Obesity has become a major concern in America, and one of the issues surrounding this distress is the fact that obese individuals are at much higher risk of chronic -- not to mention costly -- conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. In fact, annual medical expenditures are $732 higher on average for obese adults than for normal-weight adults.

What's more, studies have shown, time and again, that obese employees are paid less than normal-weight employees doing similar jobs, leading many to attribute the gap in pay to prejudice against workers based on their appearance.

But is this really the case?

Researchers designed a study not only to answer this burning question, but also to determine who is responsible for the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance ... employers or employees? They found that obese workers are indeed paid lower wages, but only when they have access to employer-sponsored insurance.

Revealing the Truth

Comparing the hourly pay of obese and non-obese workers with health insurance, and adjusting for factors such as education, experience and job type, researchers found:

• Obese insured workers earned significantly less -- almost $3.50 per hour -- than non-obese insured workers in 1998.

• The gap in pay starts out modestly when these workers are young, but widens over time -- which indicates the pay scale of the obese worker rises more slowly than that of the non-obese with employer-funded health insurance.

• There was no significant different in pay in the hourly wages of obese and non-obese workers without on-the-job health insurance, a sign that the obese workers' lower pay is an issue of higher expected medical costs, rather than outright prejudice.

• There was no wage difference between obese and non-obese workers who received other kinds of benefits, such as retirement plans or life insurance, reinforcing the notion that the pay adjustment is due to greater health care costs.

These results provide the strongest evidence to date that the costs of employer-sponsored health insurance are passed on to obese workers through lower wages.

National Bureau of Economic Research May 2005

Medical News Today May 9, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The obesity epidemic is, indeed, having a devastating effect on this nation's economy. In addition to the loss of income the above study implies, the morbidly obese spent a remarkable 81 percent more in health care costs last year than those who maintained a normal weight. If you are obese and the costs to your health have not motivated you to begin taking the necessary steps to change that, perhaps the financial consequences may be a helpful motivation. Money is a powerful influence for most of us, and it would seem to make lots of sense to let it prompt you toward a positive change. However, please be aware that just as you will need to work hard to make the money that Social Security will not provide you in the future, you will need to work hard to normalize your weight and optimize your health. To that end, I urge you to take advantage of the free resources available on this Web site. The following tips are a great way to get started: Learn how to modify and optimize your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type. Get started on an exercise program. Reduce, with the goal of eliminating, grains and sugars from your daily diet. Improve your sleeping habits. Related Articles: Rising Obesity Rates Annihilate Previous Life Span Forecasts Child Obesity Epidemic How Obesity and Sleep Debt Are Linked