It's tough being big ... and expensive. For women, being obese may cost $4,879 per year, according to George Washington University researchers. And while men fare a bit better, they tend to come up short as well.
Aside from the obvious, like increased medical and travel costs, heavy people often tend to earn less, largely due to a prejudice that many people wouldn’t even think about: obesity
bias.
One Texas hospital, for instance, has decided that it won't hire anyone with a Body Mass Index of 35 or more. That could, depending on how you play with BMI figures, mean a 5',5" person who's weighs 210 pounds.
Well, at least they're up front about it.
Recently, researchers gave participants a series of résumés with small
photos of applicants attached, both before and after weight-loss surgery.
They discovered that criteria like starting salary, leadership potential
and the actual selection of the candidate for the job were all negatively affected, particularly if those hiring felt positive about their own appearance.
People who are confident in their looks often believe that
obese individuals deserve less privileges and opportunities, the study suggests:
“The higher participants rated their own physical attractiveness and the
importance of physical appearance, the greater the prejudice and
discrimination,” says lead researcher Kerry O’Brien. “One
interpretation of this finding might be that we feel better about our own bodies
if we compare ourselves and discriminate against ‘fat’ people.”
Just like elementary school, it seems.
Do people with weight problems suffer at work? Have you experienced or witnessed such discrimination in the workplace?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: True Canadian | Dec 6, 2021 3:35:26 PM
Of course its a bias against fat people, and also against short people (especially males). These biases have always existed in our workplace/society, and is similar to good-looking people vs those hard-on-the-eyes types. Individuals always have (and probably always will) tend to stay away from people that they find visually unappealing . And it doesnt stop at the HR and hiring. A new-hire who is visually unappealing will also fare worse with most of his/her peers than those with appealing traits.
Its not right, its not fair, but it is the way it is throughout our society. Most people of "average" traits or worse are used to seeing the tall good-looking guy get the promotions, especially to the higher exec positions: the good looking girl get hired/advanced even though she hasnt merited it: the personable and qualified individual with severe skin condition who just doesnt get the promotions that they should. Companies have always focussed on being visually "presentable" in dress and looks as it conveys a "positive" company image, so it is easy (maybe even expected) that this exists at the workplace. Its that it exists EVERYWHERE in our society is the real issue.
Posted by: ROFLCOPTR | Dec 10, 2021 6:56:15 AM
Fat people are dumb
Posted by: Hugh Jass | Dec 10, 2021 12:34:56 PM
Who wants to work with a bunch of lard asses! The wheeze and puff, they stink and they take up way too much room! 5'5" and 210 pounds - for Christ's sake hire yourself out as a wrecking ball - no problem there!
Posted by: jude | Dec 10, 2021 4:08:00 PM
those who discriminate obviously feel inferior to others.
Posted by: Dumb Fat Person | Dec 10, 2021 8:48:49 PM
I am a fat dumb person, I am not dumb because I am fat and I am not fat because I am dumb. I have an actual medical issue, actually 4 that have caused excess weight gain even though I was down to eating one meal a day consuming no more then 500-calories a day but still kept gaining weight. I did not eat and eat all day long, I don't eat fast food everyday more like once a month, I don't like sweets or grease. I exercise, I starve myself but the weight won't budge. But you know what for all the discrimination I experience I get just as much nice attention from the opposite sex. Although my body from the neck down is ugly, above the neck is pretty. Not all fat people wheeze and puff or stink, heck alot of skinny people stink more then fat people. I have missed out on job opportunities because of my weight but once it gets down to a "normal" size I will still back fat people because I know what its like to be one!