Employment

Studies show weight discrimination permeates the US workplace — but it's legal in 49 states

How weight discrimination happens in the workplace, and what's being done about it
VIDEO13:4313:43
How weight discrimination happens in the workplace, and what's being done about it

A recent Harvard study examined how biases change over time. Researchers examined data that was collected over nine years and measured implicit and explicit biases. The results suggest that while unconscious bias against race and sexual orientation has decreased over time, implicit bias against high-weight people have increased.

Despite studies showing that these negative attitudes are having an impact on high-weight people in the workplace, discrimination against them is still legal in 49 states. Michigan is the only state that has passed legislation that makes weight discrimination explicitly illegal.

Watch the video above to learn how weight discrimination in employment affects high-weight workers and why there's no legislation to prevent it.

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