weight loss and appearance

This is a very sensitive subject: how we are perceived by others in the professional workplace when we are overweight. Are we less likely to be promoted because we are overweight? When given the competition to be hired for a certain position, do more "inshape" people have a greater chance to be selected? Are we taken less seriously by our colleagues when we are overweight?

Obviously the answers to these questions are variable depending on the people/situations involved, but I do think it is fairly certain that being overweight cannot help our professional progression. Some of my patients have expressed this perception about their workplace experiences: "If my boss thinks that I cannot take care of myself, why would he think I can take care of the greater responsibilities required in a promotion position?" Aesthetically, is it the case that "better looking" people get the promotions more readily?

These are difficult issues to discuss because clearly, job promotions and employment should be based 100% on skillsets with zero regard to a waistline size or an aesthetic look. However, reality may be somewhat different. With the economy tanking and layoffs becoming more common, it certainly cannot hurt for all of us to "shape up" as best as possible.