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Thursday, September 20, 2007

Gov. Vows to Battle For Rights of Obese

By Michael Coleman
Copyright © 2007 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Washington Bureau
    WASHINGTON— Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday that if elected president he will push for a federal law protecting obese Americans from workplace discrimination and vowed to use the power of the White House to "fight obesity every day."
    A large-framed former athlete who has admittedly battled his own weight problems, Richardson said the stigma of obesity is unfair.
    "We must help people understand that obesity is a disease, not a behavior," Richardson said. "Those of us who may be overweight or obese are not lazy or undisciplined. We cannot allow Americans to be taken in by the easy comfort of stereotypes."
    The New Mexico Democrat, who is seeking his party's presidential nomination, told researchers at an obesity forum at George Washington University that an amendment to the Americans with Disabilities Act would be a good place to start.
    "As president, I will work with the Congress to include federal protections for the obese in the ADA and EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)," Richardson said.
    "This is an issue of basic civil rights. There are no federal laws that protect obese Americans from discrimination in the workplace, schools or anywhere else. This has to change."
    The forum was titled "The Obesity Challenge: What the Next President Should Do." It was sponsored by the George Washington School of Public Health and The Obesity Society, whose members include about 2,000 researchers and clinicians specializing in the study and treatment of obesity.
    Richardson was short on details for his proposal, and he told audience members during a question-and-answer session that he hadn't determined the language of the suggested new law.
    "I think the language would be very important— that it endorse penalties. ... What would the language be?" Richardson said.
    One woman in attendance said there were "plenty of people" in the audience— which included health care and public policy experts— who would be willing to help craft such a proposal.
    The Richardson campaign declined to provide additional details after his speech regarding how the proposal might be worded.
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable, national organizations that advocate on behalf of employers and industry, declined to comment on Richardson's proposal.
    According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity among adults in the U.S. jumped from 15 percent in 1980 to nearly 32 percent in 2004.
    Obesity is considered a leading cause of serious ailments, including heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Obesity in children is also increasing, according to CDC.
    Christopher Kuczynski, a lawyer with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, said existing law does little to protect overweight people from workplace discrimination.
    "The protections are limited," Kuczynski said. "Normal deviations in height, weight and strength are not considered impairments, so they would not be considered disabilities. Coverage under the ADA would be the exception rather than the rule."
    He said some workers have brought discrimination cases to the EEOC claiming discrimination because they were morbidly obese— with limited success.
    Andrew Davis, a spokesman for the national Libertarian Party, which opposes federal intervention in most business activities, said the law would be bad policy.
    "This is government intervention in the private sector that shouldn't be there," Davis said. "There are some jobs that obese people can't do, and this may hinder the ability of employers to put the best person in the position."
    Richardson said a key element of fighting obesity is providing universal health care to all Americans and stepping up government-funded research into the problem.
    "The priority we have in this country for disease prevention and management and issues involving people's health is minuscule," he said.
    Talking with reporters afterward, Richardson said he works hard to keep weight off.
    "I work out every day," Richardson said, adding that he's lost about 30 pounds over the past year or so.