I've been wondering how much does weight matter
to most of us on OLO?

Do we judge people who are overweight, differently
from people who are thin?

Would you hire a thin person in preference over
someone who was overweight?

And why?

Would you go out with an overweight person?

I'd like your reactions...

Foxy, a brave set of questions on a very controversial subject!
I believe I judge people on how they treat me and others around me.
I don't care about how much they weigh.

I have hired people of all sizes in the past- as long as they are the best person for the job.
In the health industry, the work is often quite physical though, so I have asked some of the very overweight people if they feel they are fit enough for the tasks. I also ensure every applicant has a medical clearance first.

I have never been out with an overweight person, but I don't remember one ever asking me out either!
Sue

Yes, Foxy, a brave set of questions indeed.

Without knowing what weight most of us are, it might be very easy to cause offence here, so I won't say much.

I must admit though I do tend to have a negative first impression of overweight people, which is usually mixed with a degree of sympathy if they are extremely overweight. It's never evident I would think in my demeanour as I would never treat them any differently because of it.

Rightly or wrongly though, I do tend to associate overweight with over-indulgence, which is something I don't have a lot of time for.

Foxy,

Looked at the scales this morning did we, Hmmmmm?
When My talking scales told me "one at a time please" I smashed them...problem solved boom boom(joke).
When I got fat I bought my wife a piece of chalk so she could hug a bit and chalk, hug a bit chalk etc. so I got even cuddles. But when she met my girl fiend coming the other way she got up set...Boom Boom (old 1940's song).
Seriously, Would I go out with a fat person? of course it would hypercritical, churlish as I have. Besides I'd find it hard to leave my wife home all the time as she would me. :-)
Neither of us is obese. I'm about 8 kg overweight she a little more.

I guess it depend on how fat and how the person handles it.
Take the star on 'drop dead diva' hey she's fine if her real personality is as good.
Then again, a woman tho makes no effort or takes no pride in herself wouldn't impress me.

Likewise Big women/girls dressing with bear midriff or bike shorts is a turn off as are exposed beer guts and tradie cracks on men ... Big Yuk.

Work wise it depends on the job and how big. Can they perform the job appropriately if so no problem. i.e. a 140 kg hostie/Steward on a plane perhaps not, as a comparatively sized accountant why not.

There are a plethora of reasons a person might be overweight that have nothing to do with over indulgence. Perhaps I could get a bit more exercise now I've recovered fully.

My sister in law who is a 120 kg accountant, her reasons are medical so being critical of her would be inappropriate. I do worry about her overall health though.
I tend to hold my prejudices/instant judgments under reasonably tight reign rather than revel in them and claim their natural so what the hell.

In some cases it's easier than others. After all I'm human (well almost) so I'm told ;-)

I'm a pretty thin guy. I tend to date thin or average women. I don't have a problem dating a woman who is a little heavier than me, but I wouldn't date one who was significantly heavier.

I just don't find them attractive. We can moan about that all we like, but it's not something I have any degree of control over. I simply don't react in that way. Of course, I'm not discounting the importance of personality or anything like that, but lets face it, our initial reasons for dating people tend to revolve around physical attraction.

As for hiring people who are overweight, I don't find it at all relevant. I'd see how capable they are. As far as work goes, it doesn't even enter into the equation unless their weight somehow renders them physically incapable of doing the job.

Similarly, I wouldn't have any problems if someone didn't hire me for a position such as a bouncer, because I didn't have the right build for it. It's just the reality of the situation.

Yet another great thread Foxy.
I will come to it from a different direction.
I have been over weight for half my life.
Have recently lost 19.6 kilos but put 4 back on.
I can now wear cloths of the rack and the same size I had that half lifetime ago.
I and most, well every overweight person I ever knew tell lies about food.
Just this once, I deserve it, I have big bones, I do not eat much.
And we are so jolly, happy, people including us think it is ok he/she is healthy and happy.
No not true, maybe the happiness is untrue too.
Others do judge overweight people, but I suspect none more than the person him/her self.
Over eating can be a sign of low self esteem and dieting alone can not fix that.
Now my alibi, my reason for putting that weight back on , look At time time.
I am out of bed early most days.
get the work e mails out hit the shower and road, early meeting two hours drive away.
But food? no time.
Around ten am I will eat, what ever I can get my hands on.
In truth its in my hands why come here instead of getting breakfast?
I have no got a clue