Workplace Discrimination For Weight In Cook
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Weight stigma or bias generally refers to negative weight-related attitudes toward an individual with excess weight or obesity. These attitudes are often manifested by negative stereotypes (e.g., that persons with obesity are “lazy” or “lacking in willpower”), social rejection and prejudice.
Older adults face more subtle forms of weight stigma in their daily environment. For example, in many doctor's offices, examination tables and gowns do not accommodate people of larger size. This is also true on many commercial airplanes, where seats will not fit an individual who carries significant excess weight.
Obesity discrimination is not currently afforded legal status as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010). However, obesity-related conditions (eg, osteoarthritis), may be in scope where an employee is able to satisfy the legal definition of a disability under EqA 2010.
Legal protections in California Employers cannot treat employees less favorably because of their physical characteristics, which include obesity. ing to FEHA, they also must provide reasonable accommodations for employees who have disabilities, including severe obesity, unless doing so would cause undue hardship.
Sizeism, weightism or size discrimination is unjust or prejudicial treatment directed at people based on their size.
The workplace is a common setting where weight bias and discrimination occur. Employees who have a higher body weight face weight-based inequities in employment including unfair hiring practices, lower wages, fewer promotions, harassment from co-workers, and unfair job termination.
Workplace discrimination that results from false stereotypes against people with overweight and obesity has been well documented through research associating body mass index (BMI) with income and professional enhancement opportunities. Weight-based discrimination starts before a person even joins a workplace.
Even though discrimination based on weight has a negative impact on people's health and wellness, there is only one state in the U.S – Michigan – that has an anti-weight discrimination law.
The World Obesity Federation defines weight stigma as “the discriminatory acts and ideologies targeted towards individuals because of their weight and size.” Weight stigma can have devastating social, psychological, and physical effects for older adults living with obesity.
Body-shaming, more specifically weight-shaming of men and women, is a widely known characteristic of sizeism, shown in the form of prejudice and discrimination can include both skinny shaming and fat shaming.
