Heterogeneous Impacts of Body Mass Index on Work Hours

Abstract

This study examined how higher body mass index (BMI) affects the work hours of men and women and how the impact varies by gender and the value of BMI. Using a longitudinal dataset of 1603 British adults (men: n = 775; women: n = 828) and a panel threshold regression model, this study estimated that BMI has significant impacts on work hours but the pattern is different by gender and BMI groups. BMI is positively associated with work hours up to the estimated BMI threshold of 30, which corresponds to the clinical cutoff point of obesity; above this point, additional increases in BMI is associated with reduced work hours. The asymmetric nonlinear relationship between BMI and work hours was more evident among women, particularly female low-skilled workers. The results imply reduced work capacity and lower labor income for women with a higher BMI above an obesity threshold, highlighting a practical role of BMI’s obesity cutoff value. The findings of this study provide a new perspective regarding the economic burden of workplace obesity and point out the need to design gender-specific and BMI-based strategies to tackle productivity loss from obesity.