There are so many upsetting claims in the allegations brought against Lizzo this week by three of her former dancers. Yet, as a plus-size woman, perhaps the most disappointing for me were claims that her dancers were fat-shamed, and one even alleged that the singer (who, until now, has been a beacon of body positivity) told her that dancers “get fired for gaining weight”. Lizzo has strenuously denied these allegations, writing in a statement posted to Twitter that she “knows what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticise or terminate an employee because of their weight”.
True or not, plus-sized people constantly face fatphobic discrimination in the workplace. A study from LinkedIn of 4,000 British workers found that those with a BMI classed as obese (30 or above), earn £1,940 less per year than those with BMIs classed as ‘healthy’. The same study found that one in four workers classed as overweight thought they had missed out on a job opportunity or promotion due to their size, while 43% felt their lighter colleagues progressed quicker in the company than they did.
I remember the first time I faced fat discrimination in the workplace. I was in my first full-time media job and trying to prove myself. I was working hard, starting early, leaving late and hitting all my deadlines when one day I overheard a senior colleague mention my name just as I was about to enter the kitchen. I stopped in my tracks just before she said: “She’s so fat and lazy.” I turned and walked away before my presence was detected. I’m not delusional, I know I’m fat. But lazy? This is the part that stuck with me, and has stuck with me long after I left that job and well into the rest of my career.
Fat people are inherently seen as lazy. It’s a stigma we can’t shift. Despite our excess weight being down to any number of reasons, whether it be health-related, genetics, excess stress, a full-blown addiction, or even just happiness, somewhere along the line being plus-size meant you were just too lazy to exercise or go on a diet. (By the way, most plus-size people I know are avid exercisers).
I know I shouldn’t, but I think of that lazy comment whenever I go for a job interview; whenever I start in a new workplace, and whenever I meet new people. In a bid to not be perceived this way, I overcompensate by people pleasing, being kind, dressing ‘nicely’ and working hard. But sometimes it’s still not enough.
In another job, a manager sat me down and told me that in order to get a promotion I would need to make myself into a ‘brand’ (i.e. grow my social media following) - but that it would be difficult because of the way I look. Another job, where I applied for a promotion internally, blindsided me into an ‘interview’ that they said was a catch up, before giving the job to a (slim) male colleague. I later learned the job was always intended to be his and I was simply a roadblock that needed to be cleared. (I should note that this man did not have the correct qualifications or experience). Perhaps this was more sexist than sizeist, yet I can’t help but feel that I would have been given more of a look-in if I were an average size.
In saying this, not all of my career experience has been dimmed by my fatphobic experiences. I am so proud and thankful of so many of the things I have achieved, the colleagues I have befriended, and the kind and supportive managers I have met along the way. Yes, fatphobia is rife in the working world, but you don’t have to let it define you - it took me a long time but I’ve finally realised that, actually, I’m not lazy in the slightest, that manager was just a Mean Girl.
So many fat women thrive in the workplace. I have gone on to achieve things I would have never thought possible both in spite of and because of my size (as it turns out, writing about the fat experience is rather relatable, hey?). Yet, until workplaces support, encourage and promote plus-size women, it can be a tough path to navigate. Just know you’re not alone.
