We construct a matching model on the marriage market along more than one charac- teristic, where individuals have preferences over physical attractiveness (proxied by anthropometric characteristics) and market and household productivity of potential mates (proxied by socioeconomic...

We empirically analyze the marriage market aspects of body size, weight and height in the US using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics on anthropometric characteristics of both spouses. Gender-asymmetric trade-offs arise within couples between physical and socio-economic traits, but...

We explore the role of relative physical attractiveness within the household on the labor supply decisions of husbands and wives. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we find that husbands who are heavier relative to their wives work more hours, while wives who are thinner...

Taller populations are generally richer populations, and taller individuals live longer and earn more, perhaps reflecting their superior cognitive abilities. Understanding the determinants of adult height has thus become a focus in understanding the relationship between health and wealth. We...

This paper presents new evidence on the relationship between infant mortality at the year of birth and adult stature using regional data for five cohorts in Spain, born between 1969 and 1986, a period of significant economic and social transformation. Consistent with previous studies, we find...

The problem of obesity is alarming public health authorities around the world. Therefore, it is important to study its determinants. In this paper we explore the empirical relationship between household income and body mass index (BMI) in nine European Union countries. Our findings suggest that...

Argentina hit world news headlines in 2002 due to the largest debt-default in history and a sudden economic collapse reminiscent of economic statistics from the Great Depression. In this article, we focus on other consequences of the crisis that are notso obvious, but that may linger for decades...

This paper presents new evidence on the evolution of adult height across Spanish regions for cohorts born between 1950 and 1980 using the available augmented sample of the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) for Spain. This augmented sample is available only for the year 2000, and collects...

We empirically assess the role of environmental conditions at birth, namely, infant mortality (IMR), GDP per capita and income inequality in the year of birth in explaining average adult height for cohorts born between 1950 and 1980 in 20 Brazilian states. We find that there is a strong positive...