Weight-based Discrimination

CDC’s LEAN Works! is designed to encourage investments in effective work-site wellness programs, and the obesity calculator helps employers estimate the cost of obesity to their businesses. CDC’s LEAN Works! should not be used to promote discriminatory practices such as considering weight in hiring or other personnel decisions. Weight discrimination is a serious issue and evidence indicates that it occurs in the work place (Puhl and Heuer, 2009).

Body mass index is only one indicator of health. Other factors related to health (e.g., blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco use.) also contribute to overall costs associated with employee health and can be considered when designing and assessing work-site wellness programs. 

For more information on weight bias and stigma, see the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University.

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• Proceed to the Obesity Cost Calculator

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