A recent study highlights that even women within healthy weight ranges can face significant job discrimination based on their weight.
If You’re a Woman With a Visible Body in the Workforce, We Have Some Alarming News.
It’s been established for some time that individuals who are overweight or obese often encounter bias at work; for instance, those with obesity typically earn 1-6% less than their thinner colleagues. Moreover, obese women tend to earn less than their male counterparts, which is, unfortunately, a well-documented reality. But a new study has revealed that even minor fluctuations in weight among women with healthy BMIs can negatively impact how likely they are to be hired.
Published in the journal Plos One, the study examined how small changes in weight influence perceptions of candidates for customer-facing roles, like sales or waitressing, compared to behind-the-scenes positions, such as kitchen work or janitorial tasks. Researchers manipulated the images of male and female faces to represent various BMIs and asked participants—who were told to assume all candidates were equally qualified—how likely they would be to hire the individuals in the photos for different job types. The results indicated that women within the normal BMI range experience greater weight-related bias than men who are noticeably overweight.
A press release from the University of Strathclyde, which conducted the research, noted, “These findings confirm that even a slight increase in weight can adversely affect the perceived hireability of female applicants. For women, it seems that even the tiniest adjustments in body shape, size, and weight carry significant weight.” In other words, a few extra pounds can make women less appealing to employers compared to their male counterparts. “Sure, Eric may be packing an extra fifty pounds, but let’s be honest, that masculine energy makes all the difference.”
This is both frustrating and disheartening, especially considering that the average American woman wears a size 14. Additionally, fat discrimination is only outlawed in a handful of locations, including Michigan and certain cities like San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In most places, gaining a few pounds could cost you your job, while heavier men often remain secure in their positions.
Women’s bodies have long been subject to unrealistic scrutiny, and the notion that we are judged down to the pound is enraging. A survey by Refinery29 found that 70% of millennial women would refuse to gain ten pounds for a promotion. Initially, I thought, “Good job, millennial women!” But with this study, it appears they might still face demotion, regardless. After all, while being a 125-pound store manager may be acceptable, stepping up to 135 pounds could be a whole different ball game. Who would want to buy summer clothes from a size 8, right?
We often hear that feminism is no longer necessary because gender equality has been achieved. However, if a woman who weighs ten pounds less is favored for a job over an equally qualified candidate, while heavier men continue to climb the corporate ladder, I’d say that argument deserves to be put to rest. We still have a long way to go in advocating for equal rights, as society continues to assign worth based on size, and the expectations are more unrealistic than ever.
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Summary
A recent study reveals that even women with healthy weights can experience discrimination in hiring based on subtle weight differences, with women facing greater bias than men. This ongoing issue highlights the unrealistic standards placed on women’s bodies and the need for continued advocacy for equal rights and treatment in the workplace.