Overweight people are sometimes treated differently in the workforce. We have heard stories of people that don't recognized for their work because of being overweight/obese or are passed over for promotions, but as soon as they lose weight people suddenly start to notice them. They then get promoted and recognized. This can happen to anyone: CEOs, administrators, mail room clerks, janitors, etc. Unfortunately that is not fair but in reality, there often is a prejudice in the workplace against overweight people. They are often viewed as someone who cannot keep their own body "in order", and if that is the case, how could they possibly keep a company in order? This sometimes translates into pay inequalities. The good thing is excess weight is reversible. If you have put weight on, you can take it off. Of course it may take some time, but you can do it if you feel opportunities have passed you by.
People have many different motivations to lose weight and certainly career progression is one consideration. Of course, the public stance of anyone hiring/promoting people would be that weight plays no role in the decision making. There are many lawyers out there itching for cases of workplace discrimination of any kind. Usually we think in terms of racial, gender, age, etc. types of discrimination, but weight issues are certainly a factor that is not spoken about often.
Anyway, just wanted to bring this case up as "food for thought" (sorry..poor choice of words!) when you are thinking about applying for a new job, being asked to be considered for a promotion, etc...It is not fair to have the weight factor being part of the evaluation, but it is reality.
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