(First, I need to correct information from last week”s column in which I stated that Lewis “Scooter” Libby was responsible for leaking Valerie Plame”s covert status to the media. Actually, Libby was convicted for the cover-up. The source could have been either Richard Armitage or Karl Rove.)
Judging by what I”ve seen lately, Americans appear to be getting fed up with all of the attention that this country”s obesity problem is generating. I believe we have to face the facts, though. This problem isn”t going to go away. It appears to be getting worse every year. And, now, it is my belief, that due to some recent court decisions, many employers are going to consciously shy away from hiring people who are considerably overweight in an effort to avoid costly on-the-job injuries.
This summer the Indiana Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, ordered Boston”s ? The Gourmet Pizza to pay for a $20,000 to $25,000 weight-loss lap-band surgery for Adam Childers, an employee. Childers hurt his back on the job. His doctor told him that unless he lost a lot of weight, the surgery to repair his back would not alleviate the severe pain he was experiencing since the accident.
Childers was off work two years while trying to lose weight for the back surgery and for the Indiana Supreme Court to hear the case. He claimed he lost a little weight on his own. Court records indicate that he also said he was trying to quit smoking.
Initially, Boston”s agreed to pay for the back surgery and claimed they were not responsible for the weight-loss procedure. A majority of the justices disagreed. Now, do you think Boston”s will hire another pizza cook with a weight problem? It”s not likely. Also, as news of this incident spreads throughout the restaurant industry trade publications, other companies will likely choose to ignore overweight applicants.
A similar situation occurred in Oregon this summer, as well. On Aug. 27 the Oregon Supreme Court handed down an edict that workers” compensation insurance must pay for a man”s gastric bypass surgery in order for his knee surgery, due to a work injury, to be effective.
A study on the campus of Duke University, that included employees of the college, provided some interesting statistics. The researchers discovered that campus employees with a “body mass index (BMI) of over 40 filed twice as many workers” compensation claims as those whose BMI was 18.5 to 24.9. They also had more than 12 times As many lost work days.” BMI is figured based upon height and weight and is considered a reliable indicator of a person”s body fat level.
My personal opinion is that a person”s weight is their personal business. People are aware that being overweight is not healthy, just like smokers are well aware that smoking is bad for them. Eating too many calories becomes an addiction, somewhat similar to a craving for nicotine or caffeine. Breaking addictions and bad habits isn”t easy, but it should be up to the individual to decide to do it. But, the overweight person”s problem should not become a financial burden on a company that has provided employment.
These two recent court decisions were the epitome of absurdity and will only serve to make it more difficult for overweight Americans to find employment.
Gary Dickson is the editor and publisher of the Record-Bee. Contact him at gdickson@record-bee.com or 263-5636, ext. 24.
