Being physically fit contributes heavily to successful career ; Obesity
can hinder a career - being overweight a "serious career impediment"
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 By TERESA M. McALEAVY,STAFF WRITER
http://www.bergen.com/page.php
If you aren't physically fit, you probably won't be climbing to the top
of the career ladder.
A majority of executives earning six figures said in a recent survey
that physical fitness is crucial to succeeding at work.
"Good physical fitness is critical to success as an executive in
today's work world,'' said Marc Cenedella, founder and CEO of
TheLadders.com, an executive search firm that conducted the survey.
"The days of a little extra padding being a sign of maturity and
success are gone.''
TheLadders.com surveyed more than 1,300 executives who earn $100,000 or
more annually. When asked to describe their perceptions of weight and
work, 75 percent said good physical fitness is "critical for career
success at the executive level." Seventeen percent, by contrast, said
staying in shape is "a nice goal, but secondary to fiscal fitness."
"We did have some holdouts, but those are clearly old viewpoints,''
Cenedella said. "Society today places undue importance on a kind of
youth and vigor that's reflected in business practices, including
things like promotions.''
Some 60 million Americans are obese, according to the federal Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
"That's a big portion of the workforce,'' Cenedella said.
Other data suggest obesity can hinder a career. Health economists at
Stanford University did a study that found employers who offered health
insurance paid their obese workers less per hour and gave them lower
raises than employees with comparable skills who weren't overweight.
The American Obesity Association said the findings from Stanford and
TheLadders.com are disturbing.
"None of it is really surprising because one of the interesting things
about employment discrimination is how candid people are when it comes
to biases against obese or overweight people,'' said Morgan Downey,
executive director of the American Obesity Association. "An executive
would never admit bias against women or minorities or other groups, but
there never seems to be a problem admitting to issues with people who
are overweight. It's just still socially acceptable.''
Seventy-five percent of the executives surveyed by TheLadders.com also
said that being overweight is a "serious career impediment." Twenty-two
percent said that weight had no bearing on career success and 3 percent
said a few extra pounds is a "symbol of maturity and career success."
The survey also found that most executives think companies should
provide on-site health clubs or subsidize gym memberships to help
employees stay or get fit. Studies by the Society for Human Resource
Management show that more employers are implementing these programs, in
part to rein in high health insurance costs.
SHRM's annual benefits surveys found that 25 percent of employers had
employee weight-loss programs in 2005, up from 17 percent in 2001, when
the question was last asked. Some 31 percent also subsidized fitness
center memberships last year, up from 26 percent in 2001.
Downey believes those and other supportive efforts would likely help
companies retain talent and achieve a more healthful workplace.
"You never solve problems by being punitive or discriminatory in the
workplace,'' Downey said.
"Instead of just ignoring the problem or reacting to it poorly by not
promoting someone or dismissing them, having weight and workplace
wellness programs would be a positive step in the right direction.''