Weight Discrimination

Monday, 05 October 2009 09:54

Weight discrimination is a prevalent problem in our society today. With the media portraying an 'ideal' body image to men, women, and even children, the American public has become increasing intolerant towards obese or overweight people. Many of the negative stereotypes of overweight persons include that they are lazy, unclean, or have no willpower.

Many overweight persons report that they are discriminated against in a variety of different environments, from being passed over for a promotion, to not receiving good customer service in a clothing store or restaurant because of the person's size. Discrimination can also come in the form of physical and emotional harm, including name calling, bullying, and social alienation by a person's peers or colleagues.

According to the Obesity Action Coalition, the occurrence of obesity discrimination had increased in a ten year period, from 1995-2005, by 66%. One study, published by the journal Obesity included 2,290 Americans who reported the types of discrimination they received. Weight discrimination was more prevalent than racial, sexual orientation, or physical disability discrimination.

What's more, severely obese people experience a higher level of discrimination than moderately overweight people. The USA TODAY reports that "among severely obese people, about 28% of men and 45% of women said they have experienced discrimination because of their weight." Obesity Focused, a part of the morefocus group network, also reports that obese women and minorities are the most likely to face discrimination.

Employers on average also pay obese workers about 2.5% less than their thinner colleagues, the USA TODAY reported, citing a study from the Council on Size & Weight Discrimination. The study used U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of America citizens who reported their occupation, income, height, and weight.

Currently, there are no federal laws against obesity discrimination. In the workplace, if a person cannot classify their obesity as a disability, no laws exist at the national level that prohibits an employer from telling their employees that they need to lose weight. However, San Francisco and Santa Cruz, both in California, and Washington D.C. have laws that ban discrimination against a person because of their weight.

As the obesity rates in America increase, weight discrimination will continue to an issue until overweight persons are portrayed in a positive light both by the media and in the workplace. The Council on Size & Weight Discrimination claims that if a person's weight has no effect of the type of work they are doing, then they should receive the same pay and treatment as their thinner counterparts who are doing the same work.

Resources:
http://www.obesityfocused.com/articles/obesity-issues/obesity-law.php
http://www.obesityaction.org/magazine/oacnews12/obesityanddiscrimination.php
http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2002-09-04-overweight-pay-bias_x.htm