Ideally, the deciders of who gets promoted should have access only to performance ratings (blind). Women have three strikes against them that seem to only enhance men's chances at getting promoted: age, weight and hair color. Shocking reality.

So your boss gives you guidance that you refuse on principle, rather than inquiring as to why that might have any relevance for the promotion, and you don't get the promotion?

SHOCKER!

You work at the leisure and service to the company, not the company to the service of your moral principles.

I don't like it any more than you do, but if you want to work for someone else, you gotta play the game by their rules.

Maybe they passed you over because you weren't mature enough to know that.

Should a person of African descent have to ask what relevance their skin color has to their job performance or chance of promotion? Or should they just start bleaching their face?

personnamedX: I think you're having a bit of trouble with the concept here...the story is about the gender inequity in salaries because of stereotypes women face that has nothing to do with their abilities. And you conclude from this information that women need to better meet the stereotype? Follow your logic and we'd never leave the 1950's --Some things are worth calling out...and because there are laws about this--and it impacts earnings (let alone fairness) this is one of them.

Weight has a similar effect on men, regardless of what this female-centric article says

betty, what your boss might have been telling you, in his clumsy male way, was to update your look. perhaps he wanted you to look more polished and professional for the job you aspired to. looks do count. i would never dye my gray hair and neither should you, but a new cut and a sharp wardrobe could be all that was needed.

And we laugh at our grandmothers who had to do the same thing.

Maybe we shouldn't have laughed at them.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Tell this to the folks who think sex discrimination is a thing of the past.

But what about overweight women that try to dress sexy with short skirts, high heels, tight clothes and attitude for days? That "bigger is beautiful" thing is over, too.

It just looks so wrong!

And we women don't particularly care to work next to the balding tub of lard who thinks he looks hot, either! ...it's just not that appealing..

Tina - totally.

So why don't you go start your own company where you can exclude fat4$$ men?

Women need to stop working within the man's game at all.

But if you don't have what it takes, then like everyone else, you gotta suck it up and well... just suck it.

That's exactly what's happening. More women have started their own businesses in the last decade than ever before. You can't just expect all of them to do that, anymore than men would. "Just suck it" isn't much of a roadmap for an advanced society, thanks anyway.

Unfortunately, I think it's more "acceptable" to be prejudiced against atheists than the obese.

But you can't tell if a person is an atheist by looking at them.

I don't have a problem with weight prejudice, but gender-weight prejudice seems unfair.

Personally, I just discriminate against all superfat people. Sorta fat, overweight, a little extra padding, those are all fine.

But if you're so fat you're obviously going to be taking more sick days and overall have less energy on the job than someone who is vibrantly healthy, guess who I want on my team?

"It makes me sick that women are still judged by such inane standards."

And does it make you sick that men are judged by their wallets? .. or is your supposed disgust a one-way street? After all, isn't the article assuming that wealth should be everyone's goal?

Not necessarily, person named x. Both of my sups are overweight women and not only do they never miss a day but often stay way past the end of their shifts and are always pitching in to do the jobs of those who would appear to be the picture of health but seem to call off a little more than one would expect, leaving gaps for these supervisors and the rest of the staff to fill in. You really can't always tell a book by it's cover.

I could buy the implications of this study 30 years ago. But today, I'm not so sure that the perceived cause and effect has been proven here. There needs to be follow up studies to verify the conclusions.

Here's a well known example from the past of studies leading to wrong conclusions at first:

It used be believed that the reason why wine drinkers (on average) lived longer than beer drinkers was because of the choice of beverage. Later studies proved this to be untrue. Cause and effect were only an illusion, and the relationship between life expectancy and beverage choice proved to be nothing more than a statistical coincidence. The reason why wine drinkers live longer is because, as a group, they tend to lead healthier life-styles in the first place. That's a trend which could be reversed at a future time, without changing over to beer.

pjam-

It does indeed make me sick that men are judged by their wallets.

Of course it's not right.

But it's also not right that women office coordinators etc will have all the shipping ready to go for the ugly UPS guy, but not for the hot one, so they can spend more time with him on the job.

Women are guilty of these same things, and anyone who says otherwise is a hypocrite or fool.

@person named x, That's a dumb example. Also, i love everyone that doesn't agree with your way of thinking is either a hypocrite or fool. They can't be anything else can they.

If attractive women are being unfairly promoted to a finite number of positions, shutting out unattractive women, that still adds up to discrimination in my book.

Those were my thoughts exactly -- The article ends with a personal trainer promoting their services instead of talking about ways to end discrimination -- Weight being yet another one in the Eye Candy criteria, as another poster pointed out, age in general hurts women more than men.

There is more than enough evidence to show that fatter employees cost more, so if you're looking at how someone will contribute to your company more than just at office party eating contests, then yes, size can have relevance.

But it should be used for men AND women, not just women.

@person named x, What? So companies should discriminate against overwieght men and women? And yet you sight no studies or give any examples? How does promoting someone who already works for your company going to cost it more money because they are a little overweight. This article didn't say morbidly obese. You are the type of person that me25 is talking about.

Utter nonsense.

Eating healthy is extremely cheap, think frozen veggies etc. Cooking from raw ingredients (i.e no fast food and/or pre-prepared meals) is not only cheaper, but is also better for you.

That said, it takes more time to prepare a real meal than to nuke a pizza pocket doesn't it?

I agree with you lindy. Have you ever tried to be a busy parent and buy all healthy foods? Well, I have and it's not cheap. Especially if you compare it to the amount of groceries you could be buying for the same amount of money. What Utter nonsense your speaking Chucky2.

You're out of your mind if you think eating healthy (i.e. cooking from raw ingredients) is more expensive than pre-prepared junk food. And no, I'm not talking about buying over-priced organic stuff.

Don't take my word for it though: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket

What are you living in a dream world or something. No matter the performance or attitude, if your pay or promotion are controlled by another human being, then you can be subjected to their own private prejudices. If I work hard and have a positive attitude, then i WILL become CEO oneday. That's what we tell our kids, but it's not necessarily true. You honestly believe that everyone who gets passed over for a promotion or pay raise was a bad performing employee. KEEP ON DREAMING.

You have that one right on the money, SpcTorres.

The corporate world hasn't crapped enough on you...yet!

Trust me when I say that after reading this most people don't want to be on your team. I'd rather work for a 500 lb. guy than this ego. For one thing you're stupid if you think all weight problems are due to emotional eating.

You're right. There are many causes of obesity. But none of them are non-actionable. There are no excuses.

What about health reasons? Ever tried living with a bad thyroid? They can severely mess with your metabolism. Some of it is genetics. I agree that a large part of it is portion control and working out, but someone can eat a cumcumber salad every day of their lives, and work on the treadmill for an hour every day and STILL be over weight. Just b/c you happen to have a good metabolism doesn't mean that every one does. I can't wait for your metabolism to slow down, it'll catch up to you, it always does

Even thyroidism is actionable. There is no physical condition that cannot be combated by appropriate thereapy, exercise, medication and diligent management. You are looking for, and not finding, excuses.

Areophile,

How sad that you judge people by their looks. Someday you will get old, and your looks will be gone. And then people will judge YOU.

This is not a thread about age. It's a thread about being responsible with your body and projecting a professional image. Fatness is not professional. After you retire, by all means, get as fat as you want.

The good thing; the company I work for does NOT hire people based on looks, as yours obviously does.

I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to work with a woman who would have been shown the door by your company. She works 10,000 times harder and BETTER than 99.99% of the population of the US; and would be even higher if there weren't legal limits on the time we can actually work due to being hourly employees. She is MORE INTELLIGENT, works **FAR** FASTER, brings incredible INNOVATION and NEW IDEAS, is MORE PROFESSIONAL in every interaction I have with her than anyone else (man or woman) I have ever worked with (that would be at least 5,000 people). Match that with a sure sense of confidence, knowledge, and a fun personality- I have, in the years I've worked with her, never heard anyone talk about her except in the most positive terms. I simply cannot imagine anyone saying anything as remotely negative and nasty as I have seen on this and other Newsvine threads commenting on weight, obesity, and women in general.

She watches nieces and nephews in the evenings, works with many youth and charitable organizations and church groups, and has a very active social life (far more active than mine!).

You would not hire her because she is about 80 lbs overweight. HAHA- YOUR loss!!! I'll keep her as my coworker, even though she's been FAST TRACK promoted 3 times in the past year and a half....right up the ladder.

Oh, and just a last in-your-face; she's far healthier in every way than any of my other coworkers (and I count that as my 200 person department). I have never seen her miss an entire day of work from being ill- NEVER. Exactly 3 hours once, because she had a severe stomach virus. Rarely takes a vacation day, either!!! She dresses better than most others in our department too; with highly attractive prints that show her in the best possible fashion, her clothes fit, are always clean and a step above the casual enviornment we have been allowed- most of the time she's dressed in such a way that she could step off to an interview. HARDLY a slouch!

Are ALL overweight/obese people like her? Ha, 99.99+% of the population couldn't hold a candle to her! So NO, they aren't. I'm certainly not, and that's not to say I'm a bad employee. I just dim (as does everyone else in the department) in light of her brilliance.

So, the sad thing is, in an interview you would overlook that chance it could be someone else like her; you would turn off your mind because of "the look".

Thyroid problems? Haha yeah right. I've got that plus polycystic ovarian, do 90 minutes of cardio a day, an hour of weights three times a week, and am still 40 pounds overweight according to the BMI. I've been doing this as long as I remember, and I'm a raw food vegan.

Still a size 18.

I've done all in my power to drop the weight and it ain't going. You think that it's all the person's fault. Well, shocker, it isn't.

Here's one reason: a man with 20 or even 40 extra pounds on him may still have slabs of solid muscle underneath and be a tiger in the board room. In fact, some large men are in really good shape. I have a running partner with a rather large spare tire, but he's indefatigable.

A woman with 40 extra pounds on her however, due to phenotypal differences between men and women, looks like an lazy hausfrau parked in front of Oprah. Women ARE generally shorter, with smaller bones and 40 extra pounds makes her look like an ice cream swilling softie.

Most of the blame, I believe, can be chalked up to jealousy. Men can eat a 2500 calorie diet of lots of yummy food and not get fat. Women seem to gain if they eat over 1700 or so, and that's due to metabolism differences and the fact that sexual dimorphism has selected her to be smaller anyway. So, she sees hubby eating an extra slice of pie and she wants one too. She sees hubby with a large serving of pasta and she wants one too. Well, guess what? You can't eat like men because you're not men, no matter how much you may want to be. Have a nice salad and a piece of fish and a side of asparagus and quit with the man-envy.

it's amazing, with one statement you showed to the world why you are single...

Seriously..."man-envy" that's so rediculious it's not even funny. Women don't have "man-envy" as you put it. And it depends on the size of the women to determine how many calories she should be eating. Putting out a blanket "women gain weight after 1700 calories" is stupid and insulting. You aren't taking into any consideration how much she might work out, or high thyroidism or any of that. Women's bodies do tend to hang onto fat...but that would be so it can break down later...say oh when she's having children? You know...those little things that turn into people (some smarter than others, since it seems you and a couple other commenters were dropped on your head one too many times). Yes, on average men have a high metabolism, but it DOES slow down after a while, and putting out there that women should have to dye their hair only eat a minimal amount of food per day, while men can get fat and go balding that's ok is rediculious. There shouldn't be the double standard that men get to look at pretty young things just b/c they look better but women have to look at fat balding men. The double standard is insane

I'm not single. And eating beyond your caloric requirements, for any reason whatsoever, is irresponsible. I was generalising. You seem to be in a panic that someone will hold accountable for your fatness. Otherwise, why defend them? As I said, which you didn't read, I wouldn't hire, promote or retain a fat PERSON. Gender doesn't enter into it, except that I think men CAN gain a little more around the waist before it becomes an issue.

There will NEVER come a time when it is acceptable to be a fatass in the agressive corporate culture. Get over it.

I wonder if you will realize what an "ass" you were, with all these hideous blatherings today, when your health fails eventually and you're just a lump of fat laying in the bed and no one is there for you.....

Won't happen. Weight is a simple math problem that any 8 year old could do. Determine your caloric requirement, then eat less than that. You want to complicate it with all sorts of emotional issues when emotion doesn't enter into it. My "blatherings" as you call them, are the plain truth, which every fat person deserves to hear, shorn of useless compassion. More Americans are obese because more Americans have become lazy emotional cripples. I'm sorry that mommy and daddy were mean to fat people when they were kids, and that they learned to console themselves with ice cream and candy bars, but you're a grown up now and you have to take responsibility for your own actions and your own gravity field.

Why are you so eager to make excuses for inexcusable behavior? You are helping them to stay fat (or yourself).

Right on, Lisa!

The military depends on you to be able to hike wearing a pack, or pull a comrade out of harm's way. Not many businesses depend so much on your physical fitnes..

I didn't claim it did. I said business depends on perception and appearance. You don't read?

I do read. My point is that regardless of YOUR perception, appearance generally has no impact on performance. A good appearance does NOT ensure success. Perception of competence does. Two different things. In the military, physical fitness, and the appearance that accompanies it, do impact performance.

Wouldn't that make your current BMI 26.8? Which is over 25, which means you are in the overweight category of 25-29.9?

I gave you the military standards. You are a picky little person, aren't you. You keep trying to pick apart a basically unassailable argument: fatasses are not welcome. If you are, or have a family member who is a fatass, you will not receive sympathy from me. FYI, I am 11% body fat and not anywhere near obese...BMI is a general guideline only, Mr./Ms. Pickypants.

Wow, you are such a misogynist! You've made it perfectly clear that you hate women and that you are completely bitter.....we get it! lol

I don't hate anyone. My wife and kids love me and I love them. Why are you co-dependently enabling fat people to pretend that their issues are insoluble? I say get ANGRY! Get fired up and get off the ^&*$ing couch!!! Look the world in eye and say "ARRRRRGGGHHHHH, you will NOT beat me!!!!"

Get up and run. Jog if you can't run. Walk if you can't jog. Crawl if you can't walk, but do not ever give up. I have nothing for defeated people who want to act like victims.

Yeah, so as we get fired in your world, Areophile, what are we to do when we cannot afford to eat anything? AHH, so we see your answer: you WANT every single overweight or obese person to be fired immediately, and therefore you are advocating total anorexia.

There can be NO other answer because there's no way the government could support 50% of the population; the economy would collapse (not enough employees who meet the AMA height/weight requirements for normal weight), so no one could afford to eat. Anything.

You don't hate anyone? RIIIGGGHHHHTTT.....care to try again, genius?

wow...you had a sad outlook on life. Let me guess...your supervisor is a woman?

Bald- how old are you??? I'm afraid that your stuck in a time warp... and or your 3rd thing women are good for shows you are a back woods hill billy.

This is the 21st Century and I know that 80% of generation X female population is scoffing at your statement. In your day and age that may have been the norm, not anymore. In today's world it's 50/50 or nothing at all. You can thank the women of your time, for raising us as hard nosed, won't put up with crap, INDEPENDENT women.

The other 20% who the last statement did not apply, needs to grab some big brass balls and get on with it.