Obesity and Labor Market in Peru

Obesity is a problem that affects not only developing countries but middle-income countries as well. Using anthropometric and socioeconomic information, we analyze the relationship between obesity and employment and wages in Peru. The results show that an increase in body mass index (BMI) has a negative relationship with the probability of women working (-0.3 percentage points), particularly married women. In the case of men, only those in the obese range show a negative relationship (-4.9 percentage points). With regard to monthly wages, an increase in BMI is associated with a 0.8% reduction in women's wages (US$ 2.9) and a 1.3% increase in men's wages (US$ 5.8).