In rich countries, there is a negative correlation between weight and income for women but no such effect for men. Thus, women in rich countries experience low self-esteem and pressure to be thin not just because of cultural messaging and supposed ideal standards, but also because failing to be thin will literally cost them.
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It is economically rational for everyone to devote time to education because it has clear returns in the labour market and for future wages. In the same way it appears to be economically rational for women to pursue being thin.
In the highest estimates, a woman’s thinness is more important than getting additional education. The “wage premium” for a master’s degree is 18 percent, while the premium for a woman to go from obese to normal BMI, losing about 65 pounds, is 10 percent. This effect is most significant for white women.
Not only are their starting wages lower, fat women also experience cumulative effects of wage discrimination over their careers, receiving fewer wages and promotions.
Note that women accepted this fact decades ago, when fatphobia was more acceptable and downright explicit. Now, women are hiding similar weight-loss behaviors under the guise of wellness and body positivity. Modern feminism has made the “tyranny of the ideal woman” more subtle and ingrained.