I\’d like to pose another question…group benefits. When you have (normally) over 10 employees, there is no medical underwriting involved. Thoughts on whether this might change?
I recently finished my thesis and the subject was how effective the city of San Francisco\’s weight discrimination ordinance was at prohibiting weight discrimination.
There are only a few municipalities in the US that prohibit weight discrimination in employment – the states of Michigan and Washingotn DC and the cities of Santa Cruz and San Francisco, CA. Any other claims of weight discrimination must fall under the ADA and that relies on the perception of the employer that the employee was \”handicapped\” due to their weight. For those who are discriminated simply because an employer does not like their size, there is no remedy – unless they live in municipalities that protect them, AND they can prove it.
Technically, I don\’t believe obese people are a protected class. At least they weren\’t specifically listed the last time I researched it, which was back when Southwest Airlines first implemented their chunky-monkeys-must-pay-for-two-seats policy.
Even though I\’m a big chick, I don\’t really know if the obese should be a protected class. There are certain jobs a very big person just /can\’t/ do because of physical limitations. For example, someone my size (I\’m also tall) would not be a good fire fighter because they often need to squeeze through tight spaces or duck under things in order to hose down flames or perform rescues. Then again, I\’m very able to do a lot of other physical things regardless of my size because I\’m in good shape. But someone wouldn\’t know what kind of shape I\’m in just by looking.
They don\’t let obese people in the military. I think that in professions such as you mentioned, fire fighters, being obese would be too over taxing to them to carry and work the equipment they have to.
I do not think that weight should be a factor in jobs that are not strength or safety related and should not be held against or used to descriminate against fat, fluffy, whatever you are.
Maybe employers that provide incentives to their employees to lose the weight, like contributing to gym memberships, they would get a discount on their insurance rates. Just a thought.
KLS, i\’m the same way. I\’m a big girl, but I do not feel limited in MY job. of course I sit at a desk all day, so it\’s really of no consequence.
I think Linda has been making good points too.
I think obese people should be protected from unfair firing, (i had a boss who didn\’t like us chubbs) but if it is honestly impairing their ability to do a good job, then why shouldn\’t you be fired???
and as far as group insurance having to go through and underwriting standard. i hope not, i have arthritis…that would drive my rates way up if i had to find insurance on my own (there\’s some sarcasm there, folks)
The reason they do not allow the fluffy softness of heffers in the military is because the generals are just smart enough to realize that a fat person makes for a bigger, slower target.
Convenient when looking for cover from enemy snipers in \”nam\”; not so good of you have a platoon full of chubbies takin\’ fire from a \”50\” and you\’re the only normal sized guy left.
Now you have no one to provide supressive fire AND it\’s not like your going to be carrying out the wounded either.
Next thing you know the whole unit is dead, the battle over, and the war LOST.
As far as planes go, I am all for huge people having to buy two seats on a plane; heck, make it three and throw in a sniff inspection to cut back just a wee bit on those so rude as to embark on a distant journey smelling of elderberries.
Anyone who says they are against it needs to partake in 5 hours of cross country torture with some fat guy\’s third stomach occupying half your chair like a bundt that\’s too big for its baking pan.
Not fun; and it doesn\’t smell too pretty either.
Dare I even mention the safety issues associated with trying to evacuate a plane when some globular corpulent person gets jammed between the seats.
Nomrally you could just climb over them; after all, it\’s usually a shorter trip. But in a plane there is very limited headroom effectively foiling your mountainous excape route.
So now half the plane is DOOMED; stuck just like Willy Wonka\’s chocolate river behind that fat german kid wedged in the suction tube.
Thanks for the… dare I say… belly laughs, Reason. Well said. All normal sized people, and that includes the 5\’3\” 162 lb Jewel, please do not take offense. I, and I believe Reason, are talking about the people with three and four stomachs….
Wow, what troubles me most is that many of these responses are riddled with such contempt for fat people i.e. how they smell or their existence alone being rude. I wonder if as many fat people use such disparaging remarks when speaking of thin people. In any case, these comments have gone from academic to down right opinionated and unsubstaniated. I have to admit that I\’m very poor at sparring with those who cannot support their statements with factual information or educated responses.
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I\’d like to pose another question…group benefits. When you have (normally) over 10 employees, there is no medical underwriting involved. Thoughts on whether this might change?
I recently finished my thesis and the subject was how effective the city of San Francisco\’s weight discrimination ordinance was at prohibiting weight discrimination.
There are only a few municipalities in the US that prohibit weight discrimination in employment – the states of Michigan and Washingotn DC and the cities of Santa Cruz and San Francisco, CA. Any other claims of weight discrimination must fall under the ADA and that relies on the perception of the employer that the employee was \”handicapped\” due to their weight. For those who are discriminated simply because an employer does not like their size, there is no remedy – unless they live in municipalities that protect them, AND they can prove it.
Technically, I don\’t believe obese people are a protected class. At least they weren\’t specifically listed the last time I researched it, which was back when Southwest Airlines first implemented their chunky-monkeys-must-pay-for-two-seats policy.
Even though I\’m a big chick, I don\’t really know if the obese should be a protected class. There are certain jobs a very big person just /can\’t/ do because of physical limitations. For example, someone my size (I\’m also tall) would not be a good fire fighter because they often need to squeeze through tight spaces or duck under things in order to hose down flames or perform rescues. Then again, I\’m very able to do a lot of other physical things regardless of my size because I\’m in good shape. But someone wouldn\’t know what kind of shape I\’m in just by looking.
Very on the fence about this, I am… obviously.
KLS, you sound big and beautiful…..
I\’m a one women guy…sorry
They don\’t let obese people in the military. I think that in professions such as you mentioned, fire fighters, being obese would be too over taxing to them to carry and work the equipment they have to.
I do not think that weight should be a factor in jobs that are not strength or safety related and should not be held against or used to descriminate against fat, fluffy, whatever you are.
Maybe employers that provide incentives to their employees to lose the weight, like contributing to gym memberships, they would get a discount on their insurance rates. Just a thought.
Very informative.
KLS, i\’m the same way. I\’m a big girl, but I do not feel limited in MY job. of course I sit at a desk all day, so it\’s really of no consequence.
I think Linda has been making good points too.
I think obese people should be protected from unfair firing, (i had a boss who didn\’t like us chubbs) but if it is honestly impairing their ability to do a good job, then why shouldn\’t you be fired???
and as far as group insurance having to go through and underwriting standard. i hope not, i have arthritis…that would drive my rates way up if i had to find insurance on my own (there\’s some sarcasm there, folks)
The reason they do not allow the fluffy softness of heffers in the military is because the generals are just smart enough to realize that a fat person makes for a bigger, slower target.
Convenient when looking for cover from enemy snipers in \”nam\”; not so good of you have a platoon full of chubbies takin\’ fire from a \”50\” and you\’re the only normal sized guy left.
Now you have no one to provide supressive fire AND it\’s not like your going to be carrying out the wounded either.
Next thing you know the whole unit is dead, the battle over, and the war LOST.
As far as planes go, I am all for huge people having to buy two seats on a plane; heck, make it three and throw in a sniff inspection to cut back just a wee bit on those so rude as to embark on a distant journey smelling of elderberries.
Anyone who says they are against it needs to partake in 5 hours of cross country torture with some fat guy\’s third stomach occupying half your chair like a bundt that\’s too big for its baking pan.
Not fun; and it doesn\’t smell too pretty either.
Dare I even mention the safety issues associated with trying to evacuate a plane when some globular corpulent person gets jammed between the seats.
Nomrally you could just climb over them; after all, it\’s usually a shorter trip. But in a plane there is very limited headroom effectively foiling your mountainous excape route.
So now half the plane is DOOMED; stuck just like Willy Wonka\’s chocolate river behind that fat german kid wedged in the suction tube.
Thanks for the… dare I say… belly laughs, Reason. Well said. All normal sized people, and that includes the 5\’3\” 162 lb Jewel, please do not take offense. I, and I believe Reason, are talking about the people with three and four stomachs….
Wow, what troubles me most is that many of these responses are riddled with such contempt for fat people i.e. how they smell or their existence alone being rude. I wonder if as many fat people use such disparaging remarks when speaking of thin people. In any case, these comments have gone from academic to down right opinionated and unsubstaniated. I have to admit that I\’m very poor at sparring with those who cannot support their statements with factual information or educated responses.