ANYWHERE IN THE rich world there is a negative relationship between income and weight as measured by body mass index. The richer people are, the thinner they tend to be. However, when you separate the data by gender, there is a startling gap. Rich women are much thinner than poorer ones; but rich men and poor men are equally likely to be overweight or obese.
In this week’s podcast, hosts Alice Fulwood and Thomas Lee-Devlin explore why being thin can be economically rational for ambitious women. Cornell University’s John Cawley explains his research suggesting that obese women earn lower salaries than their thinner peers. We examine the legacy of Helen Gurley Brown, the outspoken former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine who championed dieting to get ahead. And Jennifer Shinall, a law professor at Vanderbilt University, considers possible solutions to weight discrimination. Running time: 34 mins
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