Scientists Small men and fat women are often disadvantaged in income

Size and weight affect our education and our income
Women and men seem to have advantages in life when they are bigger. People who have grown taller have higher incomes later in life, researchers from Exeter University noted. Therefore, small or fat people have the disadvantages of finding a good job or education. For this reason, increase the likelihood that they later earn less money and have a lower standard of living, the researchers report.

Researchers at Exeter University have found in their recent research that small and fat people earn less in many cases. Tall people, meanwhile, have a higher income and a better standard of living. This is particularly evident in men, the researchers report. For women, the BMI is more important for income. The scientists published the results of their study in the journal "British Medical Journal".

Obese women and small men have a shortage of income, according to a recent study. (Image: Piotr Wawrzyniuk / fotolia.com)

BMI and size affect our socioeconomic status
Do people have a financial benefit in life if they are taller or not overweight? The results of the new British study show that, in fact, big people are more likely to earn more money later in life and thus develop a better standard of living. For small or fat people it is harder to find a good education, which later makes it problematic to get a well-paid job. The physicians had examined 120,000 people for their study. They found that success also depends on size and weight. High BMI and dwarfism are more likely to be associated with lower socioeconomic status, the researchers explain. Size and BMI play an important role in determining several aspects of socioeconomic status. In the case of women, above all, the BMI influences income. In men, the size of the education, the income and the type of work, the physicians explain.

Study evaluates data of 120,000 people
The researchers studied the size and its effects in about 400 genetic variants. In 69 genetic variants, the experts examined the influence of the Body Mass Index (BMI). For this purpose, the researchers evaluated the data of 120,000 people. The subjects were between the ages of 40 and 70 years. The data came from the UK Biobank, a biological information database. The study found that small people often go through a poorer education, have a lower order book and less income, say the experts. This applies especially to men. A higher BMI leads to a lower income for women and is therefore a major socio-economic disadvantage for those affected. If the same woman, with the same intellect and the same background, were to re-live her life with about six kilograms more weight, her annual earnings would probably be about 1,300 euros lower, said Professor Frayling of Exeter University. In men, size is more important than BMI. If the same man, going through his life again and it would be about ten inches smaller, he would probably earn in the year 1,300 euros less, adds the physician.

Small and fat people earn less and usually have a lower self-esteem
These results are the best proof that size and weight can have a direct impact on our income, explains Professor Frayling. Regardless of education, thin women and tall men have a simpler life. Lean women usually earn more, probably because of discrimination against overweight candidates, the expert suspects. Researchers speculate that smaller men and overweight women are also more likely to have low self-esteem or depression issues. It could also be that employers tend to hire larger men. Many studies have shown that male political leaders are usually much taller than the average man, the researchers say.

Fat men do not make less money than their skinny counterparts
Large women usually earned more than smaller women, but the results were not significant, Prof. Frayling continues. However, according to the researchers, thicker men do not deserve worse than their thinner colleagues. Other effects of size and weight are known from other studies. According to a recent study by the University of Edinburgh, small men are more likely to suffer from dementia. However, larger people are more likely to develop cancer, said co-author Dr. Jessica Tyrrel. Smaller adults are about fifty percent more likely to experience heart disease. (As)