Size Inclusivity: A Forgotten Dimension of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts
Anti-fat bias is deeply rooted and often openly accepted within our society, and the workplace is no exception. When it comes to employment, research has demonstrated that fat people are perceived as less qualified and less competent, are assumed to have less leadership potential, and are expected to be less successful in the workplace. These stereotypes have real consequences, resulting in measurable discrimination against fat people when it comes to job-seeking, promotions, and the types of jobs fat people have access to.
Still, fatness is rarely included in conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion because biases against fat people are so ubiquitous and normalized within our society. In fact, it is perfectly legal in virtually every state across the US to discriminate against someone in the workplace because of their size. Despite mounting evidence demonstrating that this discrimination is a harmful reality, there is currently no federal statute protecting fat people from being discriminated against in the workplace; meaning an employer can lawfully deny or terminate a person’s employment because of their body size.
“Fatness is rarely included in conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion because biases against fat people are so ubiquitous and normalized within our society”
Specifically, fat women are discriminated against at alarmingly high rates. Fat women are nearly three times more likely than men to report discrimination in the hiring process, especially when a position involves building personal relationships, being visible to the public, or requires physical demands. Studies show that fat women also earn significantly less than nonfat women, drastically less than thin women, and are significantly underrepresented in high-level and CEO positions compared to fat men.
These statistics can feel shocking and disheartening, especially if you’ve never lived in a fat body. But for those of us who face anti-fat bias day in and day out, this likely won’t come as a surprise. Anti-fat bias leads to devastating consequences for fat employees, and it is vital that this bias, and the discrimination that it facilitates, be actively addressed and eradicated as we strive to make our workplaces more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
“Anti-fat bias leads to devastating consequences for fat employees, and it is vital that this bias, and the discrimination that it facilitates, be actively addressed and eradicated as we strive to make our workplaces more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.”
How can we bring size inclusivity and fat acceptance, justice, and joy into the workplace?
Expressly indicate that your organization will not discriminate against job applicants and employees based on body size or weight. While not illegal to exclude this category from non-discrimination policies, consider the power of including body size in your commitment to prevent discrimination and create a more inclusive workplace.
Include training and information on weight-stigma and anti-fat bias in professional development opportunities surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Becoming aware of both conscious and unconscious biases against fat people is important in order to effectively prevent this bias from impacting decision-making and workplace culture. Recognizing that this bias exists and becoming more cognizant of how it may impact decision-making is essential.
Create a space that is accessible and comfortable for people in fat bodies. It is impossible to feel like you belong in a space when it physically prevents you from existing comfortably. Ensure that your office chairs are large and sturdy enough to support people in larger bodies. Choose seats without arms and incorporate benches into common areas, lobbies, or waiting rooms to ensure fat people are able to take a seat.
Beware the “Fat Tax” and limited options when it comes to meeting dress codes. Anyone who has had to shop for plus-sized professional clothing understands the burden of finding affordable (and fashionable, if you’re lucky) business casual or business professional clothing. Be mindful of the fact that fat employees are likely spending more money on their wardrobe and don’t have the same everyday access to quality clothing. This means giving employees ample notice if there is an event with a particular dress code, and letting new hires know what expectations there are surrounding office-wear with plenty of time to revamp their closet.
Refrain from complimenting weight loss or commenting on people’s bodies. Language that conflates fatness with ugliness or unfitness, or that praises weight loss and thinness is stigmatizing to fat people. It perpetuates a narrative that fat is inherently bad and thin is inherently good. While it’s commonplace for people to feel entitled to let a person know they look “good” if they happen to have lost weight, offering unsolicited opinions like this about someone’s body can cause real harm. Comments like these reinforce the myth that all fat people want to (and should be trying to) lose weight and incorrectly assume that weight loss is inherently “healthy” and a universally accepted form of success.
Avoid discussions that center diet culture or that moralize food and exercise. People are frequently inclined to mention forebodingly how many calories are in those cookies in the breakroom, or how “bad” they are for not making it to the gym this week. Consider how talking about food and exercise in these ways communicates to the fat people in the room how desperate you are to avoid looking like them. Moralizing the ways we choose to nourish and move our bodies is almost always coded in anti-fatness. Even referring to a food as your “guilty pleasure” communicates that a food item is “bad” (i.e. society has told you it will make you fat).
Remove the words “obese” and “overweight” from your vocabulary. These terms medicalize and pathologize fat bodies and have been rejected by the fat community. Better yet, if ever necessary to refer to someone’s body (which, remember, it almost never is!), mirror the language that people use to describe themselves. Not every large person identifies with the word fat- a word that has often been used to bully, harm, and stigmatize. Other words people may use include large, curvy, plus-sized, big, etc.
Implement employee wellness initiatives that focus on participation and effort rather than specific outcomes. Wellness initiatives should be easy to get involved in, accessible, and fun to do, and should not focus on weight loss or incentivize particular “fitness” achievements. Take an inclusive approach that celebrates body diversity and does not equate thinness to health and fatness to lack of fitness. Further, be careful not to moralize health or stigmatize someone for a disability; wellness programs should have something for everybody.
Do your own research. Learn more about anti-fatness, its roots in white supremacy and anti-Black racism, and the serious consequences this discrimination has for the wellbeing of those who face it in the workplace and beyond. I recommend a couple of books to start out with: Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, by Sabrina Strings and What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, by Aubrey Gordon.
When we work to make sure that people of diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences have a seat at the metaphorical table- let’s make sure there is room enough for fat folks to have a seat too.
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