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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Location: retired
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:58 am Post subject: "fat-ism" |
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8314125.stm
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Overweight 'should be protected'
They want so-called "fat-ism" to be made illegal on the same grounds as race, age and religious discrimination.
A demonstration was held outside the offices of the mayor of London asking him to lead the way in making sure employers are not prejudiced.
Protesters want the UK to follow San Francisco, where a law bans "fat-ism" in housing and employment and stops doctors pressing patients to slim down.
Sondra Solway, a San Francisco lawyer, said: "The San Francisco ordinance says you may want to mention weight to the patient but if the patient says they do not want to talk about that then you are asked to respect those wishes."
Size acceptance
In the UK, size is not a protected characteristic under discrimination legislation.
People who are very overweight do experience a lot of prejudice both in their social life and working life and do need some protection."
Dr Ian Campbell, Weight Concern
The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified.
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OK. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:29 am Post subject: |
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| Size Acceptance Movement |
SAM gyupsal |
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bacasper

Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:43 am Post subject: Re: "fat-ism" |
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| mises wrote: |
| and stops doctors pressing patients to slim down. |
If politicians are going to legislate medical treatment, perhaps doctors ought to start enacting laws.
Or, those politicians have way too much time on their hands. They ought to go back to being part-time, seasonal workers like they were when the country began. (But maybe with all that time off they'd get fat[ter].)
What's next? Will a fat chick sue her school if she does not get asked out to the prom? |
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kotakji
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: "fat-ism" |
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The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified.
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Shouldn't that read "even if they are otherwise equally qualified."
Even today, I doubt there are many jobs out there where the capacity for physical activity is not even a potential qualification. For example, lets say you represent a company in Atlanta and your building is inundated by floods, wouldn't it be nice to know that your CPA can help lift your boxes of records out of harms way during the emergency? |
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Pluto
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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| The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified. |
Because those with normal BMI are more productive on the one hand and less costly in terms of health related illnesses on the other. This should surprise no one. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be, but be ready to deal with the consequences of being individually irresponsible. Piggy McFatty is not entitled to anything. If she wants to be taken more seriously on job interviews or cease having awkward moments with the doctor, she should first shed some $@#-ing pounds. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Size Acceptance Movement |
Beware, the stature of this group is enlarging daily, and they are not afraid to throw their weight around. |
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ropebreezy
Joined: 27 Aug 2009
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| As much as a I love San Franscisco, it's sh** like this that makes me go ugggh. |
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djsmnc

Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| Those fatists arent building enough retaurants in this town! I demand a McDonalds! We can create an earthquake if we march on Washington! |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.slate.com/id/2233119/
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When the government tells insurers what they can or can't do, it's easy to restrict outcome-based incentives. Why let those nasty, greedy companies charge people more for being fat? But the public sector is a different ballgame. When taxpayers fund wellness incentives, they're entitled to see results.
That's why the health reform bill promises to rigorously measure "changes in health risks and outcomes" among Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, including "ceasing use of tobacco products," "controlling or lowering their cholesterol," "lowering their blood pressure," and "controlling or reducing their weight." In the case of Medicaid, it restricts incentives to beneficiaries who "demonstrate changes � by meeting specific targets."
So don't expect the government to protect fat people from outcome-based incentives while footing the bill for health care. The more it pays, the more results it will demand. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| djsmnc wrote: |
| Those fatists arent building enough retaurants in this town! I demand a McDonalds! We can create an earthquake if we march on Washington! |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI3kWpH6HNI |
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thoreau
Joined: 21 Jun 2009
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Pluto wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified. |
Because those with normal BMI are more productive on the one hand and less costly in terms of health related illnesses on the other. This should surprise no one. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be, but be ready to deal with the consequences of being individually irresponsible. Piggy McFatty is not entitled to anything. If she wants to be taken more seriously on job interviews or cease having awkward moments with the doctor, she should first shed some $@#-ing pounds. |
Are you ok with extending this rational to other behaviors?
I'm not talking about smoking but rather risky sports. Should a employer ask if a potential employee likes to skydive? What about mountain climbing or riding a motorcycle? All risky activities which could cost additional dollars in terms of time lost at work due to injury. |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| thoreau wrote: |
| Pluto wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified. |
Because those with normal BMI are more productive on the one hand and less costly in terms of health related illnesses on the other. This should surprise no one. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be, but be ready to deal with the consequences of being individually irresponsible. Piggy McFatty is not entitled to anything. If she wants to be taken more seriously on job interviews or cease having awkward moments with the doctor, she should first shed some $@#-ing pounds. |
Are you ok with extending this rational to other behaviors?
I'm not talking about smoking but rather risky sports. Should a employer ask if a potential employee likes to skydive? What about mountain climbing or riding a motorcycle? All risky activities which could cost additional dollars in terms of time lost at work due to injury. |
If I had to choose between two employees who were exactly and perfectly identical in every way except that one regularly and needlessly put his life in danger in a fashion most people don't, I know which one I'd choose. |
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Pluto
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:03 am Post subject: |
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| thoreau wrote: |
| Pluto wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified. |
Because those with normal BMI are more productive on the one hand and less costly in terms of health related illnesses on the other. This should surprise no one. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be, but be ready to deal with the consequences of being individually irresponsible. Piggy McFatty is not entitled to anything. If she wants to be taken more seriously on job interviews or cease having awkward moments with the doctor, she should first shed some $@#-ing pounds. |
Are you ok with extending this rational to other behaviors?
I'm not talking about smoking but rather risky sports. Should a employer ask if a potential employee likes to skydive? What about mountain climbing or riding a motorcycle? All risky activities which could cost additional dollars in terms of time lost at work due to injury. |
I feel the same applies to Mrs. McFatty as to Mr. Smokey. If Mr. Smokey wants to smoke a pack a day, that's fine. He should just be willing to deal with the consequences.
There are other risky behaivors as well. Snowboarding, sky diving and running marathons are all risky. The difference is that these are significantly less risky. Furthermore, snowboarders, sky divers and marathoners are more active, more fit and are much less likely to have long term health related illnesses. Also, there have been numerous studies that have shown active people are more productive in the workplace. |
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Koveras
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| thoreau wrote: |
| Pluto wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified. |
Because those with normal BMI are more productive on the one hand and less costly in terms of health related illnesses on the other. This should surprise no one. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be, but be ready to deal with the consequences of being individually irresponsible. Piggy McFatty is not entitled to anything. If she wants to be taken more seriously on job interviews or cease having awkward moments with the doctor, she should first shed some $@#-ing pounds. |
Are you ok with extending this rational to other behaviors?
I'm not talking about smoking but rather risky sports. Should a employer ask if a potential employee likes to skydive? What about mountain climbing or riding a motorcycle? All risky activities which could cost additional dollars in terms of time lost at work due to injury. |
If I had to choose between two employees who were exactly and perfectly identical in every way except that one regularly and needlessly put his life in danger in a fashion most people don't, I know which one I'd choose. |
Yeah, I'd choose the more interesting one too. |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Koveras wrote: |
| Fox wrote: |
| thoreau wrote: |
| Pluto wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The campaigners, who belong to the Size Acceptance Movement, say surveys show 93% of employers would rather employ a thin person than a fat one even if they are equally qualified. |
Because those with normal BMI are more productive on the one hand and less costly in terms of health related illnesses on the other. This should surprise no one. Everyone should be free to be who they want to be, but be ready to deal with the consequences of being individually irresponsible. Piggy McFatty is not entitled to anything. If she wants to be taken more seriously on job interviews or cease having awkward moments with the doctor, she should first shed some $@#-ing pounds. |
Are you ok with extending this rational to other behaviors?
I'm not talking about smoking but rather risky sports. Should a employer ask if a potential employee likes to skydive? What about mountain climbing or riding a motorcycle? All risky activities which could cost additional dollars in terms of time lost at work due to injury. |
If I had to choose between two employees who were exactly and perfectly identical in every way except that one regularly and needlessly put his life in danger in a fashion most people don't, I know which one I'd choose. |
Yeah, I'd choose the more interesting one too. |
Remember, I said they were perfectly identical except for the risk taking, so they're equally interesting.
Skydiving (for example) in and of itself doesn't make you more interesting in my estimation, but I admit to the real world possibility that skydivers often may also be more interesting people. |
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