There’s no argument that overweight people face discrimination in the employment process and in life in general. Considering that over 65% of Americans are now considered either overweight or obese by the National Center for Health Statistics, you are not alone in the problem you face. Unfortunately, having plenty of company in this situation won’t help your chances for gaining employment, for a very real bias exists against job candidates who are overweight, whether people will admit it or not (and they won’t admit it — you can be pretty sure of that). Additionally, women seem to suffer the most from this discrimination, often earning a lower salary than thinner women for the same job.
If you peal away the layers and get to the bottom of it, it isn’t appearance so much that bothers employers, but the underlying fears that a fatter person is lazier, is weaker (can’t control themselves), is sick more often and therefore misses more work days, causes higher health insurance costs, is less productive, and doesn’t work as hard or produce as much as slimmer employees. Could that be true? Maybe, maybe not. There are plenty of thin people guilty of the same behaviors and characteristics mentioned above, but perception is the key here. If employers perceive that overweight people have these problems, then it becomes their truth and you will face an uphill battle to overcome this bias, even using reason or facts to the contrary.
So, what can you do?
First, don’t lose hope. Not every employer feels this way; some can see past the appearance issue and value the competence and skills you possess. Your job is to show how those underlying fears are unfounded in your case. Take the bull by the horn and in a straightforward manner using facts and figures, show how you go the extra mile, don’t miss work due to illness, and produce results that are outstanding. Sometimes if you can address the fears (that the employer can’t give voice to) you can help put those fears to rest and they lose their strength. When you do interview, dress as well as you can (spend some money to buy good quality clothes- a tailored suit is usually best, with contrasting colors for slimming and a scarf or nice piece of jewelry to add color). Make sure your grooming is flawless. Take pride in your appearance as best you can, knowing that is it only one part of what makes you who you are.
Second, if a job appeals to you and you know you’d be good at it, try for it but be sure to target jobs that use your experience, skills and knowledge, to find the best match. If you think a job means “being on display," rather than working behind the scenes in an office, is this really the job you would want to try for? And if it turns out that you would (which is perfectly fine), then don’t you be the one to rule yourself out - without even giving it a chance. You might be wrong about your assumption that the employer wouldn’t give you a fair shake. Deciding ahead of time what others will do diminishes them and you. It’s true you will run into employers who just won’t hire you based on your weight and appearance, but you will also run into others for whom this isn’t the case. Rejection isn’t easy for any of us, but luckily it doesn’t kill us, especially when you know it’s based (sometimes) on inaccurate or illogical conclusions.
Finally, do what you can now to start making a change. Some people (with far more significant problems that aren’t able to change their circumstances) might say that overweight people are actually lucky, as they can change their circumstances if they want to do so. It takes time, work and commitment, but it can be done if the desire for something different is stronger than the desire to stay the same.