Anthropometric measures and the wage return to attractiveness patterns and body health

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of anthropometric indices on the wage returns of Brazilian women, with an emphasis on some measure of attractiveness and body health. Namely, we use the metric height, weight, waist and the body mass index (BMI) of the National Survey of the Demography and Health of Children and Women (PNDS), carried out on 2006 by the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (Cebrap). Among the results, it should be noticed the inverted-u shape that exists between metric height and the wage rates. An aditional centimeter of height up to a maximum of 172cm raises the wage rates between 1.17% to 2.16%. The marginal effect of height on the wage rate regressions also indicate that higher returns are obtained by those of smaller stature. The previous result is only observed in only one of the weight regressions. An additional kilogram of weight by up to a maximum of 81kg increases the wage rate in 0.18%. In turn, we noticed that waist has a linear marginal effect on the wage rates. A one centimeter reduction in waist implies a wage gain of 2.53%. The literature on this subject reveals that attractiveness can be as an important variable in characterizing the aggregate returns on the labor market and that it is namely the healthy individual growth that acts positively on the wage rates.