Size Matters
Discrimination comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. As an overweight adult, I faced many instances of discrimination in the corporate environment, from an attitude of dismissal (my ideas couldn't possibly have any value) to open hostility.
On MSN's news page, the lead article is about overweight workers in America. "Is Your Weight Hurting Your Career?":
Does weight have any bearing in the workplace? According to Miriam berg, president of the Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, it does. "The biggest obstacle larger-than-average workers face is prejudice, and the second biggest obstacle is the fact that many large people believe that prejudice themselves," Berg says. "Our culture is obsessed with weight loss, and there is a tremendous amount of bias against people who do not fit into the narrow definition of what is attractive.
A friend of mine has founded a business on helping corporations become sensitive to the feelings of employees and customers who are overweight. Veronica Euell of Euell Consulting offers Diversity Training on a variety of topics, one of which is "Size, The Other Diversity."
Hold the mirror up to your company – how accepting are you of those who are overweight?
