Several months ago I interviewed a woman who probably weighed about 300 pounds for a position in my office. She dressed incorrectly for the interview (the clothing norm in my office is professional and boring, and she wore bright colors which made her stand out) and she also wore too much make-up. I had a negative reaction when I saw her and I have been racking my brain ever since to figure out if it was the weight or the clothing or the make-up or some combination of those things that made me react negatively. I hate to think that I would instinctively judge a job candidate negatively because of her weight. At least I was aware of what I was doing and I bent over backwards to give her a fair interview and evaluate her on her merits, not her looks and clothing. However, I have a feeling that some of my colleagues would not be nearly so self-aware and probably just dismissed her as a potential employee because of the way she looked.

From a personal perspective, I know that I have often been harshly judged in the work place because of my weight. A few years ago, a client told my boss that she couldn't stand to look at me. That certainly hurt to hear and I am sure it didn't do me any good career-wise. The one advantage I see to being fat is that I am sure I have deserved every promotion I have ever gotten. I have seen very attractive people get promoted before they were ready because just by the way they looked and acted they were able to make people think they were more competent than they were. Often, once they get promoted, they get in trouble because they are not ready to perform well in their new position. That has never happened to me and I doubt it happens to very many fat people!