Weight worries could affect your career

Worrying about your weight could cause you to feel inadequate in the workplace, according to a new study

Women who constantly worry about piling on the pounds could be seriously damaging their careers, according to a new study.

In a survey of 445 women carried out by Dove, almost half of the respondents admitted to feeling inadequate in the work place because of their weight worries. What’s more, 15 per cent claimed their body insecurities have hindered their career progression.

But it’s not just our working lives that are being affected. One in five women admitted their body hang-ups also affect their day-to-day lives.

‘This doesn’t come as a surprise at all. When you are anxious about something, be it your weight or otherwise, it becomes a prominent thing on your mind. This would understandably affect your working life and your focus on your career.

‘When women grow preoccupied with their appearance, they start to think about themselves in third person. They start thinking what would a guy see, or what would another woman see,’ says Linda Papadopoulos, psychologist and author.

In May, a US study proved that being overweight has a negative impact on the employment rate and pay of women and research carried out by the University of Florida found that women who are 25lb over the national average weight earned £8,600 a year less than those who weigh the national average.

In contrast, a similar study conducted in Iceland showed that men actually benefited from carrying a bit of extra weight.

‘There is something in Western society that seems to penalise women from being overweight,’ says Edward Norton, a professor at the University of Michigan.

Are your weight worries preventing you from climbing the career ladder? Let us know your thoughts below.

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