Weight Discrimination At Workforce

In this challenging world, there are more and more women embark themselves in the workforce. We live in a world whereby looks and appearance is important and becoming main criteria in recruitment process.

Many people believe that spending more money on personal grooming and attractive clothing will give a good impression to their employers at work and enhance their careers. But is it true for all types of careers?

The answer may yes or may be not. If looks are so important, could your weight affect your job prospects? Studies suggest that weight discrimination in the workplace is rife.

A study revealed that most jobs are to be given to the thinner person when choosing between two otherwise similar candidates and this suggests that weight discrimination counts more against women. Discrimination happened at every stages of the recruitment process – from hiring, through promotion, to dismissal.

Overweight people are typically seen as lazy, out of control, and even dirty. They are always being thought as “possessing negative personality traits”, and dismissed as “emotionally impaired”. Are all these statements true to overweight people?

It could be more appropriate to say that weight discrimination is mostly happened in beauty and wellness industry, fashion industry, secretary, customer services, and any other industries which rely heavily on one’s appearance. Sometimes, it is undeniable that weight discrimination is also happened in the office. Employers will have a misconception that an over weight employee tend to be less productive in handling task if compared to thinner employee.

But there are some women who defy the rules that only thin and attractive people can be successful. Some overweight women are highly successful in the male-dominated field, and their sizes are distinct advantages to them: Everyone is stereotyped one way or another – not just fat people. In other words, there are pro and con for overweight people in the workplace. If you are big, there is the negative stereotype of weak and lazy loser, but there is also a positive stereotype, that you are dynamic, a life-lover, generous, a people person.

It is up to the individual to control the way they are seen. Weight is only a problem if you allow it to be. But it is generally agrees that bias on the basis of weight is more of a problem for people with “average” skills and abilities. So it is advisable that women with weight problem need to upgrade their knowledge and skills in order to compete with other thinner employee in the workplace.

No matter how weight problem will affect your job, but it is definitely will attract more illnesses to you if you are over weight which in turn will affect your daily activities indirectly. So in order to stay healthy and look energetic, a correct lifestyle and healthy diet is vital for all of us.

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