Obese Americans report discrimination

American News): Over half of obese Americans feel they have been discriminated against when applying for a job or promotion, according to a newpoll by Harris Interactive. Many also feel they have been socially shunned or discriminated against when being seated in public places, such as a theatre or restaurant. Much of the discrimination appears to be socially acceptable to most Americans. According to the poll, 61% do not consider negative remarks about a person’s weight to be offensive.

“The obesity epidemic is not just a huge health-care issue, it is also a social issue with many people — especially those who are morbidly obese — feeling that they have been stigmatized, treated unfairly, or discriminated against because of their weight,” said

Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll.  “This is not surprising when many people do not believe that it is very offensive to make critical remarks about people’s weight or for employers to use weight as a factor when deciding whom to hire.”