Slim vs Fat: Overweight Russians Earn Less
Overweight Russians tend to earn significantly less than their slimmer counterparts, with a 10% increase in body mass index (BMI) associated with a 9% decrease in wages. These are the findings made by Anastasiia Deeva, lecturer at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences and intern researcher in Laboratory of Economic Research in Public Sector. The article has been published in Voprosy Statistiki.
In recent decades, the rising number of overweight individuals has become a serious public health concern. The World Health Organisation and governments around the world have voiced alarm over the increasing mortality rates and prevalence of chronic health conditions linked to this issue. Additionally, being overweight can negatively impact a person’s standing in the job market. Numerous studies indicate that in many countries, overweight individuals often face discrimination during the hiring process as well as in opportunities for career advancement. In the United States, a one-point increase in BMI is associated with a 3% to 6% reduction in income, while in Taiwan, the decrease can be as high as 7%. In Russia, overweight is also a pressing issue. Over the past five years, the proportion of overweight adults has risen to 62.5%. However, there have been no comprehensive studies examining the impact of being overweight on the wages of Russian employees.
Anastasiia Deeva, a visiting lecturer and doctoral student at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, analysed data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey conducted by HSE University (RLMS-HSE) for the period 2013 to 2022. This population-based survey enables researchers to track changes in the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the same individuals over time. The final sample of Deeva's study included data from 17,000 respondents. The average age of participants was 41, the average monthly salary was approximately 37,000 roubles, and the average BMI was 26.22—classified as slightly overweight.
Anastasiia Deeva
Body mass index has its limitations—for example, individuals with high muscle mass may be classified as overweight according to BMI. 'The BMI of a well-built athletic person may incorrectly suggest excess weight, but only if they have a very high muscle mass. However, this is much less common than actual overweight. Therefore, on average, BMI remains a useful measure for identifying the effects of being overweight,' Deeva comments.
BMI and wages can be subject to reverse causality: on one hand, overweight employees may face discrimination and earn less; on the other, employees with higher wages may be healthier and slimmer due to better nutrition and more frequent exercise. Deeva used a customised model that accounts for these caveats, enabling a more accurate assessment of BMI’s impact on wages.
The analysis revealed that in Russia, each one-point increase in BMI is associated with an average 4% decrease in monthly wages. This means that individuals with a normal BMI of up to 24 and those with a BMI of 34, classified as class I obesity, can have a wage difference of approximately 40%.
For a more convenient interpretation, the author constructed a second model that used the logarithms of BMI and wages in order to estimate the relative change in the indicators. She found that a 10% increase in BMI corresponds to an approximate 9% decrease in wages.
Additionally, the relationship between BMI and wages was found to be non-linear. An initial increase in BMI leads to a sharp decline in wages, but after reaching a certain threshold, the relationship weakens and wages decline more gradually.
This suggests a pattern of bodyweight-based discrimination in the Russian job market, where overweight individuals face fewer opportunities for high-paying positions, which in turn negatively affects their families’ well-being.
'It is important to recognise that discrimination against overweight employees is not truly about their appearance but rather stems from social stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding obesity. In modern society, it is commonly assumed that an overweight person is more likely to be lazy and unmotivated, which sends a signal to employers that such an employee may underperform. I believe this is the main reason behind lower earnings,' Deeva argues. 'However, every individual is unique, and appearance has no bearing on workplace performance. Therefore, relying on a one-size-fits-all, BMI-based approach to hiring is misguided.'
See also:
Scientists Discover Why Parents May Favour One Child Over Another
An international team that included Prof. Marina Butovskaya from HSE University studied how willing parents are to care for a child depending on the child’s resemblance to them. The researchers found that similarity to the mother or father affects the level of care provided by parents and grandparents differently. Moreover, this relationship varies across Russia, Brazil, and the United States, reflecting deep cultural differences in family structures in these countries. The study's findings have been published in Social Evolution & History.
When a Virus Steps on a Mine: Ancient Mechanism of Infected Cell Self-Destruction Discovered
When a virus enters a cell, it disrupts the cell’s normal functions. It was previously believed that the cell's protective response to the virus triggered cellular self-destruction. However, a study involving bioinformatics researchers at HSE University has revealed a different mechanism: the cell does not react to the virus itself but to its own transcripts, which become abnormally long. The study has been published in Nature.
Researchers Identify Link between Bilingualism and Cognitive Efficiency
An international team of researchers, including scholars from HSE University, has discovered that knowledge of a foreign language can improve memory performance and increase automaticity when solving complex tasks. The higher a person’s language proficiency, the stronger the effect. The results have been published in the journal Brain and Cognition.
Artificial Intelligence Transforms Employment in Russian Companies
Russian enterprises rank among the world’s top ten leaders in AI adoption. In 2023, nearly one-third of domestic companies reported using artificial intelligence. According to a new study by Larisa Smirnykh, Professor at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, the impact of digitalisation on employment is uneven: while the introduction of AI in small and large enterprises led to a reduction in the number of employees, in medium-sized companies, on the contrary, it contributed to job growth. The article has been published in Voprosy Ekonomiki.
Lost Signal: How Solar Activity Silenced Earth's Radiation
Researchers from HSE University and the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences analysed seven years of data from the ERG (Arase) satellite and, for the first time, provided a detailed description of a new type of radio emission from near-Earth space—the hectometric continuum, first discovered in 2017. The researchers found that this radiation appears a few hours after sunset and disappears one to three hours after sunrise. It was most frequently observed during the summer months and less often in spring and autumn. However, by mid-2022, when the Sun entered a phase of increased activity, the radiation had completely vanished—though the scientists believe the signal may reappear in the future. The study has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.
Banking Crises Drive Biodiversity Loss
Economists from HSE University, MGIMO University, and Bocconi University have found that financial crises have a significant negative impact on biodiversity and the environment. This relationship appears to be bi-directional: as global biodiversity declines, the likelihood of new crises increases. The study examines the status of populations encompassing thousands of species worldwide over the past 50 years. The article has been published in Economics Letters, an international journal.
Scientists Discover That the Brain Responds to Others’ Actions as if They Were Its Own
When we watch someone move their finger, our brain doesn’t remain passive. Research conducted by scientists from HSE University and Lausanne University Hospital shows that observing movement activates the motor cortex as if we were performing the action ourselves—while simultaneously ‘silencing’ unnecessary muscles. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.
Russian Scientists Investigate Age-Related Differences in Brain Damage Volume Following Childhood Stroke
A team of Russian scientists and clinicians, including Sofya Kulikova from HSE University in Perm, compared the extent and characteristics of brain damage in children who experienced a stroke either within the first four weeks of life or before the age of two. The researchers found that the younger the child, the more extensive the brain damage—particularly in the frontal and parietal lobes, which are responsible for movement, language, and thinking. The study, published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, provides insights into how age can influence the nature and extent of brain lesions and lays the groundwork for developing personalised rehabilitation programmes for children who experience a stroke early in life.
Scientists Test Asymmetry Between Matter and Antimatter
An international team, including scientists from HSE University, has collected and analysed data from dozens of experiments on charm mixing—the process in which an unstable charm meson oscillates between its particle and antiparticle states. These oscillations were observed only four times per thousand decays, fully consistent with the predictions of the Standard Model. This indicates that no signs of new physics have yet been detected in these processes, and if unknown particles do exist, they are likely too heavy to be observed with current equipment. The paper has been published in Physical Review D.
HSE Scientists Reveal What Drives Public Trust in Science
Researchers at HSE ISSEK have analysed the level of trust in scientific knowledge in Russian society and the factors shaping attitudes and perceptions. It was found that trust in science depends more on everyday experience, social expectations, and the perceived promises of science than on objective knowledge. The article has been published in Universe of Russia.