Health and wages: Evidence on men and women in urban Brazil

Survey data indicate that different dimensions of health affect the wages of men and women in urban Brazil. Height has a large and significant effect on wages: taller men and women earn more. Body mass index (BMI) is associated with higher wages of males, especially among the less-educated, suggesting that strength may be rewarded with higher wages. Low levels of per capita calorie and protein intakes reduce wages of market-workers, but not the self-employed. After controlling for height, BMI, and calories, the influence of proteins is greater at higher levels, presumably reflecting the impact of higher-quality diets.