Weight and earnings among childbearing women in Metropolitan Cebu, Philippines (1983-2002)

We estimated the relationship between weight status and earnings among women participating in the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Surveys between 1983 and 2002 conducted in Cebu, Philippines. Women working for pay were selected for the analysis. We used fixed effects estimation to account for unobserved time invariant characteristics related to weight. After correcting for potential bias due to unobserved heterogeneity, our results suggest that the earnings of obese or overweight women in Cebu (Philippines) were not less than women of normal weight. The relation between earnings and weight exists only among self-employed women or women working in more than one type of activity. No discrimination was found among women working for wages or per piece rate. In contrast, among self-employed and women working in more than one type of activity we found that underweight women earn less than do those with normal weight.

► We estimated the relationship between weight and earnings among women in Cebu. ► Among self-employed earnings of obese women were not less than women of normal weight. ► No discrimination was found among women working for wages or per piece rate. ► Among self-employed underweight women earn less.