Fat Does Not Equal Failure: Fighting Stigma and Bias in the Workplace and Beyond

WARNING: This is a 4P post - Personal, Professional, Political & Pissed off. Buckle up.

I am a fat woman.

All my life I've been told bigger is bad. Why? Because society insists the more you weigh, the less you’re worth. We hear fat people aren’t: 😱 pretty enough 😱 smart enough 😱 committed enough 😱 motivated enough

And now, the British Government has added: 😡 not contributing enough economically to society.

Their plan? Weight loss jabs for the unemployed to see if it reduces “worklessness.”

This initiative leans into outdated stereotypes: fat people are lazy, unhealthy burdens, weighing down (pun intended) the country’s economic productivity. Presumably, if unemployed fat people lose weight, they'll return to work and save the country money, right?

WRONG! This narrative isn’t only inaccurate, it’s deeply harmful.

Yes, people’s average weight is rising, but let's be clear:

FATNESS DOES NOT CAUSE UNEMPLOYMENT

Fat doesn’t strip people of their skills, intelligence or ability to contribute.

What DOES contribute to unemployment?
🔥Hiring biases
🔥 Stigma eroding confidence
🔥 Shame stifling ambition

How is fatness even determined? In my experience, it’s not weight, it’s society's perceptions of it. Look at the photo here. I was 22 and taking a break from job hunting to attend a friend’s wedding. This day was the first-time someone voiced concern that my "obese appearance" might block job opportunities. Obese?! Where?! That was LONG ago but the rhetoric hasn’t changed.

These perceptions keep talented and capable people out of jobs. The problem isn’t our weight, it’s the biased views of what makes someone worthy of employment. This initiative perpetuates the very problem it claims to solve, further stigmatizing an already marginalized group. So, who’s next?

Why not older women? Their careers are hit hardest by age discrimination. Nearly half of unemployed people aged 50-64 have been out of work for a year or more. Of jobseekers over 50, 52% believe their age has significantly reduced job offers. So, what’s the plan to fix their “worklessness”? Start prescribing Botox?

Historically, science has been used to stigmatise groups. Remember eugenics? The practice used pseudo-science to justify discrimination, which still harmfully informs hiring practices today. Are we heading down that path again? Because this initiative feels eerily similar.

So, what can we do?

We need to reframe the conversation and reject fat-shaming policies disguised as science. We need policies that address the real root causes of unemployment like access to education, skills development, and mental health support.

Workplaces must foster cultures of inclusivity and compassion, valuing everyone’s contributions regardless of age or appearance.

By embracing humancentric leadership, we unlock the full potential of every worker, driving innovation, productivity, and creating a more equitable society for all.

We can do better.

Now excuse me while I get back to work, just as I am – experienced, voluptuous and valuable.