent less in annual salary, the study by researchers at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry found.

That meant from 2010-11, obese women earned an average of $18.90 an hour or $37,972.26 a year, while non-obese women earned on average $22 an hour or $42,492.67 a year.

The cost of being obese for men? Zero.

“It was surprising to see. There was absolutely no difference at all,” said Sisira Sarma, who led the research.

The findings suggest society in general doesn’t view being a big man as a bad thing, Sarma said.

Women aren’t as fortunate.

Sarma’s team drew on data from the National Population Health Survey between 2000 and 2011 for people aged 18 to 53.