Should Obese People Be Protected Against Discrimination?

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Discrimination against overweight people may be more common than sex discrimination or racial discrimination, according to researchers. In a thought-provoking report called Weighty Concerns, sociologists Samantha Kwan, Ph.D. and Mary Nell Trautner, Ph.D. write, “Regardless?of [a] more socially progressive mindset, sizeism remains commonplace?and often unquestioned.”

The researchers assert that people and businesses tend to believe obese people are not only lazy and less productive than their svelte co-workers, but put a drain on resources because they have more chronic illness. Both stem from prejudices and neither has been proven, they say.

The writers, along with activists, call for some form of anti discrimination legislation. Here are some points that support their case:

Obesity is associated with an 18 percent?reduction in wages and a 25 percent reduction in family?income. In one study, researchers asked subjects?to evaluate an applicant��s qualifications or job performance?where the applicant��s weight was manipulated through?photographs, videos, or written vignettes. They found a bias against overweight applicants and workers. Eugene Kutcher and Jennifer Bragger wrote in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, “…research has shown that?overweight job applicants are viewed as possessing negative job