This paper presents a research proposal examining discrimination against morbidly obese individuals in the American workplace. Drawing on existing literature, it documents pervasive societal bias that equates thinness with competence and obesity with laziness, and traces how those attitudes translate into employment decisions regarding hiring, promotion, and advancement. The paper outlines a study methodology using a survey administered to gastric bypass support group members, comparing their perceived workplace treatment before and after surgery. The proposal situates this inquiry within broader legal and policy concerns, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, employer healthcare costs, and the potential need for expanded disability and anti-discrimination protections for obese workers.
This paper demonstrates the structure of a formal research proposal. It separates the problem statement from the literature review, uses the literature to justify the need for new research, and then proposes a methodologically coherent instrument (a before-and-after survey) that directly tests the discrimination hypothesis. This scaffolding shows how academic research proposals build systematically from "what is already known" to "what still needs to be studied."
The paper follows a five-part proposal structure: an introduction framing the cultural context, a statement of the problem identifying the research gap, a literature review synthesizing prior findings on weight bias, a methodology section describing participants and survey questions, and a conclusion connecting findings to policy implications. Each section performs a distinct function in building the case for the proposed study.
America has been built on the idea that thin is attractive and capable, while fat is ugly and lazy. Morbid obesity is a growing problem in the United States. News channels have done stories about the nation's struggle with weight, and diet fads abound. Whether it is South Beach, Atkins, bypass surgery, or Weight Watchers, the message is clear: if one wants to improve one's life, lose the fat.
Morbid obesity is a serious health problem, and the complications arising from the condition cannot be denied. People who are morbidly obese not only suffer from the health consequences of their size but often suffer from self-esteem issues because of what they believe society thinks of them based on their weight.
This paper presents a research proposal that addresses societal attitudes toward the morbidly obese. It explores whether morbidly obese participants have felt discriminated against and whether they felt they were viewed as lazy or unproductive. It seeks to locate evidence of such discrimination through a research instrument, using a literature review to set the foundation for the study.
The morbidly obese have struggled for years with health issues. Recently, it has been alleged that they are also being discriminated against in the workforce — treated differently than non-obese individuals because they are perceived as lazy and as a financial risk due to their size.
Health insurance costs, sick days, and other financial considerations may cause employers to avoid hiring morbidly obese individuals. Beliefs about this population that extend beyond health issues may also prevent their hiring and advancement. It is important to study whether the morbidly obese are actually being discriminated against so that future decisions can be made regarding disability payments, discrimination laws, and other significant policy areas.
America promotes thinness. It is visible on television, in magazines, and evidenced by the proliferation of fitness centers and diet companies throughout the nation. Those who are morbidly obese are widely viewed as lazy and lacking self-control. Research confirms that there are legal, psychological, and employment issues that surround the morbidly obese.
A substantial body of research suggests that bias against overweight individuals is pervasive in Western cultures (Roehling, 1999). Overweight people are frequently stereotyped as emotionally impaired, socially handicapped, and as possessing negative personality traits (Crocker, Cornwell, & Major, 1993). They are denigrated by doctors, nurses, peers, small children, and even their own parents (Crandall, 1994; Maroney & Golub, 1992). In recent years, the issue of discrimination in employment decisions based on body weight has become a topic of growing concern (Laabs, 1995; Lippman, 1998). Several factors have contributed to this development, including the increased but uncertain legal protection offered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (Johnson & Wilson, 1995), the growing incidence of obesity (up 33% in the last decade; Berkow, 1997), employer concern about healthcare and related costs (Zablocki, 1998), and the fact that employees who believe they have been victims of weight-based discrimination have begun seeking legal redress in increasing numbers (Roehling, 1999).
According to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company weight norms, obesity is defined as follows: mildly obese (20%–40% over ideal weight), moderately obese (41%–99% over ideal weight), and morbidly obese (100% or more over ideal weight) (Roehling, 1999).
Studies conducted by researchers have provided significant evidence of discrimination against the morbidly obese, locating such discrimination at every level of employment from management to frontline workers (Roehling, 1999). Evidence of weight-based discrimination is found in both laboratory and field settings, though with less consistency in the findings of the latter (Roehling, 1999).
Another study found that people rate morbidly obese employees as less capable in certain positions than their non-obese counterparts. In particular, the general population gave obese individuals lower ratings for their ability to perform in outside sales roles due to their appearance. This finding supports the theory that obese people face discrimination in the workplace (Roehling, 1999).
Studies that have documented discrimination against the obese have also offered suggestions for improvement, including the implementation of reasonable workplace accommodations for morbidly obese employees.
Additional research has shown that employers attempt to control the appearance of their workforce through mandates on dress, grooming, and other aspects of personal presentation. Further studies are needed to determine whether this desire to control worker appearance extends explicitly to weight (Fowler, 2001).
Case studies have also indicated that the morbidly obese face discrimination on a regular basis. One woman who was a finalist for a sales position had more experience and a stronger sales record than the competing candidate. She did not receive the promotion and was later told by a member of the decision-making team that her weight was the reason (Freed, 2003). "That hurt," said the woman, now a diversity specialist at American Express Financial Advisors in Minneapolis (Freed, 2003).
Companies are spending billions of dollars on employee healthcare and believe they have a right to protect themselves from financial risk by not hiring or promoting obese individuals. Meanwhile, obese workers are growing weary of such discrimination and are seeking equality.
The following table illustrates the increased risk of obesity-related diseases at higher BMI levels, underscoring the health dimension of this issue.
Table 1. Increased Risk of Obesity-Related Diseases with Higher BMI
Diseases examined — including arthritis, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, hypertension, and stroke — show elevated risk at BMI levels above 25, with risk increasing progressively at BMI ranges of 25–30, 30–35, and 35 or more.
Source: Centers for Disease Control. Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Analysis by The Lewin Group, 1999.
This proposed study will determine whether obese people are discriminated against by asking gastric bypass patients about their perceptions of how they were treated before and after their surgeries.
The participants will be members of a gastric bypass support group. There will be a variety of ages and occupations represented among the more than 20 participants in the study.
The instrument used will be a survey questionnaire designed to determine whether the way participants were treated changed after they had surgery and lost weight. The questionnaire will ask ten questions central to assessing the level of discrimination the morbidly obese experience in their daily lives and in their work lives.
Morbidly obese people face health issues, psychological issues, and legal issues. There are more obese people in this country today than at any other point in its history. The morbidly obese are fighting a societal attitude that equates thinness with attractiveness and success while associating obesity with ugliness and laziness.
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