Mar 26, 2008 7:00 pm US/Eastern
Study: Obesity Discrimination As Prevalent As Race
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
The obesity epidemic has also become a big source of bias in this country. A new report by researchers at Yale suggests that weight discrimination is as prevalent in the United States as racial discrimination.
Being obese in this country has never been so difficult. Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer should know. He treats patients at the obesity research center at Saint Luke's Roosevelt.
"They're discriminated against in educational systems, they're discriminated against in their jobs," said Pi-Sunyer.
The issue of weight discrimination has become such a hot topic that Massachusetts is now considering adding height and weight to its list of illegal discriminatory practices.
When CBS 2 took the issue to the streets of New York City, the reaction was mixed.
"If you look at someone who's four, five hundred pounds, there's probably a necessary discrimination," said Vicky Furber.
"It's easy for them to jump on the bandwagon and say I'm being discriminated against without really experiencing true discrimination," said Burt Robertson.
Only Michigan considers height and weight as factors in its anti-discrimination laws. The Massachusetts bill is up for a vote on April 18.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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