Losing weight and being thin makes you more successful, research suggests

04 January 2024 , 12:21

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Research found thinner people tend to be more successful (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images)

Losing weight can have a huge impact on your career, according to research, with many people who have overhauled their diets noting they now earn more money, manage their time more effectively, and are overall more successful.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal about their transformations, a group of slimmed-down workers revealed that not only do they feel more confident since losing weight but they get treated better by colleagues, clients, and bosses.

Tynan Phelan, who works at White Ash Group, remarked: “It's unfortunate, but people treat you differently.” Indeed, when Phelan lost five stone after he started exercising he expected to feel better about himself but was surprised to find that his transformation made other people feel more favourably towards him too.

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When at business events, Phelen commented that he used to be the “sad, sweaty guy in a corner,” but since losing weight he’s noticed that he’s approached by people more often and as such has landed more contracts and work.

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Phelan isn't alone in feeling this way. When Melanie Borden, 39, found herself in hospital after having a panic attack, she decided to overhaul her life - starting with her diet. Previously working 100-hour-weeks, she relied on sugar and caffeine to keep her going and all but gave up exercise to focus on her job.

Now taking time out to jog and ride her Peloton, and logging off before 2am, Borden expected her newfound freedom to impact her output at work - but it had the opposite effect. Since dropping almost three stone, she’s found her work improving and her business flourishing, she told the Wall Street Journal.

Of course, it’s been scientifically proven that exercise can help mental clarity but Borden thinks it’s more than that. “I can't prove that people's perceptions of my aesthetic and how it's changed has spilled over into what I do,” she said. “But I have no doubt.”

In 2022, a study released by The Economist found: “It is economically rational for ambitious women to try as hard as possible to be thin.” Financial expert Alice Fulwood, says: “The richer people are, the thinner they tend to be and this is a tragedy.”

After examining earning figures between men and women in different countries it found that overall, females who weighed less earned more than their heavier counterparts. Leading the study to boldly claim that if a woman loses 65 pounds, it could have the same effect on her wages as earning a Master’s degree.

Eve Wagstaff