Obesity and Discrimination

Bias against overweight and obese individuals is perhaps the last form of acceptable discrimination. Overweight people are subject to both subtle and blatant forms of discrimination, from childhood to adulthood. Discrimination occurs in family, social and professional situations as well.

This paper takes an interdisciplinary approach to the issue of weight-based discrimination and harassment, drawing on diverse literature from fields including psychology, law, pediatrics and economics. The extent of discrimination is explored through a critical survey and integration of current research on the social and professional effects of obesity.

The first part of this paper looks at the varying definitions of the terms "overweight," "obesity" and "discrimination."

It highlights the limitations of these definitions and how these terms can be misapplied.

The next part looks at statistics regarding the growing number of overweight and obese people in the United States. Recent studies show an alarming rise in...
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