Is Your Weight Costing You More Than Your Health?
Recently I had lunch with a friend. My friend is a therapist, so it is her natural instinct to give advice. She pointed out that I looked like I had gained a few extra pounds. While I pointed out it wasn’t that I had gained weight , but rather I had been too lazy to work on getting it off. After all it is just 10 pounds! She proceeded to tell me that excess weight could end up costing more than just your health. Needless to say I will work on these 10 pounds. This information baffled me. So I asked her to explain. So here I am sharing the information to the best of my ability.
Everyone gets into ruts and turns to food for comfort. We have all done it, eaten too many cookies, demolished off a pint of ice cream, turned to chocolate for that relaxation, and so on. Instead we should exercise as exercise is one of the best stress relievers. We are obsessed with models and view them as beautiful. We expect everyone to compare to the stick thin models. It is sad but being overweight is a “serious career impediment.” A company is more likely to hire the thin person and pay them more than the overweight person. Plus-size people can cost an employer more in medical insurance which is why an overweight job applicant may get passed over. Overweight people get passed up for jobs more than any other group. Many overweight applicants recall being virtually assured of a job based on their résumé and phone interview, but when they met the employer face to face, suddenly the job was ‘already filled’ or they didn’t meet qualifications. It troubles me but overweight people are viewed as lazy, possibly take excessive days of work and are considered an insurance risk. If you think you are being discriminated because of your weight, speak up. Inform the company that you would make a good employee, and that you are healthy. Inform them that you have not made excessive claims on your insurance nor do you take excessive days off. If you know that you are being discriminated against by an employer or potential employer, seek professional advice. This information is not meant to take place of professional advice.