Its quite simple, if you are fat you are at a far higher risk of a plethora of preventable diseases that cost all of us hard-earned money (in the hundreds of billions in the U.S). I hate that companies can’t require fat people to do something about their disease (yes, its a disease but it is curable). I hate that fat people cannot be required to pay more out of pocket for their benefits. Sure certain drugs can cause weight retention. But, why are you on the meds? Could it be because of lack of exercise and poor eating? And, that pill is likely not the best way to manage a condition. What an ignorant country we live in to think that pills are the solution to all our ailments! And, how ridiculous that we are having to adapt and accomodate the overweight (wider seats on public transport, bigger chairs in waiting rooms, wider doorways, etc). Its ridiculous and it costs us so much time and money!

Some statements, like this one, are way over generalized.

I’m a ‘fat’ person, and I tend to take less time to get dressed than most (both fat and skinny) people I know. Anyone who can multi-task can do this.

Maybe it’s due to growing up with a father who’s 6′4, but I’ve always walked fast…you have to do something to be able to keep up with someone who takes one step to your two.

I also tend to sleep like the dead, and usually very well. There are things, like sleep aphena, that ‘fat’ people are more prone to.

So losing weight is the best solution? If employers could discriminate against people with big noses, should people get rhinoplasty?

Part of the problem with the complex problems fat discrimination is that we get issues of health all tangled up with issues of beauty and conformity.

BTW, I read the debate here on how your weight affects your employment, never even crossed my mind…interesting…
Amanda

I think that the risk of getting fired is smaller than the side effect of being fat, which is that you earn less and get promoted less often. Another way that being fat costs.