All this talk of the obese being singled out by the government for claiming benefit?

Question

Would you, as an employer, want to employ someone who is not just a few pounds overweight, but has a real problem, possibly they are out of breath with the slightest exertion or (as I have seen and experienced) have difficulty in sitting in the chairs or perhaps standing for too long.
I am not excusing this problem but perhaps its the employers and not the obese who are the problem.

I must add that I am one of the lucky ones and dont have a weight problem but...walk a mile in their shoes I say!

Answer 1

I don't believe for a second that anybody has been successful in claiming incapacity benefit for obesity or acne.

Have any of you any idea how difficult this benefit is to claim and receive? I couldn't get it temporarily when I had cancer.

Don't believe everything you read in the papers.

And if I were an employer, I'd employ whichever candidate was most suitable for the job, regardless of their appearance.
Ok if the position was steeplejack, probably an obese applicant wouldn't be suitable. Similarly a judgemental person who thought all fat people were greedy and lazy wouldn't be suitable for any sort of caring profession or human resources, say.

Answer 2

I don't need to walk a mile in anybody's shoes. I chose to run and hike many miles in my own, and thus am not overweight.

There are many jobs an obese person can do quite well with only minimal workplace accommodations. If I were an employer, I would not automatically reject an obese person for a job. There are many, many competent obese people in the workforce.

If two possible choices were otherwise equal, though, I would pick the non-obese person. They are less likely to have health problems that will disrupt a workplace. That is a fact, whether PC people want to admit it or not. On balance, obese people are a huge drain on society and the economy. For a lot less money than the government currently spends on obesity related disabilities, we could institute very good, effective anti-obesity education that would help our citizens learn the basics of proper nutrition and fitness at the same time they were developing the ability to read and do math. Of course, the people that run the government now don't want an educated, healthy citizenry. They want a bunch of couch potatoes who will gobble up corporate produced fake-food, endless hours of television and thousand and thousands of dollars worth of corporate medicine.

Answer 3

I have found over the last 9 years or so as I have gained 400 pounds to be 620 that my work has not suffered at all. In fact, I have had two promotions. I do work for an employer who recognizes that their fat and obese employees are very good and very loyal workers. We have a number of us who are large. After spending most of the last nine years traveling, my new position has me in the office and my director went out of her way to arrange for a work space that was designed to accomodate my size. Some others have this as well and since she has been gaining lately (she just passed 300) I know she wants to make sure we have a great work environment. I have not found that our fat or obese employees cannot pull their weight (bad pun I know) when it comes to work and are actually better at being at work all the time and are ill less than those who are not fat or obese. This could be just my situation - but it is what it is.

Answer 4

Some people are made to be big, I work hard and long hours, I don't eat a lot, sometimes only have evening meal, but so much as look at a cream cake!!! I am probably 2 stone over my 'clinically ideal' weight, but I reckon this is probably a stone under calculated. We employ people who are of adequate qualification, weight does'nt come into it, the government always pick on the easy targets, but they never complain about the revenue they make from the start ie advertising through to the sellers.

Answer 5

well its important to remember that being overweight is NOT a disease. It is a choice. There is no such thing as a fat gene. Its simple. Our diets today are perfect for causing obesity. If you have a decent diet and exercise you will not be obese. You see people who are fat and have fat kids, they say oh its genetic. no..its not..its lifestyle. Parents feed the kids the same things they eat. and kids lead the same lazy lifestyle the parents lead. So much health problems can be fixed if people just lost some weight. Diabetes, joint problems, heart, skin etc. And if overweight people did what you said..walk a mile..then maybe they wouldnt have problems.

Answer 6

As an employer I would not want to employ someone who is grossly overweight. They are more likely to have health problems and time off work. Unfortunately a business would have to put money first sad but true.

Answer 7

If anyone has a condition that could be a health issue at work and certainly any issue that would be likely to prevent an employee carrying out their job efficiently an employer would rightly feel that this was relevant.

Answer 8

It's not just the obese, but people suffering from depression and even some with acne! Here's an article I read earlier.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071119/thl-uk-britain-incapacity-b2e59e8_1.html

Answer 9

I think the government is right to get these people off the sick.
I dont see why i should have to pay extra taxes to keep these people poncing off us at home, bit of hard work will rid them of their sedentiary lifestyle and possibly get some lard off their **** too. As for them having psychological problems with working because of whatever reason it does people good to get out and make social connections.

Answer 10

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