When it comes to getting a job, overweight women are less likely than others, and they also receive lower salaries, according to a study published in the magazineInternational Journal of Obesity.
The researchers, from the Universities of Manchester (UK) and Monash (Australia), had participants,did not know the objective of the study, they reviewed a series of resumes that included photos of the candidates, and that they had to classify by their aptitude, starting salary and leadership potential.
The results indicated thatthere was discrimination based on physical appearance. “We used photos of women before and after undergoing surgery, and the ratings were different based on whether the resume contained a photo of an obese woman or a photo of the same woman weighing within the normal range,” explains Kerry. O’Brien, one of the authors.
In addition, the researchers found thatthe most authoritarian people with a better perception of their own physical attractiveness discriminated more. “The higher the participants rated their own physical attractiveness and the importance of physical appearance, the greater the prejudice and discrimination,” O’Brien noted. “One possible interpretation of this finding is that we have a better opinion of our own body if we compare ourselves with fat people and discriminate against them, but this statement must be verified experimentally.”
The authors point out the importance of addressing this type of prejudice that places certain more vulnerable sectors of the population at a disadvantage compared to others. “It is advisable to plan interventions and strategies that reduce prejudice. It is also clear that the reasons for this prejudice come from our own personality and the perception of ourselves,” O’Brien said. “To justify this kind of prejudice, stereotypes are used, such as attributing lazy and gluttonous behavior to the obese, among others.“.
