Remember Billy Crystal from Saturday Night Live? It would crack me up when he would say, “It is better to look good than to feel good.” Fair or not, people will project all kinds of attributes onto you based solely on how you look.
Most people have seen or heard that taller men are more successful. There are numerous reasons given to account for this, but all else being equal, many seem to come down to the taller guy just making more money. We can’t do anything about how tall we are; our parents determined that for us. We can, however, maximize those attributes that we can control and that are equated with success.
On the other hand, there is clearly a negative bias toward people who are overweight. People who appear to be fat are often unfairly stereotyped as lazy. These negative perceptions are held even by diet professionals who one would think might be a little more sensitive.
Obviously, being fit is a big part of appearing to be attractive. I saw this article on the effects of being as attractive as you can make yourself posted on at least four different web sites. Let’s summarize some of the ten points: Because of your greater credibility, you were more persuasive at your first interview and were therefore passed to the next round. When your new employer did hire you, you were offered 20% more to start just because you looked like a serious player who would take care of business. Over the next ten years your salary averaged 5-10% more than your less than comely compatriots.
Looking all gorgeous in plus sizes and being sadly cursed with a “slow metabolism” notwithstanding, you are still handicapping yourself if you are less fit than you are capable of. Regardless of how well you’re able to rationalize your current less than optimum condition and appearance, you are still choosing to compromise your professional, personal, and social life. Life is not fair; what’s new?