Weight Loss Support - careers, and weight issues.

this is more of a starting topic i wanna get some opinions on.
DO PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEIR WEIGHT HOLDS THEM BACK EITHER EMOTIONALLY OR PHYSICALLY IN THEIR CAREER?

one reason i ask is because im doing a degree in the most cut-throat, judge you on what you look like thing ever, film tv and theatre.
since starting uni i have decided for fun to go along to auditions to have fun and not think much of it. But when you get told you have talent, and yet dont get a call back, i cant not take it personally.
especially when i watch what i eat, try very hard to stay active.

in my head i know that it was my choice to go into tv film and theatre, and unfortunetly if u wanna be infront of camera/audience , thats the way it is. But man it gets to you in a whole new mental way.....and makes u feel your actuall talent is worthless aswell as your own appearance.

anyway, im a bit more happy today because im gonna try and focuss on the production side of my degree more

but does anyone else feel or get like this is different carreres?
can anyone else sympathise?

Yay! Actresses unite! Interesting topic, by the way. :)

I'm an actress myself, and I've also fronted bands. I did quite a bit of print, commercial, and alternative modeling when I was thin, though once I packed on the pounds, my entertainment career died along with my social life! Once I lose these last 13-15 pounds (I've lost 35-37 already), I will make some attempts to get back into the spotlight.

I currently have a day job doing technical writing and editing for the municipal department, so my main source of income is obviously no longer appearance-based. In addition to this, I design/develop web sites and repair computers, both which relyon looks no more than editing does. ;)

Your weight doesn't have to hold you back forever. That's why you're here, right? :)

Well, I am studying for my certification for Personal Trainer, so my looks will play a HUGE part in my profession. I have to lose the weight, tone up and look good, or no one will believe anything I say. But, that's partly why I chose this. It will help me out, if nothing else. Talk about being under the gun, huh? LOL

The other reasons for doing this is that I want to help other people feel good about themselves and get healthy.

Great topic by the way.

Kathy

As a contract archaeologist, being in some sort of shape is a requirement. You constantly (okay, every day) have to dig or survey through muddy fields on a really tight schedule. I could keep up, I couldn't lead the pack, but I was never last.

One time my boss, two 20 year-olds and I were waiting at the end of an overgrown soybean field for one of the other crew members, a girl who weighs about what I do now. Mind you, I weighed 40 pounds more than her. My boss just looks over at her in disgust and tells me to "remind him not to hire any more fat people". Ha!

Does my weight really affect my career? At my level, it doesn't as much, since I am more expected to lead and write reports than have to go trudging around America's muddy heartland. But bosses can look at me and assume that I am going to be the one at the back, holding everyone back.

I just finished law school, now I´m studying for my final exam (BAR? I think it´s called that in US).
Of course to be a lawyer it´s not a requirement to be thin, but when you go to interviews your looks DO MATTER A LOT! All my overweight friends get called less than the thin good looking ones, it´s a fact, we´ve talked about it many times and overweights and thins agree in that.

A SkyWest Captain told me that she would never be hired by United Airlines because she was overweight. She wasn't very much overweight, but I guess United considers weight part of the package their pilots have to present. Doesn't seem fair to me, but then life isn't sometimes.

My boss just looks over at her in disgust and tells me to "remind him not to hire any more fat people". Ha!


Because thin people who are not fit & healthy should still be hired. :mad: Remind me never to hire your boss :lol:


This is an interesting question. Being obese affects me everyday. However, my job is cubicle focused, so it hasn't kept me from moving up the ladder (that I know of). I think that my work shines through, but one can't know exactly. And there maybe are people higher up the chain that will look at me and say "No" and their reason might be because I weigh more, but I can't do anything about how other people see me.

On a day to day basis for work, however, no it doesn't affect me much beyond what I wear. ;)

the think is, although im trying to loose more weight, never in my life have i ever wanted to be somthing im not, and i dont see why ,y career should justify this, i hate it. I hate knowing that if i wanna do what i know im strong at i have to be a certain size, and if i got into that mind frame, and because a size 10-12 at 5ft 11 id still look weird cause im tall, and i would not be me!

id not be who my family and boyf no and love, and id hate that i accustumed my belifes just for society.I know im fairly intelligant, and im on a scholorship, but that wont mean i get to do what makes me really happy. so is changing my size going to make me happier in the long run?
propably not. just means i cant be in real plays/films as an actor, but ill have to rely on my mind,education, and creative talent to push my production career.....and a good suit!

There are overweight actors and actresses. They are just often cast into "fat" roles. If you're willing to play a "fat" role, there are parts for you out there. It won't make you a big time Hollywood celebrity, nor will it make you a broadway star, but it will not completely limit you.

I let myself be limited at my highest weight and refused to even attend a casting call, but since you seem much more comfortable with your weight than I was, maybe you should just focus on good health and getting down to a size that makes you feel good about yourself?

It's funny that I found this topic today.
There was something on 20/20 or 60 minutes or some such once were they proved that thinner and more attractive people get hired over heavier people.
I had to go to a work summit yesterday lead by the 10-15 directors in my area. I noticed that only one of them was overweight and not by much (maybe a size 16 at best). So is this true? Who knows? But looking at it like that is seems it might be. Also, buth of the "real" "adult" jobs I have had in my life I was hired by men who's wifes were bigger. This is all just speculation on my part, but interesting!

There are overweight actors and actresses. They are just often cast into "fat" roles. If you're willing to play a "fat" role, there are parts for you out there. It won't make you a big time Hollywood celebrity, nor will it make you a broadway star, but it will not completely limit you.

I think the problem is that these "fat" roles need to be expanded. Not everyone is 5'10" and 110 lbs. Not everyone is 5'2" and 250 lbs. So, why should every main character be built up in only one way?

However, to be fair, they aren't all built that way. Hairspray anyone? (Both movie & broadway... Heck... anything John Waters is involved in...) There's no logical reason why a larger than average actor/actress can't be famous. It appears there are more options for actors in that regard, but that's beside the point.

Of course in any form of film/theatre the "look" of the characters are important. After all, casting is a huge part of it all. So, yes, there are going to be times when someone walking in for a part just is not going to get called back no matter how amazing they are or how much talent they have.

I have no basis for the following other than my own observation so feel free to disagree, but I feel that lately roles have become a little broader. Not every actress/actor looks the same, though most are attractive... doubt that'll change, but that's human nature & another topic.

Freethetoys - You feel strong about what you do. You are merely trying to be a healthier human being. Regardless of how you end up looking, you may have to struggle for roles (or not, i'm not psychic) but perhaps this is something you want to fight for. I don't mean protests. I mean to keep getting up and going to casting calls no matter what. It's quite possible that you could be the actress to change their minds about how a character they're casting should look. (It's happened before.)

All in all, if this is what you're passionate about, then you need to make sacrifices. And those sacrifices might just be rejections. A lot of them. You'll know whether it's worth it for you to continue or not.

i dont think its a matter of being comfortable in your size to be an actress, im sorry i really disagree with you, and i think that if your TALENTED, it speaks miles, its just a shame that there are mainly roles for chorus members, small little girls who all look alike, or a role where the director knows exactly what he wants in an actress, and so he will go for that, and he will not cast someone talented over someone who looks right and is not as talented..... that for me, is just disturbing.
but hey hoe, ill follow the production route and hopefully be more guarenteed work anyway due to there being to many actors and not enough crew in all elements of media.

thanks ferie sweet words :-)

I agree that the "fat" roles need to be expanded. There isn't too much demand for actresses to be tall (it's a movie, not the runway, you know? - so I don't think that 5'10" and 110 pounds is necessarily the requirement) but perfectly fit, healthy actresses have been told repeatedly by managers that they need to "drop a few pounds for the camera" because it really does add 10-20 pounds.

As I've said countless times before, I think Hollywood actresses need to conduct some kind of societal rebellion and just reject the silly "you must be a size 2 or under!!!" standards and replace them with realistic ones... you know, guidelines that will allow them to be fit and healthy. ;)

I live in Chile and last year Canal 13 did a program on fat people and how being fat affected their lives . There was a section dedicated to "work issues" and ALL of them said it had affected their working life in one or other way. Some people were morbidly obese (is that how u say it?) and some just overweight and some had had more problems than others but ALL had suffered in one or other way. Of course getting the job is much harder and one woman said that it was like she constantly had to prove she was good enough.
I don´t work but I really think it affects you. Of course if you´re a model or work in tv or personal trainer it affects more than if your a dentist or doctor but it still does!!

There was something on 20/20 or 60 minutes or some such once were they proved that thinner and more attractive people get hired over heavier people.

I saw that - it was quite a while back (altho it may have been a repeat episode or possibly an update...)

There were two sides presented. From the employers' side & the employee's side. 9 times out of 10 the "thinner" person was hired, even tho the resume's showed the candidates had very similar backgrounds, education, and experience.

Part of the problem is the way society as a whole views those of us who are overweight. It's a standard issue "If they can't even take care of themselves, then how are they going to take care of 'x'?" Never mind that one's job usually DOES NOT have anything to do with one's weight, height, etc. But sometimes it does. And I'm not talking about film/TV stuff. For instance, Flight Attendants... are not supposed to be over a certain amount of weight - it has to do with what the airplane can carry, how easy it is to move about in small spaces, etc. Heck, even very overweight PASSENGERS get charged more for a plane ticket than their regular or underweight counterparts - because they take up "more room." Hateful? Not really - that's just the tip of the iceberg.

What about insurance? An overweight person IS more in danger of diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, etc. Meaning they would normally use more of their insurance benefits than a healthy, atheletic counterpart. Meaning they would probably use more sick days. Meaning they cost the company "more money."

Some jobs require thinness for the actual physical parts of the job. A friend of mine was "let-go" after one month on a particular job because his weight actually prevented him from crawling in & out of the small spaces that was required of the job. And think about it... would you want a fat doctor to explain to you about losing weight? Would you want a fat trainer to tell you how important it is to run the treadmill for 45 minutes? Would you want a fat chef teaching you to cook low-fat foods? I wouldn't. I'd be tempted to say "Well, WTH do YOU know about it?" because if the doctor, or the trainer. or the chef was fat... I'd think "You certainly aren't much of a professional in this manner, are ya?"

Is it fair? Well, certainly not to those of us that are overweight. But then again - especially in America! - society frowns on all that is not "perfect." Be it fat, poor, dumb, etc. Sad, but true. But then again, I don't enjoy being overweight. Not from any viewpoint - not physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, fashion-wise, looks-wise, career-wise, etc. That's why I'm here, and why I'm trying. Because I DON'T LIKE BEING FAT.

What about insurance? An overweight person IS more in danger of diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, etc. Meaning they would normally use more of their insurance benefits than a healthy, atheletic counterpart. Meaning they would probably use more sick days. Meaning they cost the company "more money."


I find it a little disturbing that you categorize the opposite of overweight as healthy & athletic. They are two different issues. You can be thin and still be extremely unathletic and unhealthy. A growing body of research suggests that physical activity level is a more accurate predictor of health problems and early mortality than weight.

IMHO, our society needs to just get over its obsession with body weight issues. If all the fat critics were really concerned about the health aspects, they would be castigating the people who don't exercise rather than the people who are overweight.

I agree Beach Patrol. I am in a field where fitness, at least in some rudimentary level, is key. I hate having to wait for the people who are lagging behind. It means more time to do something, it means losing money since we can't get the contract done as quickly, it means a more rushed lunch.

I once had to interview a person who was way more than 250 pounds and was shorter than I am. I told the person that there was at least a physical requirement for the job of field tech. You will have to crawl on your belly through poison ivy at 100 degrees to get to the field where you have to run through as fast as you can. You will have to run through these fields with shovels and screens and water and everything you might need in a day strapped to your back. You are expected to be able to keep up after your first week.

I was pretty relieved when I interviewed a more qualified candidate (had more field experience). We did call that person back but they said that they got another job. Great for them, field tech jobs are crappy!

Just thinking about how fat I was doing all of that work makes me stay away from thinking about fast food. *shakes fist at whopper*

I find some of the generalizations on this thread a little icky. There are two issues being discussed: size and fitness. One doesn't mean the other. Some of you consider yourselves fat at 173, which is like 8 pounds heavier than I am! At this weight, people never call me fat. People are never surprised by what I can do and I'm only 5'2 and not at all skinny.

since it's really about how people perceive you, let's take numbers and (like how do you that person was 250? Most people guess my weight about 30lbs lighter than I currently am and it's always been that way.) all that out. Even at my heaviest, I wasn't lagging behind anyone. I didn't have any health concerns and honestly, I was just sick of being treated badly because I wasn't skinny. It was 90% vanity for me.

What's strange to me is most of the people with the most problematic attitudes about body and size have often been former fatties. On one hand I see people here boo hooing about others considering them fat and making assumptions about their livestyles on different threads and then coming here and doing the same thing.

If I've learned anything from my journey is you dno't what people are doing to and with their bodies and what someone weighs/is shaped like, is barely enough information to make any kind of intelligent decision about their health.

The posts we're putting up really show that it's not easy to even define what overweight, overfat, healthy, athletic, etc., mean! There is not a simple equation that says, heavy=unhealthy, thin=healthy. I think most of us know that if we think about it.

Take your average pro football lineman. Those men have to be able to meet certain fitness requirements, or they don't play! They are strong and physically fit, and many of them are "overweight" as well. Or, how about shot put, discus, weight lifters? They are "overweight" but fit! Lots of muscle mass.

I used to be pretty physically fit while still being overweight. I was really healthy--good blood pressure, good muscle tone, and so on. But I have to say, it was really difficult for me to keep physically fit while overweight. It's not easy to jog around a track while carrying many pounds. My joints complained. My feet complained. My lower back complained.

In my case, and I am speaking only for me, I felt that being heavy WAS a problem--separate from the health issue. "Heavy" for me was close to 200 pounds at 5ft 3in. That put me in the obese range for BMI. I knew things were not going to get better unless I lost weight.

As far as insurance--I may have said earlier that I already pay more for insurance because of my "build." If you have an individual plan, you will pay more if you're overweight. The question comes into play with group plans, where a company pays the same for every employee.

And now, putting my mod hat on, please let's not get into a discussion of who is "really" overweight, obese, and so on. This isn't a contest. One person's perception of themselves as "fat" may seem odd to someone else, especially if that person's start weight is the other person's goal weight! But that's just life--we are all different.

Jay

well said jay.

OK, here is a flipside viewpoint

I think I did better in my career as an overweight woman than I would have now if I was entering the workplace at this weight. (although I think at some point between obese and morbidly obese it would have flipped back)

I was an engineer in an extremely male dominated field. Even overweight, I had a hard time being taken seriously. I even was introduced in a meeting by a VP as "our pretty engineer". Yeah. THAT's what I want to be thought of.

As I am now a smoking hot MILF ;), I think I would have a much harder time being taken seriously.

But I was also an actress, and yes, I lost jobs because of my build and also had doubts about my fitness to hold a role that discussed "dynamite legs" in the dialogue.

Careers are one of the biggest reasons I want to lose weight. I still have 2 1/2 more years in college, but at this weight, I am risking not being accepted for the Peace Corps. Even though I am big, I have much more stamina than many people half of my weight, but the Peace Corps doesn't know that. Also, I'm studying abroad next year for the full year and at least one of the programs I'm doing (Mexico in the fall) will be very physical: canvassing towns for an political-anthropological thesis paper, trips into the mountains, investigating coffee plantations, etc. Spring semester, if I don't wimp out and do an academic program in England, I'll be in either Bolivia, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, or Namibia and all will be at varying level of physicalness.

As for a career, no way would I get a State Department job working in some obscure 3rd world locale at this weight. To them, it's a liability. Not to mention I'm already at a disadvantage by being a female in a relatively male dominated industry.

There are jobs where physical fitness is a pre-requisite to employment. Police officers, military members, fire fighters, fitness instructors (although not a prerequisite at a 30-minute wonder gym!), for example. I have no issue with this. I would hate to be in a burning building and be trapped because an unfit firefighter can't make it up the ladder. And, after seeing the physical training tests that these type of people go through, there sure as heck aren't many 400-lb physically fit people out there. I don't personally think you can be physically fit at a high BMI. You can be physically ACTIVE, but not meet a fitness standard. There are thin people who can't do that either, but they fail those fitness standard tests, too...
There ARE jobs where your physical appearance becomes a factor -- it is kind of hard as an actress to play the role of a victim of starvation when she weighs 330 lbs (which is why Tom Hanks lost 60lbs for his role in Castaway -- hard to portray a starving man without looking the part...)
And there are other jobs where weight and credibility often, whether rightly or wrongly, goes hand-in-hand. I've seen obese nutritionists at the hospital counselling others about how to change their bad eating habits, for example, without much success. And I've seen obese circuit trainers describing how effective their program is at the local 30-minute wonder gym. Which makes me wonder if it really does work.
But, for the majority of jobs, weight shouldn't be an issue. I think it becomes an issue because there are people who associate higher BMIs with negative personality traits, which is totally unfair. For some employers, unfortunately, appearance is everything, to the detriment of ability...

Let me tell you a little story. I am currently unemployed because I moved back to my hometown to help take care of my parents. My husband is working but unable to work at a pay level that will keep us above the water. So, I go in to the job center and fill out an application and go to submit my resume for a local position in a medical office. WITHOUT seeing my resume or my application, the head of the office looks at me and says, "Well you're not qualified for the job." I submitted it anyway.

That same day, I got a call back from the office. I got an interview for the next day, and all was good. My skills are awesome. I have four years' experience at the same hospital, and have worked in other aspects of the same career. The guy who called said that I was their first interview, and he was highly impressed by my resume. I go in with high hopes, because I really need this job. The interview went well, aside from the fact that the "silent" partner kept staring at me with this look of disgust, and he didn't even bother to pretend otherwise. I knew at that point I wouldn't be hired. I called to check up on said job a week later and was told that I was in the top three, because my skills and experience were excellent and I had excellent references. Three days later, they call and say they offered the position to someone with more experience. A friend of mine who temps there was there the day the one they hired started. She's right out of high school with absolutely no experience in the medical field, or as an office assistant in general.

So, does my appearance affect my career? Yes, unfortunately it does. I was shielded by my job before, because they knew I was skilled and they knew I was a hard worker. I had no problems being promoted because I was already in the door. Right now? I have very limited opportunities because I can't even get my foot in the door. It's not right, and it really stings, but there's not a whole lot I can do about it, other than continue to fight my health issues.

Brandnewme, I am so sorry for your predicament. :( It's just so maddening. But please don't lose hope!

I want to get back to freethetoys' original question for a moment.

I think we can all agree that for jobs where fitness isn't an issue, weight shouldn't be. But reality is what it is, and in TV/film, appearance is a big issue.

toys, if you want to be an actor, you are probably going to have to drop your weight. You've already lost a lot! But you can get a lot more callbacks at a lower weight. I'm not saying you have to be 100 pounds, though.

If you're happy going into the production end, then that's great, too. But I hope you don't limit yourself because of weight--you CAN lose more weight.

I've done a few community theater plays--back when I was heavier than now--and I was chosen for parts that normally a thinner woman would play, e.g., Ethyl Thayer in On Golden Pond. This was because no one else tried out who was thinner and also good enough for the role. But the actors didn't get paid. (By the way, this was a three-week run, and it was pretty grueling since I also work full time.)

Sometimes people have to adjust themselves to the career, instead of the career to themselves. It sounds wrong, but in some fields, that's how it is.

Jay

On the flip side, my sister who is significantly overweight (by around 125lbs or so) has 2 university degrees and an HR certificate, and is currently the registrar of the second largest college in her state...and THAT is a high-profile job. So who really knows! I think it depends on the institution and the person doing the hiring (if physical fitness isn't an issue). As for acting and all, more power to those who break the mold. It is a shame that Hollywood, while claiming to celebrate diversity, rewards only the super-thin. One interesting thing is that if you watch ANY BBC television program, it seems to be peopled with NORMAL, AVERAGE individuals who play the parts of normal, average people. i.e. Coronation Street vs The Young and the Restless...

"And now, putting my mod hat on, please let's not get into a discussion of who is "really" overweight, obese, and so on. This isn't a contest. One person's perception of themselves as "fat" may seem odd to someone else, especially if that person's start weight is the other person's goal weight! But that's just life--we are all different."

I agree it's not a contest, but it did seem like many responses equated thinness=health, and that seems a little bizarre. We have so many examples right on this board of people who are larger than "normal" who are fit (and also attempting to lose more weight). And so I do find it a little disheartening that people, even on a board where there's so much evidence to the contrary, would make an assumption about health based on size.

That said, I guess I accept that what I thought about my body at specific weights isn't necessarily the truth of all bodies at that weight. So for me it's not about contests, but rather being sensitive towards how people view their own health and not painting various weights with a broad brush.

I work in the business world, and I do think it has to do with first impressions and perceptions. I really do think that if people meet you and see that you're obese, the thought is that you don't have your act together, are lazy, or something. I meet alot of people via the phone or email first, and in person second. And the second time I meet them, they'll swear they've never met me before. Am I working with all dumbbells, or do they just truly dismiss me from memory, as if I'm insignificant. This happened last week - 3 people thought they were meeting me for the 1st time and I could name the place where we had met before some 6-9 months earlier. I think you just look like you are not the professional complete package if you aren't put together well. I'm thankful I don't work at a place where looks are overly emphasized, such as advertising or marketing, because there, yes it could be critical. But so would be good hair, good teeth, trendy clothing and the right accessories. Like I said, it's a package.

Sharkeysmachine, members of 3FC are all just people--not necessarily any more sensitive or any more immune to stereotypes as folks anywhere else. It's sort of like internalized oppression. But everyone here is learning more every day! :yes: It's good that you pointed out that being fat does not necessarily equate to being unfit.

Jay

Ok, I'm definitely going against the trend here. I believe that my weight actually helped my career. When I was younger and a 125 lbs, I had a hard time being taken seriously in the IT world. As I gained weight people tended to listen to what I had to say, rather than respond to how I looked (blonde bimbo was a common reaction I believe). I perceive that I came across in a more professional manner after I had gained some weight. Now, it could also be that I was getting older. I can't separate the two.
I have a fairly public job and am called upon to speak at regional and state conferences. I have never felt that people did not value my expertise or opinion because of my size. I always try to conduct myself as a professional. I try to dress professionally. While a loathe heels, I try to find stylish yet comfortable shoes that compliment a professional wardrobe.

While I believe that size discrimination is alive and well and all too prevalent, I do think that we can be our own worst enemy sometimes. Often, how we view ourselves, is the most important factor in how others see us.

TOY ~ I think your appearance affects every area of life. As someone who has been normal, overweight, normal, O/W, obese, and so on (yo-yoer); I have been many different weights and have noticed that people treated me differently during those times. In your career, your appearance does make a difference as BRANDNEWME can attest to.

BRANDNEWME ~ you have a good education and skills; do not stop applying becuz there are places (esp gov jobs, schools, hospitals) that would hire you. Yes, it will be harder for you; and it may take a little longer, but it isn't impossible, by any means! Do you have any friends in the right places at that hospital who would remember you, and who could give you some help when another position comes open (there are many departments in a hospital or medical clinic).

This is a good topic to discuss becuz someday some of you may be in the position to hire someone, and we could make a difference in someone's life. I know that I was in that position a few times; and I wouldn't allow any discrimination for that very reason.

brandnewme: im sorry that that has happened to you, that feels like the biggest case of injustice, i hope it hasnt (somehow) made you to bitter (as it would me) and a bit more determined in your diet.
thanks for telling us your story, puts things in perspective a bit.

I too, think that appearance effects my life. I have been a secretary for all of my career life. In my younger years and when I was quite small, I used to be able to get any job I wanted. My DH used to ask me if I went in and sat on people's laps during interviews :rofl:

Now that I am a bit older and a little heavier I find myself a little insecure. I currently am working as an Admin. Assistant (I've been there 7 years) but I am now thinking about finding another job and I am very insecure. I know that I look older (because I am - 51 yrs.) and my weight isn't helping any. That's one of the reasons I am trying to lose weight. At least I won't look fat and old :dizzy:

ABBY ~ As someone else said, your appearance can also help you to get a job; when I was younger, two different bosses told me that they hired me becuz I was pretty (I was also slimmer then too). But I have also noticed something else about interviews: at least half the time, they already know who they want for the position BEFORE the interviews even take place.

Is this right? NO, but it happens all the time. Sometimes, the interviews are just a formality (becuz of company policy or the law, etc). And sometimes, they may know the applicants ahead of time (ie a relative or friend; or they are someone from another department). I wish they wouldn't bother asking all these people to come for interviews in such cases; but that won't likely ever happen ...

I agree that as you get older, you do feel more insecure; I remember one of my brothers warning me about this, and he was right!

it does affect, ive seen people not get hired because of their weight.. they think just because they are on the big side that they wont be able to perform as well as a slimmer person. i have seen it happen, so i know it does limit you and affect you. it did for me as well for a few years but now that ive lost somewhat amount of weight, a whole lot more doors have started to open for me. its sad to see how superficial people are but hey if you are going to go into a job which you already knew requiered you to look the part (example: actresses, singers, models, ect) you have to own it and do your part because sadly.. looks do matter. alot... i know from a personal battle.

I can't help but notice that many here are saying "I'm fat; that's why I wasn't hired." You know, PERCEPTION holds a lot of weight (no pun intended!)

So really - how would one KNOW that? It's more of an assumption than anything, because unless you're told that you're overweight & didn't get a job because of that, then you are projecting. (Unless of course weight IS a part of the job description.)

I found out a long time ago that people who snag an interview are asked to interview because their resume &/or experience qualifies them for the job. The interviewing process is simply to find out which candidate is the "best fit" for the job/company. Since learning that, I have learned to ask WHY was I hired (or not hired) for a position, so that I can better myself.

For instance, in the job I had before the one I am currently in, there was another candidate from WITHIN the company. She was black, short (5'), and fat (about 300 lbs) and qualified for the position. When I was hired... me - 5'3", white woman, 135 lbs (back then!) ... she really took it personally, and coincidentally hated me... :shrug: ... anyway, she brought a CASE against the director (white, older male) accusing him of racism, because he hired ME, a white woman who had no college degree (but LOTS of experience) instead of HER, a black woman w/a college degree (but not quite as MUCH experience.) The case was thrown out, as there was no racism to be found.

My point is - she THOUGHT she didn't get the position because she was black. And overweight. That was HER PERCEPTION. I did ask my boss WHY he hired "me". Why did "I" get the job. He said "Out of all the candidates, you showed the most optimism & attitude I was looking for; plus your organization skills was a high mark."

So - she didn't get the job - not because of anything to do with "her" personally... but because *I* was the right person for the job, according to the hiring manager.

Seriously-- you think you were hired for your optimism?

I think most of us have had interviews where it was clear within the first 30 seconds that this person would never hire us. (It goes both ways, of course. Most of us have also completed interviews for jobs that we realize during the interview are not what we're looking for.) I have no trouble believing that fatter women have that happen more often than thinner women.

Seriously-- you think you were hired for your optimism? Yes. Why not? I'm a very optimistic person, and my organization skills are quite impressive. :D

I think most of us have had interviews where it was clear within the first 30 seconds that this person would never hire us. (It goes both ways, of course. Most of us have also completed interviews for jobs that we realize during the interview are not what we're looking for.) I have no trouble believing that fatter women have that happen more often than thinner women.

While I agree with you, in theory, my point is that we don't KNOW why anyone was 'hired' or 'not hired' - we can speculate, we can figure, we can project - the only person who REALLY knows is the person in charge of the hire.

Also, I've known many overweight people who have literally no self-esteem (IMHO because they confuse their body image with their self image) and you must know how that in itself can figure into everyday life, especially upon hiring procedures. When you're at a party, I can spot the wallflowers immediately. I can tell who has optimism or pessimism by the way they talk, their body language, the way the hold themselves when around a crowd.

Quite often, body language speaks louder than any words ever could.

I've been as high as 200 during an interview and as low as 125. I was never really treated differently (that I could tell) during interviews. But that may be because my job's a behind the scenes research type of job where knowledge & experience are key & the demand for people with those qualities is higher than the no. of people with them.

The main weight related thing I noticed is both times I started losing significant amount of weight, I happened to become a scapegoat for folks with their own weight issues. Perhaps it was a coincidence. In the latest, incident, the beginning of the weight loss happened to coincide with a positive performance evaluation where the head of the dept said she thought I had management potential. Of the 3 main scapegoaters, all 3 were either supervisors/sr. employees and 2 had their own weight issues. It got so bad I found another job & left. Was it because I was losing weight and they were jealous or was it because they saw me as a threat with the management potential comment? Another co-worker lost over 50lbs with Weight Watchers & they started gossiping that she had an eating disorder, which makes me think it may have been the weight.

One thing I looked for while I was interviewing for the position I have now was to see if the people I'd be working with were "begrudgers". Were they upbeat people and happy for the successes of others? Or were they jealous & critical of folks who improved their situations? If the person you'd be replacing got a better job, are they genuinely happy for that person or are they making snide comments? These are good questions to ask yourself regardless of your size when interviewing for a job. Because begrudgers won't just hate you for losing weight. Begrudgers will hate you when you meet that special someone or have a child or buy a new car or move into a new home or get a promotion. Do you want to become their target just because something good happened for you?

One thing that convinced me this was the place for me was the enthusiasm my boss & co-worker have for going to the gym. And it turned out to be an accurate perception & I'm much happier where I am now.

A friend of mine is very into fitness (works out regularly) & enjoys it. She's also very beautiful and dresses/grooms impeccably. She didn't get a job she was well qualified for & she had the sense it was because of jealousy. She's not snobby or vain. In fact, she's one of the nicest people you'd ever meet.

That's not to say there's not discrimination against heavier people. Some people in our society either fear fat because of their past experience (as Nightengale Shane points out) or a fear that they could become fat. And that's projected onto the job applicant.

In the long run, if someone has that degree of issues (either rejecting an applicant because of their own fear of fat or being so jealous of a fit person they reject him or her), is that really someone you want to be working for or with? Because you know that's going to manifest itself in other ways at work.