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Weight-loss surgery may lead to discrimination when job interviewing
People were less likely to hire an individual who lost weight through bariatric surgery rather than diet and exercise, according to a study recently published in Obesity Surgery.
“Weight stigma is impacted by the method of weight loss for formerly obese individuals, not just obese individuals,” study researcher Robert Carels, PhD, MBA, the director of clinical training at East Carolina University, said in a press release.
The cohort included 154 university students (mean age, 19.3 years; mean self-reported BMI, 24.2 kg/m). The participants rated two photos of a woman theoretically applying for a job in broadcast media. In the first photo presented, the woman was of normal weight. The second photo was purportedly of the same woman a year earlier when she was obese. One of six scenarios were given to the participants describing how the woman gained weight (medical reasons, behavioral reasons, or failed surgery) and lost weight (diet and exercise or surgery).
According to the results, the woman was more likely to be hired if she lost weight through diet and exercise rather than surgery (P=.02).
“Despite bariatric surgery’s success, individuals who elect to have bariatric surgery are often regarded less favorably than individuals who elect to lose weight through diet and exercise,” the researchers wrote.
According to the researchers, how individuals lost weight had a bigger effect on their perceived character than how they gained weight. Personality was rated as more efficient (P<.01), self-disciplined (P<.01), intelligent (P<.01), popular (P<.01), and less lazy (P<.01), sloppy (P<.01), shy (P=.01), and unhappy (P<.01) when weight loss was attributed to behavioral changes. An individual was also thought to have more control (P=.001) and responsibility (P=.014) if weight was reduced without surgery.
Further results showed that an individual was judged as less responsible for weight gain that was due to medical reasons vs. behavioral reasons or failed surgery (P=.003), whereas an individual who gained weight due to a failed surgery was believed to have less self-discipline (P=.02).
“While bariatric surgery often results in sustained long-term weight loss, increased efforts are needed to reduce stigma associated with bariatric surgery to ensure that people who may benefit from this procedure are not deterred owing to continued stigma in various settings,” Carels said in the release.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.