Anyone else ever been terrified that your weight may keep you from getting a job? I had an interview for a high profile Client facing position yesterday. I was so worried that the interviewer would only see a “fat women” that he “didn’t want to put in front of clients”. I wore every girdle, spanx, and spandex that I could find to make my frame appear thinner. But at the end of the day, the only thing I could do was to put my best foot forward and let my qualifications shine. I am super qualified for the position and I have great references. My prayer is that my qualifications, experience and solid interview were enough. The good news is that I had 67 less pounds placed in front of him. What do you guys think? Can obesity/weight hold you back in your Corporate career? Is that a real thing or just in my head?
Weight and Career Sucess
It is clearly a real thing. I’m not sure anyone has teased out if it is inherent bias (likely a part) or something where heavier people are more self conscious and give cues that are saying the wrong things to HR and managers (likely part).
But a lot of studies have shown that heavier people tend to make less money and have a harder time with job advancement.
Unfortunately there is weight bias in hiring, and short of someone saying, “I’m not hiring you because you’re fat,” it’s impossible to prove.
Some employers do it because they see $ signs attached to increased health problems and missed work/potential disability down the road.
Others do it subconsciously without realizing their biases.
Sad fact is, studies show that attractive people by society standards will out earn those deemed unattractive over the span of their career. And society deems fat unattractive.
I def believe there is a correlation to some extent. It is a complex answer though. Does feeling good about your appearance project yourself in a different light? Confidence? and how does that factor?
I can tell you though, even as a man, around the 60lb mark of my current adventure, I began noticing a difference in the way what the opposite sex reacted to me in the hallway, elevator, ect. I guess Id call the reaction “favorable” vs “disgusted” which I was used too
I think it is the second and third one. Unless someone already appears to be suffering, such as limping, sweating during the interview, wheezing, I do not think the medical implications are something they worry about, unless perhaps you are interviewing when they are in the process of updating their medical insurance so they are thinking about it. Plenty of healthy fat people.
Absolutely true that the more attractive you are the better off. I think there is a window though and a good personality or being very qualified will offset this. I have at least two professional career friends who both changed jobs in their late 40s or early 50s without a problem. One has a BMI of 40 or more and the other in the high 30s. Both speak well and are good in their areas. I think it helps to be at least average. Since the average American woman is a size 14, average has changed a lot so being a little overweight is no big deal because most people are
I do think once you get further outside the realm of typical the harder it gets. For example I used to work with a young woman who was very heavy even by my standards and I had a BMI of 33 at the time. She wore beautiful clothes, her hair was done and she seemed very nice, she was a para professional and most of those were thin blond women. She was very competent but seemed very shy, she did not seem to make an effort to get to know people outside of the thin blond women she worked with at the time. However that may have been my biased view at the time
I’ve worked in payroll/HR For the better part of 20 years and can promise you, they DO see a fat person as a potential liability. Especially the smaller, family owned companies I’ve worked for. Larger corps are less likely to view in these terms as there is a larger employee pool to absorb the risk.
Very much a real thing. Fat bias is everywhere. In some cases, it’s warranted. In many, it’s not.
In my job as a truck driver, obesity is becoming a bigger and bigger problem (no pun intended), with emphasis being placed on diabetes, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. It has cost me $600+ for a sleep study (out of my own pocket) which proved negative, and anyone who tests positive has to buy a CPAP and PROVE 95% compliance (that they actually use it). Obviously, you don’t want anyone coming at you in an 80,000 pound vehicle who hasn’t had enough rest, or is keeling over with a heart attack. I deal with it because I don’t want to be the driver who kills another person.
Fingers crossed 
that you get the job!!
I just received my certified personal trainer designation and I am definitely aware that I need to maintain a certain “look” to seem credible. There’s a ridiculous standard for fitness professionals to have that “hard body” image, I think it really creates barriers for people who don’t fit that body type but who are passionate about helping people with their fitness goals.
I think this bias is everywhere not just in the workplace getting hired but also in credibility with clients, patients, and coworkers with whom you work. Outward appearance whether it’s fashion, grooming or physical health is often what people make their first impressions on. It also effects ourselves. I feel more confident and capable when I feel slimmer and more fit. I dress and speak more confidently now that I feel healthier.
Thank you for all of these thoughtful replies. I am never one to scream discrimination. I truly believe that people EARN what they achieve and even the most awful biases can be overcome with hard work, heart and professionalism. But I still sometimes think in the back of my mind, that I am being judged or even fat shamed in someone else’s head. So let’s look at the bright side of this - I went into this interview yesterday wearing a size 14. I was beaming, proud, confident and had great hair and make up. LOL! Six months ago before keto, I was a size 24, and ashamed of myself and refusing to look at mirrors. I continue to make progress every day. If I do get the job, I may have to thank keto for giving me the confidence to really put my best foot forward 
Congrats on losing 5 sizes !!! That is a dream of mine to get out of a size 24. I want to change jobs also, but I think I will stay put until I have gained confidence and lost some dress sizes.
I was worried about the same issue. I ended up getting the job I went after, and everyone in my department is about my age, and the women are about my size. I don’t know if this company is a one off. I suspect it might be.
I am the same size now (22W to 14) and while I work from home so my size is not an issue I do think how people respond to me socially has changed. Not my friends but people I meet now or did not know well before. There is absolutely a difference and it should not be but it exists
Candy, wow - that’s wild about the CPAP - never knew that. Getting a medical card is certainly more of a deal now than it used to be. Some of the people I see in truck stops, getting out of trucks, etc. - I really wonder how in the heck they passed…
I remember watching an Oprah episode decades ago, where a thin lady and a fat lady (I think it was the same lady in a fat suit) were sent out to see if there was a difference in who/how many would stop to help a thin vs fat lady who had a flat tire. It was kind of shocking how many cars passed by the fat lady, …but they stopped to help the thin lady.
As someone who has been every size from a 4 to an 18 and back again several times over, this does not surprise me in the least.
Until recently I would have agreed that plus size would be a liability. I remember some years back talking to a co-worker about how vendor reps in our industry all had a similar look.
Over the last few years I’ve noticed that advertisers are including fuller figured women (haven’t seen many heavy set guys), which is a positive indicator. I’ve also noticed … at least in my area … all of the local news stations have fuller figured feature reporters which you never saw 5 years ago.
Based on my view of corporate America, they’re getting less concerned with a persons figure and more concerned about a persons ability to do a job.
Unfortunately idiots will always find the wrong reasons to write off a candidate be it age, size, whatever. That said, I hope you wow’ed ‘em and get a call back! Best of luck.
Not sure if this will make you feel better but with insurance I had to pay close to $4000 for the sleep study for a family member. Here is the wild part, he needed medication rather than a CPap. At CVS the medication is $75 after insurance. I recently switched to Costco because they carry meds for my pet. They have the same medication for a $37 cash price! I could not believe it and still do not understand it
As for the original question, there is no better example than Oprah! However you may feel about her, she has accomplished a tremendous amount and yet her weight is her focus. I do wonder if it is her generation or how she focuses on it (she mentioned it in a Barbara Walters interview as something that is still a goal) since there are other stars that are not thin but no one focuses on it such as Queen Latifah
It’s because Costco won’t mark anything up over 15%.
There was a news story in the Chicago area years ago. A life savings cancer treatment drug that cost $400/month was set to go generic, and doctors had told their patients to expect a significant savings. Exept most didn’t. So this news channel did an investigation on it. They went to 5 different pharmacies. Walgreen, CVS, Rite Aid, Costco and I can’t remembet the 5th.
Anyway, the other 4 only had it marked down between $20-$60 for a month from the original $400. Costco was selling it for just over $20 bucks, total. They interviewed the manager at the Costco pharmacy and asked him how it was possible Costco was selling it so much cheaper. His response was “How is everyone else selling it so much higher?”
The other pharmacies used the price decrease as a way to pad their profit, rather than passing the savings along to the customer.
That’s not possible at Costco because our system is set up that if the price goes down for us, it automatically changes the price we charge.
I had to watch that news segment as part of a training seminar I went to. It was very interesting and made me feel so good about the company I work for. I 
Costco!