I am going to play devil’s advocate here. Could the over weight person’s work performance have anything to with the pay differences?
I mean, there is no such thing as a fit fat person. (I hate to say that but. it is true.) Overweight people are more likely to get sick, have more severe seasonal allergies, have diseases like diabetes and heart problems.
With all of this stacked against them, are they capable of doing the same job as a healthy person? Do they miss more work than a thin person? Can they do all the things that a thin person can do? I would say that would be a rare feat. To think that an employer would consciously or unconsciously hire and pay based on that, only makes sense. Sorry!

Hey Samantha,

I can understand what you’re saying and I agree that people should be rewarded for keeping themselves healthy and in top physical condition.

However, if the same amount of work and expertise is expected out of 2 different individuals, shouldn’t their pay be equal too? Using your arguments, employers would be justified in paying a woman with 4 children less than a woman with 1 child since the mother of 4 would inevitably miss more work and have more distractions than the mother of 1.

Just food for thought.

Overall, I think the message to people should be that if they want to maximize their potential earnings power, they need to maintain a healthy weight.