Obesity: A Protected Class?

No.

I personally think that obesity is something most, not all, people can change. You can't change that you were born a female or that you are Black, Hispanic, etc... or that you are blind, have cerebral palsy....I think you get my point.

Technically a healthy born baby would be obese (:

But no they shouldn't be protected, no one should be protected, where is equality?

Save The Whales!!!!!!! Just another sub group of lazy Americans. I am sick of all these special groups seeking special privileges or dispensation at the expense of the rest of us. If there is a problem, never fear....the general government will make it right. NOT! They will just make it worse. I would bet you a majority of these fat-*kitten* are buying their food with their government issued EBT card. Ever been on a plane next to one of these people? Keep your fat in your seat please and don't let it ooze over on me. Better yet, buy the whole row. Sorry to be mean or insensitive but when is it going to stop??

One of 'these people' huh? You are not sorry to be mean or insensitive, and people like you are part of the reason so many different classifications of people have to be protected.

OP - With the exception of obesity caused by medical/psychological factors, or for children, no, I don't believe it should be another protected class.

No, I don't agree with it. Like the OP said, there are things you cannot change about youself, but *most of the time* weight is something that something can be done about.
People need to stop making excuses, get off their bottoms, and start living a healthy lifestyle. Period.

Save The Whales!!!!!!! Just another sub group of lazy Americans. I am sick of all these special groups seeking special privileges or dispensation at the expense of the rest of us. If there is a problem, never fear....the general government will make it right. NOT! They will just make it worse. I would bet you a majority of these fat-*kitten* are buying their food with their government issued EBT card. Ever been on a plane next to one of these people? Keep your fat in your seat please and don't let it ooze over on me. Better yet, buy the whole row. Sorry to be mean or insensitive but when is it going to stop??

You are entitled to your opinions and I am entitled to think that you are a flaccid ****!

Go Girl !

Technically a healthy born baby would be obese (:

Damn lazy fat babies

I absolutely agree with you. I don't work in HR but I'm working on a BA in HR management, and soon to get an MBA in HR management.

I really feel that the ADA is too generalized at this point. As the laws are written now, nearly anyone could potentially find a way to be qualified for disability. It really should be limited to conditions that are beyond the individual's control. Also, if a condition is cured, then subsequently, the company should not continue to be liable under the ADA. I'm referring specifically to a case that I studied where a man who had leukemia and had been cured was subsequently fired a few weeks after he returned to work. Abnormal cell production was recognized as a disability under the amended ADA laws, but this individual was in remission and, therefore, at the time of his termination, was functioning normally.

Obesity should not be a protected class unless there is a physiological reason. The problem is that most people do not understand the difference. For example, my cousin lost her pituitary gland to a brain tumor. As a result, she is forced to take steroids to regulate her bodily functions. The natural side effect of taking steroids is weight gain. She was not an athlete, therefore, she amassed tremendous amounts of fat. Her obesity is a disability. Even if she were to become physically fit now, she would still be bulky. Obesity is not a choice for her. But for people who do not have physiological conditions that would prevent them from becoming physically fit, obesity is a choice... not a disability.

Just my thoughts.

ilu thread

Since I work in H.R., I have to deal with various cases dealing with discrimination, harrassment, violence in the workplace, etc.... Historically, courts had found that obesity is a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) only when it has a physiological cause. However, recently the court has ruled otherwise and Michigan, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. have laws that expressly make weight a protected class like women and minorities are.

With the growing obesity epidemic in the U.S. (more than one-third of the U.S. adults approx. 35.7% and approx. 17% of children and adolescents) and those numbers expected to rise, do you think it is fair to place them in a protected class? I personally think that obesity is something most, not all, people can change. You can't change that you were born a female or that you are Black, Hispanic, etc... or that you are blind, have cerebral palsy....I think you get my point.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way criticizing obese people. I believe in health and wellness and there are too many facts and research to share on here to support my belief.

As a group, no. However, there are many times an overweight or obese person is judged and discriminated against simply due to their weight, when it shouldn't be a factor. I'm not talking about airline seats and that sort of thing, I'm talking about not getting a job or promotion because fat = perceived laziness. But that's a hard issue to discuss.

People have preconceptions about others for a variety of reasons, so you may have a candidate in a wheelchair and an obese person going for the same job ... the hiring manager knows they have to ensure they don't show bias against the wheelchair candidate because the law tells them that, but they are free to discount the obese person if they want, right? Neither is fair and I think that's why people are saying that obese people are the last group of folks it's "acceptable" to discriminate against. But I don't agree with being a protected class (but then again, I don't believe that for any group).