(In this June 26, 2012, photo, two overweight women hold a conversation in New York. A new poll suggests that while more than 7 in 10 Americans can correctly tick off heart disease and diabetes as obesity's most serious consequences, few Americans are aware of the lesser-known health consequences_ such as worsening some types of cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea and even infertility. Only about one-quarter of people think it's possible for someone to be very overweight and still healthy, according to the poll by The Associated Press) -NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

House defeats bill to protect tall or fat people

By Robert Gehrke

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Mar 05 2013 11:23 am • Last Updated Mar 06 2013 09:32 am

A bill that would prohibit employers from discriminating against workers based on their height or weight was met with skepticism Tuesday by a House committee that worried about the consequences of creating a new protected class in Utah law.

Rep. Johnny Anderson, R-Taylorsville, worried about what accommodations employers would have to make under HB132 for a worker who is very tall, heavy or short.

And Rep. Jacob Anderegg, R-Lehi, said that there are limits to what the state can do.

"If bullying is happening, that’s just dead wrong," Anderegg said. "I don’t think good public policy can accomplish all things for all people all the time."

But Rep. Larry Wiley, D-West Valley City, said that people feel that too many employers still believe it is acceptable to subtly discriminate based on height or weight, and it makes sense for the state to offer protection to them.

"You’re not living the lives these folks are living," Wiley said, "going through the trials and tribulations of having to gain or maintain employment."

Rebecca Batty told the committee that she has been the victim of discrimination because she is heavy, but had no recourse because the Utah Labor Commission doesn’t offer any workplace protections to people based on weight.

"That puts a label on me that says: ‘It’s OK. I’m fat and anyone can treat me however they want to treat me,’ " she said. "It’s a form of bullying."

Batty said the treatment was so bad at one workplace that she wanted to jump in front of a train that ran outside her office.

The committee ultimately voted 10-4 against advancing the bill to the full House for a vote, meaning it is likely dead for the session.

gehrke@sltrib.com

Twitter: @RobertGehrke

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

About Reader Comments

---

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, please alert us by clicking the arrow on the upper right side of the comment and selecting "Flag comment as inappropriate". If you've recently registered with Disqus or aren't seeing your comments immediately, you may need to verify your email address. To do so, visit disqus.com/account.
See more about comments here.