Maybe we'd be safer if we were kinder, or fairer

[nancylebov]

From the NYTimes:

That is what both Howard Bodenhorn, an economist at Clemson University, and Mr. Price concluded from 19th-century prison records. In that era increased body weight was associated with a lower risk of [committing] crime. In the 21st century, though, in which service jobs are much more common, Mr. Price found that being overweight was linked to a higher risk of [committing] crime.

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Mr. Price has suggested that there may be policy implications in his work, saying, “Public health policies successful at reducing obesity among individuals in the population will not only make society healthier, but also safer.”

The Times article also has somewhat about the economic effects of beauty and height.

Link thanks to Mind Hacks.

Comments

[chomiji]

Correlation is not causality. Eliminating some or all of the many factors that lead to obesity may have a positive effect on the crime rate, but I seriously doubt that efforts aimed simply at the weight issue will have much of an effect.