6 Ways Heavy People are Discriminated Against

Making fun of people overweight is not a novelty. Social media is used as a vehicle to fat shame kids into depression, insecurity, and worse—suicides. As adults the stigma remains the same, as culture, airlines, the government, corporations, and the general public view of being overweight is viewed through a negative lens.

Obesity.org explains: "Weight stigma occurs in multiple settings by a range of individuals. For example, in employment settings, overweight people may face bias from several sources. Experimental studies have found that when a resume is accompanied by a picture or video of an overweight person (compared to an "average" weight person), the overweight applicant is rated more negatively and is less likely to be hired. Other research shows that overweight employees are ascribed multiple negative stereotypes including being lazy, sloppy, less competent, lacking in self-discipline, disagreeable, less conscientious, and poor role models."