It's a sad comment on human nature that prejudice and obesity go hand in hand. Ask any person who has battled with obesity and they'll be able to reel off a list of examples.
It begins at school, where some children have a knack of singling out anyone who's different from the rest for bullying and taunting. Children who are more overweight than their classmates are easy targets.
If they also happen to be of a different ethnic background from the majority of their classmates, their lives can become especially unpleasant.
Sadly, this attitude does not end when the child leaves school. Research has shown that prejudice and obesity is very much a fact of life in the workplace.
--The Sad Story of Mr X--
In a society obsessed with unrealistic ideals of how we should look, overweight job applicants have an especially tough time breaking into the job market. A typical story of prejudice and obesity in the workplace goes like this...
Mr X applies in writing for a job. The company replies positively to his letter by asking for a more detailed resume.
Then, Mr X receives an enthusiastic phone call asking him to come in for an interview. It's clear from the tone of the call and various other hints dropped by the caller that the interview is really just a formality, that Mr X is clearly the best qualified candidate.
But all this changes come the day of the interview. The members of the interview panel refuse to meet Mr X's eye. The questions they ask are cursory. They shuffle and fidget when he speaks. It's obvious they're simply going through the motions.
When he leaves they shake his hand and thank him with enthusiasm bordering on relief. A week later he receives a form letter in the mail regretfully informing him that he was unsuccessful in his application.
Mr X is not surprised. He's gone through this charade a dozen times before.
Prejudice and obesity have an even more unpleasant face when they're paired with ethnic stereotypes - the grown up version of schoolyard taunts.
We've all heard the jokes about women of certain ethnic backgrounds ballooning after they've had children. They're mild compared to some of the other, supposedly funny, stories doing the rounds.
You can help to lift the lid on the scourge of obesity related prejudice.
Were you bullied as a child because you were overweight? Have you experienced prejudice in the workplace? Have you been the butt of an ethnic/obesity related joke? Or perhaps you've got an inspiring story about how you've overcome negative perceptions. Maybe you're a counsellor or website publisher with important insights. Visit http://www.obesitycures.com/prejudice-and-obesity.html and share your experience or advice. You could make a difference.
Alan Cooper is a journalist with 20 year's experience and the publisher of ObesityCures.com, a site with the ambitious aim of being a "one-stop-shop" for impartial information on obesity and weight loss solutions - including fad diets, prescription weightloss pills and natural weightloss aids.
Yes and no. Moderate calorie restriction helps in controlling and... Read More
If anyone knows anything about fitness, it's that a low... Read More
Your brain has this really interesting system that is kind... Read More
Are you one of the many people who feel frustrated... Read More
More and more people are turning to hypnosis or hypnotherapy... Read More
It is important that the public not only understand the... Read More
According to the BMI chart, if you are overweight, you... Read More
1.The first step to living a Glycemic Diet Lifestyle is... Read More
CancerCoronary heart diseaseStrokeOsteoporosisMajor Depression from Brain StarvationHeadlines.WASHINGTON, Jun 22, 2004... Read More
An article published in http://www.inch-aweigh.com mentioned, "If you are eating... Read More
It's the American Dream: "If I could just lose a... Read More
Why was the FDA trying to hide the facts about... Read More
Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.Walk,... Read More
If you are fighting the battle of the bulge (overweight... Read More
Ephedra and Ephedrine consumers are still under the assumption that... Read More
The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst... Read More
No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy... Read More
Weight loss is so consistent and rapid after gastric bypass... Read More
Are you overweight?Most people are afraid to admit they are.It... Read More
Discover secrets to overcome food addictions by releasing negative thoughts... Read More
If you've been pursuing a lighter, healthier version of yourself,... Read More
Body temperature is the result of your body generating and... Read More
Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More
The people of earlier times depended on the rich resource... Read More
Do you compete in sports for weight loss or fat... Read More
Get to the ROOT of the matter: If the plants... Read More
What is a mini tummy tuck? Officially called a partial... Read More
Low self-esteem produces a game of control. It causes a... Read More
The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem. There... Read More
How to Break the Weighing HabitFace it, if you weigh... Read More
The cost of gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric surgical... Read More
There are as many reasons you've given yourself to eat... Read More
Fat does Not Make You Fat. One of the other... Read More
Are you ashamed of your weight? Do you have a... Read More
Making the Decision:Whether you are interested losing ten pounds that... Read More
False campaignsMore than 50 percent of Americans and Canadians are... Read More
America's Obesity EpidemicAs the numbers of overweight Americans continue to... Read More
You know what is so amazing? We get to keep... Read More
If you're thinking of going on a diet to lose... Read More
I had lost nearly fifty pounds before anyone mentioned my... Read More
Are you someone who has, in the past, been on... Read More
Today you have a good chance of getting diabetes or... Read More
Acupuncture for weight loss is a modern application of this... Read More
One common question I receive is, "What do you do... Read More
Are you committed to losing weight and keeping it off?... Read More
In this series of articles, you will learn exactly how... Read More
Low carb diets can be classified as food plans that... Read More
According to a recent survey by the National Health Institute,... Read More
Because the Internet allows so many millions of people to... Read More
I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be... Read More
Weight Loss |