Why some employers rather not hire fat people?

Recently, we have been talking about fat people being discriminated against, rather than just talking about losing fats.

I am not trying to be morbid or to stir up anything. But as I work with people trying to lose fats, a lot of these issues keep coming up and I feel we should talk about it rather than avoid it.

The latest topic is about employers who are biased against fat people. I recall one of the stories my friend, who is a Personal Trainer at a popular gym, told me. He was telling me that recently, he noticed quite a few “executive types” coming and signing up for packages at the gym. One of them signed him, and when asked, told my friend the reason he signed up.

Apparently, his boss told him to “shape up or ship out”. Not quite in those curt terms, but the message was clear. It seems that the boss felt his personal grooming carried a negative image for the company. He was to lose his tummy and get fit.

Really, I have nothing against getting fit. But the idea that it becomes an ultimatum for keeping your job? That is sad.

I wonder how many others have had similar experiences?

For myself, I practice brisk walking on a regular basis and take some fat blockers. I admit to not being a very physical person, and I would take all the help I can get.

Of course, we have to hear both sides of the story and I did ask a few employers and managers. Their response, as expected, was denial. But they do concede that they can empathize with those employers. Imagine if your sales people went out to see clients looking sloppy, what message would that convey to them? Now, if you were in some kind of health care, or one of those “look good-feel good” industry, and your sales or any of your staff looked clearly over-weight, what does that do for your corporate image? Even if they dressed well and presented themselves well, the message would be a direct opposite from the products/services that the company is trying to promote.

Now, I agree that in some cases, some level of discrimination is needed. Not necessarily approved, but being commercially driven, not much choices for the company.

We live with all kinds of social discrimination. Discriminating against fat people is not the worse, but it is prevalent. When you want to discriminate, then think about this – when YOU get pass forty years, and your metabolism starts to slow, and before you realize it enough to make adjustments to your lifestyle and diet, you stand a very high chance of being fat.

Next week onwards, I will start talking about some fun exercises that I have enjoyed over the years.

Fat Kids are stigmatized too

Last week, we talked about women being more discriminated against than men. I received several notes from readers, that there is another group that suffers a lot of discrimination – fat kids.

Children can sometimes be the most cruel. Simply because of their innocence, they usually say what is on their mind, no subtlety, no holds barred. And of course, what gets in their minds, is put there by what they hear, see and experience around them.

Sadly, the discrimination did not originate from children. Teachers and parents usually lead the charge when it comes to discrimination.

"The stigmatization directed at obese children by their peers, parents, educators and others is pervasive and often unrelenting," researchers with Yale University and the University of Hawaii at Manatoa wrote in the July 2007 issue of Psychological Bulletin

The lifestyle that we lead and the environment that we are in today is no longer the same as in the past. Where children used to have to walk or pedal their bikes to school, now, transportation is so convenient and affordable, no one does that any more. When bored, children in the 70’s and 80’s used to run around, kicking a ball, chasing each other or catching spiders. Today, TV and the Internet, not to mention console games, dominate a child’s life.

Compounding this already much more sedentary lifestyle is the fact that we eat much better today than before. Thanks to rising affluence, we stuff ourselves and our children with rich, delicious food.

It will be difficult to change eating habits over-night. For adults, taking fat blockers can help fight the fat build up. But for children, it is much more advisable to encourage them to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle. Controlling their snack in-take and regulating their diet is something that most parents can and should do.

Discrimination is not a nice thing. It hurts and leave psychological scars. Instead, let us move to help those in need to lose their fats and lead a happier, healthier life.

Is it true that fat bias is worse for women?

Since we are on the topic of the social rejection of fat people, here is another hot discussion point – women get discriminated against far more than men.

Apparently, this report on weight discrimination released in a 2008 report by the International Journal of Obesity (Perceptions of weight discrimination: prevalence and comparison to race and gender discrimination in America) cited the discrimination to be almost three times as bad against women as against men.

The definition of being over weight was put at a weight level where the Body Mass Index (BMI is greater than 35. Interestingly, women even get discriminated at a BMI of between 30 – 35. They are discriminated against more than their male counter-parts in similar weight/height categories.

In society, many discriminations are found: weight, height, sex, age, race, religion and so on. Fortunately, for weight discrimination, there are ways to overcome them.

For women, dressing sensibly is a great start. By not accentuating the fat look, it will help keep some discrimination at bay. Having a bright, sunny disposition also helps. But the most effective way to end the discrimination is to lose fats.

Whether it is going on a diet, starting an exercise regime or using some natural fat reducing aids like herbs and fat blockers, it is a start.

For those who discriminate against fat people, understand that being over weight is just a state of the body at a point in time. It in no way reflects on who the person is. After all, just because you are skinny does not mean you are automatically regarded as a “nice person”, right?