Problem:
What are the employment and income-related effects of being overweight for women? For men?
There are significant challenges for overweight individuals seeking employment. Although most organizations state that their organization is an equal opportunity employer, this statement is not emphasized with action to support their claim of providing equal opportunity for all applicants. In today's society employers often frown upon individuals who may be overweight either for personal biases or for the long-term ramifications associated with obesity such as health complications that may result in a shortening lifespan which may pose a threat to organizations who require an employee that is healthy, energetic, and is able to withstand the rigorous day-to-day activities within the organization depending on the employer and/or position. Employers must be reassured that their selected candidate will remain with the company for the long-run. Employers who offer to provide health insurance may have trouble finding an adequate health care plan for obese employees for the reason that some insurance plans will not cover individuals who may be over 175lbs, thus leaving an obese employee to find healthcare outside of his/her employers healthcare plan. "The overall, tangible, annual costs of being obese are $4,879 for an obese woman and $2,646 for an obese man. The overall annual costs of being overweight are $524 and $432 for women and men, respectively. For both genders, the incremental costs of obesity are much higher than the incremental costs of being overweight. Adding the value of lost life to these annual costs produces even more dramatic results. Average annualized costs, including value of lost life, are $8,365 for obese women and $6,518 for obese men." (Dor, Ferguson, Langwith, Tan, 2010). Individuals may find it challenging to compete aggressively for promotions for the reason that employers desires to have an employee that is an organizational fit with the company. An employee is a representation of the organization he/she works for, therefore if an employee does not take pride in his/her appearance by incorporating a healthy lifestyle can be problematic for the employee in the long run. For instance, two highly qualified applicants are applying for the same position, one applicant is obese, and the other applicant is an acceptable weight based on his/her appearance. Although both applicants are extremely qualified, the individual who is not obese may get the position because he/she is an organizational fit with the current business culture.
"Dr. Michael Smith, in a 2005 WebMD article, discussed the obesity epidemic as startling and one that implies a slew of dangerous health problems for American citizens - not to mention, economic consequences for both individuals and the national economy. As well, almost half of U.S. states have been found guilty of not confronting the problem of overweight and obesity rates among their populations." (Professors House, 2010).
Reference
Dor, A., Ferguson, C., Langwith, C., Tan, E. (2010) A Heavy Burden: The Individual Costs of Being Overweight and Obese in the United States. Retrieved January 23, 2011 from
https://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/healthpolicy/pdf/HeavyBurdenReport.pdf
Professor's House (2010) Effects of Being Overweight.
Retrieved January 23, 2011 from
https://www.professorshouse.com/Health-Beauty/Nutrition/Articles/Effects-of-Being-Overweight/