Hospital bans obese job applicants

Farmer2DO said:
We have one like that too, but they haven't put her in dispatch yet. They just have to send extra crews when the patient can't walk to the ambulance.
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AMbulance lift on the ambulance instead of on the cot. A brilliant idea those Brits had.

I would just like to offer a general comment on the whole weight issue...

I think this is not so much about weight, but of discriminating against "people not like us"

Difference of race, gender, culture, economic status, religion, etc.

It seems in the southern US, there always has to be a group that is hated.

I guess Asian doctors didn't work out so the administrator picked a different group.
 
Interesting that this would happen in Texas, one of the most overweight states in the USA.

I don't really have a problem with employers wanting to encourage employees to be healthier in order to defray the cost of healthcare. It doesn't seem fair for the "healthy ones" to pay extra for the "unhealthy ones."

This does bring up an interesting point...what about the riskier activities the healthier people undertake? For example, someone running a marathon has at an inherently higher risk of injuring the bones and joints of their lower body, right? Or what about a rock climber...wouldn't they also have a higher risk than the average person (fat or skinny.)

I am just playing devil's advocate, but if you expect those who are overweight to either lose weight or pay a higher premium due to the POTENTIAL FOR increased healthcare cost due to their lifestyle, then shouldn't it be standard practice to evaluate the lifestyle's of other employees, and have them pay extra based on their POTENTIAL FOR increased risk for higher medical costs down the road?

The point I guess I am getting at is, it is a very slippery slope. All of us have something in out lifestyle that puts us at increased risk for high healthcare costs. This is why insurance should be something you maintain throughout your life, not an after thought when you decide "Ok, now I need it."

Increased insurance cost for smoking =/= increased insurance cost for being overweight. On the surface, that may seem true, but smoking is an outright health damaging behavior, that people make a conscious choice to engage in, regardless of the warnings they have been made aware of. Eating, however, is not the same type of behavior. While overeating and sedentary lifestyle have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, there are many other factors to which eating and lifestyle are just one component. Smoking is a much larger factor of the health issues it is associated with.

My last, and probably biggest issue with this employer is the fact that they are using BMI, which is about the worst metric to evaluate a person's ideal weight. My BMI says that I am morbidly obese, and while I may have a few extra pounds, I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would call me morbidly obese.
 
WTEngel said:
Interesting that this would happen in Texas, one of the most overweight states in the USA.
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Yeah, this made me laugh. Especially Victoria. Seriously? Who do they plan to hire, then?!

I'm a huge advocate for health and living a healthy lifestyle. I also may be guilty from time to time of judging obese individuals for choices they may (or may not) have made.

However, I don't believe that using obesity as a job selection criteria is appropriate. I may laugh at an overweight cardiologist that tells me I need to lose weight, but I will still respect and consider what he has to say. If the individual can meet whatever physical requirements are required (ie lifting x amount), then they shouldn't be disqualified from a job based on weight. I've worked with some great medics that have a passion for medicine, but are also what would be considered overweight.

And BMI? That scale is a joke! So gym rats are disqualified too? If not, then who's the judge on when to make an exception to the BMI of 35 rule? Entirely too subjective.

It'll be interesting to see how long this lasts...
 
Folks I know this is a very sensitive subject but I would like to remind everyone that the golden rule here is be polite.
 
I am obese, and I sort of agree, to a point.
If an employer wants to refuse to hire obese people due to health reasons, then require obese employees to go into some sort of program to lose weight and become healthy or not hire them. From a PR standpoint, starting a program like that would be good I think, and I'm sure the employers insurance would offer plenty of incentives to do so. It is ultimately up to the person who is obese, but if you look at our culture and the way we eat, it is somewhat our cultures fault.
Do we blame smokers as individuals, or do we blame the smoker and the cigarette companies? It is almost the same thing. Our culture has started to ban smoking and made a lot of programs accessible to quit smoking, and to prevent people from starting. Maybe our culture should do the same as far as weight control is concerned.


However if they are doing it just for looks then that is wrong, I understand about taking diet advice from an obese doctor, but come on....
 
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EMSDude54343 said:
I am obese, and I sort of agree, to a point.
If an employer wants to refuse to hire obese people due to health reasons, then require obese employees to go into some sort of program to lose weight and become healthy or not hire them. From a PR standpoint, starting a program like that would be good I think, and I'm sure the employers insurance would offer plenty of incentives to do so. It is ultimately up to the person who is obese, but if you look at our culture and the way we eat, it is somewhat our cultures fault.
Do we blame smokers as individuals, or do we blame the smoker and the cigarette companies? It is almost the same thing. Our culture has started to ban smoking and made a lot of programs accessible to quit smoking, and to prevent people from starting. Maybe our culture should do the same as far as weight control is concerned.


However if they are doing it just for looks then that is wrong, I understand about taking diet advice from an obese doctor, but come on....
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If its for looks then it is no different than only hiring white people to look more wholesome.
 
Sasha said:
If its for looks then it is no different than only hiring white people to look more wholesome.
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Honestly,

Given the extreme political views and extreme rightwing conservatism/cristianity that permiates the Southern and SouthWestern US, why would anyone be surprised by this?

It seems really ironic that people use the mandate of "personal freedom" to discriminate against any group, women on birthcontrol, LGBT, Central American's, Blacks, poor people, all the other non cristian white middle class groups, and now those "fat people."

More ironic is they like to constantly cite the parts of the constitution that allows them to do it, but forget about other parts like amendments 14 and 19

We really need to build a fense or a wall. But not between the US and Mexico. Apparently we once drew a line, even faught a war over the limitations of states ability to self govern against the values of the US, and now just over 100 years later are revisting the very same issue. All the while fighting a war against the Taliban for performing the exact same behaviors!

I wonder if this guy was sick and needed a nurse to change his diaper so he didn't lay in his own excriment if he would complain if the person was fat, or Asian?

If he needed an MRI to see if he had a brain tumor if he would complain the rad tech or the radiologist was fat?

As for fat doctors giving advice, 2 things. (I would like to lose 5 lbs, but I wouldn't call myself fat)

When I was little, my dad used to tell me not to make the same mistakes he did. To be better. That advice has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. I hope to pass on that information to my daughter.

1. If a nicotine addicted doctor who doesn't exercise said the same thing to a patient, how is that advice any lesser?

2. healthcare professionals of all stripes are known for neglecting themselves all the while taking care of other people. How many of us have worked with an outstanding provider who was basically living a destructive lifestyle, who had an MI or other serious event while at work?

I have on multiple occasions.

How many of us work/have worked with providers who neglect their emotional/psychological health all the while helping others?

How many do/have neglected familiy and personal relationships while taking care of people?

None of these are healthy behaviors. All lead to health problems later. What makes being "fat" somehow more detestable?

Healthcare workers, and especially EMS providers, are already held to a higher standard than the rest of society, including its leaders.

Now they have to be the epitomy of physical attractivenss too?

Will we be stereotyping all the unemployed people who cannot get a job and improve their lives because of their weight as lazy glutonous drains that the rest of society is working to maintain welfare/unemployment benefits too?

Are we willing to take the position of " too disabled to work" because of weight at a BMI of 35?

Stupid is a disease...

No cure. Supportive care only.
 
Veneficus said:
Honestly,

Given the extreme political views and extreme rightwing conservatism/cristianity that permiates the Southern and SouthWestern US, why would anyone be surprised by this?

It seems really ironic that people use the mandate of "personal freedom" to discriminate against any group, women on birthcontrol, LGBT, Central American's, Blacks, poor people, all the other non cristian white middle class groups, and now those "fat people."

More ironic is they like to constantly cite the parts of the constitution that allows them to do it, but forget about other parts like amendments 14 and 19

We really need to build a fense or a wall. But not between the US and Mexico. Apparently we once drew a line, even faught a war over the limitations of states ability to self govern against the values of the US, and now just over 100 years later are revisting the very same issue. All the while fighting a war against the Taliban for performing the exact same behaviors!

I wonder if this guy was sick and needed a nurse to change his diaper so he didn't lay in his own excriment if he would complain if the person was fat, or Asian?

If he needed an MRI to see if he had a brain tumor if he would complain the rad tech or the radiologist was fat?

As for fat doctors giving advice, 2 things. (I would like to lose 5 lbs, but I wouldn't call myself fat)

When I was little, my dad used to tell me not to make the same mistakes he did. To be better. That advice has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. I hope to pass on that information to my daughter.

1. If a nicotine addicted doctor who doesn't exercise said the same thing to a patient, how is that advice any lesser?

2. healthcare professionals of all stripes are known for neglecting themselves all the while taking care of other people. How many of us have worked with an outstanding provider who was basically living a destructive lifestyle, who had an MI or other serious event while at work?

I have on multiple occasions.

How many of us work/have worked with providers who neglect their emotional/psychological health all the while helping others?

How many do/have neglected familiy and personal relationships while taking care of people?

None of these are healthy behaviors. All lead to health problems later. What makes being "fat" somehow more detestable?

Healthcare workers, and especially EMS providers, are already held to a higher standard than the rest of society, including its leaders.

Now they have to be the epitomy of physical attractivenss too?

Will we be stereotyping all the unemployed people who cannot get a job and improve their lives because of their weight as lazy glutonous drains that the rest of society is working to maintain welfare/unemployment benefits too?

Are we willing to take the position of " too disabled to work" because of weight at a BMI of 35?

Stupid is a disease...

No cure. Supportive care only.
Click to expand...
Obesity is more detestable because it isn't something you can hide. You can hide other forms of self destruction.
 
Regulations like these are tricky to enforce. But I think all hospital personel need to be fit enough to do their jobs, just like all EMS personnel. Coming up with the criteria of "fit" is the hardest part.
 
There is a difference between "fit" and attractive.
 
I am not against overweight people at all, but I hate working with a partner who needs to take a break after walking up 2 floors of a 5 floor walk-up. I'm just waiting for the day one of these people have a massive MI while on the job.

I do think the BMI scale is a joke. Why not just make a physical test? You don't even have to make it as rigerous as the standard PD physical (Push-Ups, Sit ups, 1.5 Mile run, etc...) Make it applicable to EMS. Carry a jump-bag up a few floors in x-amount of time, AND auscultate a BP at the top. There's plenty of ideas that could be done. Something that will weed-out the morbidly obese people.

I know if I were a patient, I wouldn't want the EMTs or Medics taking me down the stairs have to take an albuterol break halfway down...
 
I agree with you. Im over weight, but can keep up and do just as good of a job as skinny folk.

I can run up 20 stairs and not need a break. So going on weight alone is BS.
 
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