Obesity discrimination negatively impacts overweight individuals in areas such as work and healthcare, stemming from the incorrect assumption that obesity is caused by a lazy lifestyle. Discrimination can also arise from a feeling of disgust for obese people, impacting job security, healthcare, and other areas of life. Few laws exist to protect against obesity discrimination, but advocacy groups are working to raise awareness and implement protections.
Obesity discrimination is an unfair prejudice against overweight people. Studies have found that the prevalence of discrimination against obese people in society can negatively impact overweight individuals in many areas of life, such as work and health care. Prejudice against overweight people can stem from the perception that obesity is the result of a lazy lifestyle and poor eating habits. This often incorrect assumption can lead people to treat overweight people unfairly.
Discrimination of obesity may arise from a tendency to hold individuals responsible for their excessive weight gain. While this is certainly true in some cases, excessive weight gain is often caused by something overweight individuals cannot control, such as a debilitating injury, genetics, or disease. As awful as it sounds, discrimination can also stem from a feeling of disgust for obese people. Of course, such biases are often unfounded and unjust.
Studies have shown that obesity discrimination impacts the workplace, affecting everything from the hiring process to how an overweight individual is treated in the workplace. For example, an employer might choose not to hire someone more qualified than other applicants because he is overweight. Overweight individuals might also be treated differently than their peers in the workplace; studies suggest that obese individuals are less likely to receive promotions and that their job security is less stable.
Discrimination of obesity also has a great impact on health care. Research indicates that health professionals may judge obese individuals more. Some primary care physicians may be less attentive to the treatment of obesity than other disorders. Overweight individuals seem to pick up on the bad vibes: Studies show that obese individuals tend to delay going to the doctor even for routine visits.
Discrimination of obesity can also be found in other areas of life. For example, obese people may receive lower quality service in restaurants and retail stores. Discrimination can also manifest itself in family life. Strange as it may seem, one study suggests that parents provide less college funding for overweight kids.
Unfortunately, few laws exist to protect against obesity discrimination. In most places, employers can get away with turning someone down for work based solely on weight, as hate laws do not currently protect obese individuals in many places. Individuals and advocacy groups are working to raise awareness of obesity discrimination, which could eventually culminate in the passage and implementation of laws that help protect obese people from cruel and unfair treatment.
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