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Stigmas, Work and Organizations pp 11–34Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Obesity and Stigmatization at Work

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma ((PAEWS))

Abstract

The rate of obesity has been growing around the world and, along with it, the obesity stigma. Obesity bias is based on perceptions that the condition is in a person’s control and is a character flaw for which one is responsible. These negative perceptions drive weight discrimination in the workplace that exists at every level from CEOs to HR professionals to coworkers and covers hiring, assignment, and advancement decisions. The workplace weight bias creates damaging impacts for obese and overweight persons, organizations, and society. This chapter examines the role of the obesity stigma in the workplace, its pervasiveness, false assumptions that drive it, and the possible ways of reducing it.

The original version of this chapter was revised.

An erratum to this chapter can be found at DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-56476-4_13

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada

    Lisa Watson & Tatiana Levit

  2. Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, Canada

    Anne Lavack

Authors
  1. Lisa Watson
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  2. Tatiana Levit
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  3. Anne Lavack
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    S. Bruce Thomson

  2. University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Gina Grandy

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Watson, L., Levit, T., Lavack, A. (2018). Obesity and Stigmatization at Work. In: Thomson, S., Grandy, G. (eds) Stigmas, Work and Organizations . Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56476-4_2

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