Labor Supply and Weight
Abstract
We use panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to investigate on-the-job exercise and weight. For male workers, job-related exercise has causal effects on weight, but for female workers, the effects seem primarily selective. A man who spends 18 years in the most physical fitness-demanding occupation is about 25 pounds (14 percent) lighter than his peer in the least demanding occupation. These effects are strongest for the heaviest quartile of men. Conversely, a male worker spending 18 years in the most strength-demanding occupation is about 28 pounds (15 percent) heavier than his counterpart in the least demanding job.
Suggested Citation
Darius Noshir Lakdawalla and Tomas Philipson. "Labor Supply and Weight" Journal of Human Resources 42.1 (2007): 85-116.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/darius_lakdawalla/6