Lose Weight... and Profit? Maybe Not?
This new article by Leslie Kwoh of WSJ states that there's a correlation in perception between a slightly larger waistline and one's ability to perform in a leadershop position. Researchers have shown that people in general believe that being overweight is linked with inability to do one's job, a lack of physical (and mental) stamina, and a higher risk of getting sick/not showing up. Additionally, there's the obvious issue of lessened confidence, creating issues socially-- and all of these factors hurt one's chances of reaching the corner office.
Executives with larger waistlines and higher body-mass-index readings tend to be perceived as less effective in the workplace, both in performance and interpersonal relationships, according to data compiled by CCL. BMI, a common measure of body fat, is based on height and weight.
Many of the executives interviewed have said that they make efforts to improve their physical condition, whether it's eating a healthier diet or getting on a better exercise schedule. As CEOs and other executives see more camera time in today's world, many feel the need to project an image of leadership. The correlation between waist size and performance, though largely perception, is also somewhat backed up by research.
The sample's leaner executives, defined as having a BMI under 25, were viewed more favorably by peers, averaging 3.92 for task performance on a five-point scale; heavier leaders averaged 3.85. Similarly, members of the leaner group rated higher on interpersonal skills.
Growing up, I've always thought that it was the other way around. I could've sworn I read something that stated the exact opposite, so I did a little googling, and I found this article also from WSJ-- published in 2009. It spoke about the difficulty of an overweight female to climb the career ladder, and in that sense, it agreed with the aforementioned article, but a quote stood out that intrigued me:
In stark contrast, however, corporate America seems to favor overweight men. Some 45% of male CEOs have a body mass index between 25 and 29, putting them into the “overweight” category. That compares with the 31% of the male population as a whole that is overweight, says the study by researchers Patricia Roehling, a psychology professor at Hope College, Holland, Mich., Mark Roehling of Michigan State University, and others.
What do you think, guys? I personally see many more overweight men around NYC in powerful positions than I do "fit" men-- although there is definitely a huge difference depending on age range. Which article is right? And do you think it even matters in the big picture?
Steven cohen, micheal price and seth klarman come to mind.
My BMI is 26 and I have a 31 waist, but I digress. I don't think weight has much to do with anything--we just live in a society that needs to put a label on everything. There are many other, more substantial, factors that determine if you climb the ladder or are perceived to be competent. How much can weight account for anything?
Christie needs to lose weight if he ever wants to run for President. No one will take him seriously the way he is right now.
I don't know, man. I can imagine he likes Popeyes as much as I do.
Shoutout to the 3-piece spicy tenders with a side of cajun fries and biscuits.
Jacked is better than fat or skinny
Patricia Roehling, the author of the last study, for some reason violates the basics of data interpretation in it. The alternative, and more likely explanation is that they got fat after getting into CEO positions, not got CEO positions because they were fat. If you are a CEO, you don't need to climb the ladder anymore, so hiring discrimination against fat people does not have much influence on you. Slimmer executives could be just starting their CEO gigs, and did not have time to get fat/give themselves a better salary. This also would line up nicely with first two studies from the post. You see - if you are already in the CEO seat, some underling opinion on your effectiveness in the workplace is of little relevance. It is very hard to get the CEO out of the office once he landed there. Professor Roehling does not test any of it - neither her assumption, nor alternative hypotheses.
That is weird, because the previous paper she published (Investigating the Validity of Stereotypes About Overweight Employees) is quite well constructed. This paper says that "overweight job applicants and employees are stereotypically viewed as being less conscientiousness, less agreeable, less emotionally stable, and less extraverted than their “normal-weight” counterparts.", and that these perceptions turn out to be false.
I think if someone is a bit overweight, it's not a huge issue, but once you get obese it can be a huge problem. I probably judge obese people, rightly or wrongly, as somewhat lazy or unmotivated. I think if you want to look like a leader being a bit overweight isn't the end of the world, but if you are huge then it will set you back quite a bit.
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