Tiffany+and+Mari

Copyright 2011 HT Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved Hindustan Times **January** 31, 2011 Monday

**HEADLINE:** Body size matters when it comes to paychecks: Study (Re-issue) **DATELINE:** Washington **BODY:**

Washington, Jan. 31 -- 'Men should be big and strong, and **women** skinny' ' a cultural lesson drilled into our heads ever since we were tots.

Unfortunately, that's how it has to be if you want to earn a fair salary.

According to a recent study, men who are skinnier than average cash smaller paychecks than normal-weighted men, while thin women are paid significantly more than their average-size counterparts, reports the Washington Post.

Experts say it is just another sign that as a **society,** we have internalized the unrealistic, media-driven physical ideals that show up in the workplace ' and, therefore, the pocketbook.

Researchers Timothy Judge and Daniel Cable found thin women earned about 16,000 dollars more a year on average. In contrast, thin men earned about 8,000 dollars less than their more muscular male co-workers.

They said that much of the problem is the result of subconscious decisions based on entrenched social stereotypes. Their report cites studies in which obese individuals were identified as 'undisciplined, dishonest and less likely to do productive work'.

Conversely, the researchers pointed out that employers and fellow employees associate values of self-discipline, thrift, hard work and positivity with thin individuals.

The researchers suggested that employers look at their assumptions about employees' weight, because they may be rooted in prejudice.

The study is published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Published by HT Syndication with permission from Asian News International. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

**LOAD-DATE:** January 31, 2011

According to an article reported by the Hindustan Time on Monday, January 31, 2011, a recent study was conducted that men who are skinnier than normal-weighted men earn smaller paychecks, while thin women are paid significantly more than their average-size counterparts. Results show that if you want to earn a fair salary, you have to meet the unrealistic gender expectations of society. The stereotype is that men have to be muscular and women have to be skinny in order to be successful in life. Researchers found that thin women earned about $16,000 more than normal-sized women, and skinny men earned about $8,000 less than their more muscular co-workers. Obese individuals were classified as lazy while thin employees were considered hard-working. These assumptions about weight may be considered as discrimination.
 * Abstract:**

**Mari**: My initial reaction was confusion because I did not know that this was true. I find this completely ridiculous. Then, I looked at the numbers and realize the difference between the acceptable woman and male is $8,000 which shows how high society's expectations are for woman's body image. Although this article is short, I believe that this is a huge issue. I had to ask myself so many questions. This article truly shows how much society has an impact on everything. Society has high and certain expectations that they need to fill. And if they don't, they are looked down upon and get treated unfairly.

-What is considered skinny? (females and males) -How skinny is too skinny? (females) -What is considered muscular? (males) -What is considered average? (females and males) -Why is a skinny woman considered more qualified than an average size woman? -*branch off question: The ERA (equal rights act that would've given women equal pay) was not passed because it did not get 2/3 of the vote. Why do men not think women deserve equal pay? -Does body size matter more for women or males?

**Tiffany**: I was extremely offended by this article. The idea of someone’s work ethic being judged by their appearance is completely ridiculous. I’m a strong advocate of the cliché, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” and this article definitely violates my beliefs. I absolutely do not accept these assumptions to be reasonable. Society’s expectations have become so extreme to the point that if you don’t live according to these stereotypes then you will suffer the consequences. This article even acknowledges how society’s influence is already established in our subconscious and fooling us to believe that these gender suppositions are now true standards that one has to maintain in order to be successful. However, I believe that it’s irrational and utterly immoral to base one’s ability on their figure.

-Where do you think the idea that "men should be big and strong, and women skinny" comes from? How has this idea changed (or not changed) in society? How has it affected other aspects of people's lives? -How accurate, do you think, is the study mentioned in the article? -What physical qualities actually make an ideal employee? -Should an individual's work ethic really be judged on their appearance? -How do you think this article or this study affects those who read it? Women? Men? -What can we do to live beyond these stereotypes? -How does this article and its information affect you?