Lose weight, get paid more?

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loseweightjames
loseweightjames Posts: 365
in Chit-Chat
Want to get paid to lose weight? Actually, you do, according to one study:
http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2012/05/weight-stereotyping-the-secret-way-people-are-judging-you-based-on-your-body-glamour-june-2012?currentPage=2

"Researchers at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., found that the heavier a woman is, the lower her salary. Overweight women they studied earned as much as $5,826 less than their normal-weight peers—that is, if they got the job at all. “Studies have shown that employers would rather hire a less qualified thin person than a more qualified overweight one,” says Puhl, “because they apply the sloppy-lazy-slow stereotypes to the way she’d do her job.” O’Hanlon believes that’s happened to her: “I used to get hired very easily when I was thinner. Now if I get called in for an interview, I never hear back. They assume I’m going to be lazy and not get the job done,” she says. “I try extra hard to look put together, but it’s occurred enough times that there’s no question it’s about my weight and not my skills.”"

Read More http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2012/05/weight-stereotyping-the-secret-way-people-are-judging-you-based-on-your-body-glamour-june-2012#ixzz1trUiqBK4

Replies

  • DianneBoo
    DianneBoo Posts: 226 Member
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    That is just pitiful and sad. Ignorance really does run amok!!!!
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    It's very true.
  • btanton27
    btanton27 Posts: 186 Member
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    isnt that odd that since i've started losing weight in the past 2 1/2 months that i got a raise and promotion.... hmmm... makes me think now!
  • loseweightjames
    loseweightjames Posts: 365
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    isnt that odd that since i've started losing weight in the past 2 1/2 months that i got a raise and promotion.... hmmm... makes me think now!

    wowww....

    i don't know how to feel about that, part of me says congrats but the other part is disgusted
  • muwchck
    muwchck Posts: 261 Member
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    I sure hope I don't get looked over because of my weight. I'm in the middle of a job hunt right about now. I've had several calls for interviews (all the interviews I went on were today) based on my resume, and I'll be really upset if none of them call me back again. I'm very qualified for what I do.
  • Sumo813
    Sumo813 Posts: 566 Member
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    The scary thing is how true this really is. I've seen multiple studies on this over the past decade and it is sad. But there's also a different mindset between thinner employees and larger employees (not 100% true, since there are some VERY energetic, enthusiastic large-folk). I think it is generally seen that if someone cannot manage themselves, how can they manage others? But it goes to show that most people tend to judge books by their covers. The even scarier thing is... I've seen people who have gotten lap band surgery done and all of the sudden start moving up the ranks. At least at the place I work.
  • loseweightjames
    loseweightjames Posts: 365
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    The even scarier thing is... I've seen people who have gotten lap band surgery done and all of the sudden start moving up the ranks. At least at the place I work.

    wow.... wonder what a boob job pays?
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    i think being overweight may have a direct showing on the amount of discipline someone has... and maybe they did not get the promotions because their supervisors could see that they lacked organization skills, timelyness, etc.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
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    I can definitely see this.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    So sad but true. Many times being overweight is being linked not only to carelessness but also in being prone to more illness. Some companies has the impression that if an overweight person couldn't take enough responsibility to take care of himself then what more if given other responsibilities so which is why they would rather hire someone slimmer but less qualified. Also the thought that overweight people = being slow is also the reason.

    In one department of the company that I currently work for has one obese co-worker & one who is slim. The obese one joined the company earlier than the slim one who just came a few months later after BUT the slim one was given more responsibilities & right now has been newly promoted while the obese co-worker still stays the same.

    I can't believe stereotypes like this still exist in the work place.
  • ElPumaMex
    ElPumaMex Posts: 367 Member
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    The scary thing is how true this really is. I've seen multiple studies on this over the past decade and it is sad. But there's also a different mindset between thinner employees and larger employees (not 100% true, since there are some VERY energetic, enthusiastic large-folk). I think it is generally seen that if someone cannot manage themselves, how can they manage others? But it goes to show that most people tend to judge books by their covers. The even scarier thing is... I've seen people who have gotten lap band surgery done and all of the sudden start moving up the ranks. At least at the place I work.

    There is a lot of truth here, although it also depends on how self-confident the overweight person is.
    Self-confidence will allow an individual to be seen as successful and management material.
    But being overweight will definitively be seen as negative, for persons that don't have strong self confidence; it is this one-two punch that does not make them management material.

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