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I actually tried to look this up. It can be considered a medical condition and then that would be discrimination.
Committing suicide with a knife and fork is not a "medical condition", but I'm sure if she eats ENOUGH she will eventually be considered "disabled" and then she won't have to worry about working.
Since (this from your latest thread) you are currently reviewing resumes for an Administrative Assistant opening at your place of employment, have you considered your friend for this job? Maybe you could give her a chance to regain some self-esteem, lose some weight and feel productive again. Just a thought...
Last edited by STT Resident; 06-21-2010 at 06:01 PM..
Interesting story : Man was hired for the city sewer department about 12 years ago.
He weighed 500 lbs. ( Not sure if friends got him in )
He was never able to go down in the sewer hole and would be the lookout man.
12 years later a new boss noticed he was not performing his total duties and asked him why . He told the boss he was too big to get in the hole.
The boss told him to lose weight. Demanded he lose weight.
Employee went to see an attorney. Employee WON his case because he said they hired him 12 years ago at 500 lbs and always allowed him to be the lookout man. If they hired him at 500 lbs they would have to keep him at 500 lbs.
I think your friend will likely find work. I knew a very overweight guy who got rejected by 8 employers. The 9th one hired him ( this was BEFORE the recession crisis )
I would tell her to start walking her neighborhood daily to naturally get some of the weight off. Tell her to not give up hope.
Its true her appearence is her detriment right now. She needs to help herself to get more healthy.
This is some of the best advice I've seen. Sad truth these days is that employers are really picky. Your friend needs to take any possible barrier off the table if at all possible. If she can't then maybe it is time to set up a virtual assistant web site and see if she can get some work that way.
Just today I was sitting in the waiting room of the VA clinic, waiting to talk to the nutritionist about losing some weight, when an employee of the clinic came out and began talking to someone behind the reception desk.
I swear to you this woman must have weighed nearly 500 pounds. (She was very tall, by the way). But honestly, she was about as big around as a refrigerator and she had the biggest butt I have ever seen on a human being.
It was obvious that she was in a lot of discomfort, and she could "just barely" walk - her poor feet and legs screaming for mercy at every step.
I remember thinking, when I saw her initially.....yow I hope she isn't the dietician! LOL
Anyway, I was really surprised that they had her working at a health clinic. But maybe she just gained a lot of weight all of a sudden or maybe she was hired (government job, you know) based upon her experience and qualifications only. The point I am trying to make, I guess is that her appearance was shocking and disruptive to the patients, but the other workers did not seem to mind in the least (unless she stepped on their toes, I guess. LOL).
Sadly, however, appearance does count. It sounds to me like your friends self esteem has gone south because of her unemployment. There are a gazillion resources out there to help her not only find a job, but lose weight and get healthy too.
I'd help her locate both. Poor thing, she must be very unhappy right now.
Stress can certainly cause weight gain, if someone's stress relief is food (as opposed to, say, drugs or medications or alcohol). There are stress eaters who genuinely are calmed by eating. Hence, obesity from stress (not to mention cortisol/insulin surges and so forth).
A co-worker of mine was about 325 pounds and ate compulsively,and still had difficulties after losing some 110 pounds after gastric bypass. As she said, "Everyone has something they struggle with, it's just that, with food, it's visible." I agree.
A thin friend of mine was looking at a woman who wa on a charter trip with her family to an island. She had four small childrne. She was dressed very stylishly along with her very large size. My friend looked at her and said, "That's disgusting." I asked her, "Why 'disgusting'?" Friend said, "Well, you don't find her attractive, do you?" I said, "No, but why is she 'disgusting'?" Friend floundered and came up with, "Gluttony. Taking more than you need." I pointed out to friend that she owned two houses, and that was certainly more than she "needed."
It isn't about gluttony or whatever. It seems to me a deep-rooted (in U.S. culture) repulsion of fat and concurrent moral statements about the person. (Sort of the way people used to view alcoholics, and some still do). No, I don't find obese people attractive. I am annoyed at my own flub from third-shift/too-tired stress eating. But "disgusting?"
I suggest when you see an obese person, you might see someone's visible struggle with stress, depression, anxiety, whatever overeating fulfills (however briefly). And yes, to be employable, someone who has overeaten to obesity is going to have to get healthier than 360 pounds unless she (less often, he) has unusual skills that are much in need. But the vitriol aimed at fat people is so sharp...
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