Oakland, CA - NAAFA, strongly opposes North Carolina's Discriminatory plans to impose a 'fat fee' on state workers with a BMI above 40.
North Carolina officials claim they are aiming to improve state workers' health, which they believe saves money in medical expenses. NAAFA believes that the state is basing its strategy on faulty assumptions, a fact confirmed by the director of integrated health management with the N.C. State Employees Health Plan Anne Rogers. Ms Rodgers stated in a recent newspaper interview, "I don't know that any states have a lot of hard data on this (the success of such a plan)." Officials have not yet estimated any potential savings from the obesity requirement.
NAAFA asserts that fat people have already been "paying extra" in the workforce a fact supported by recent hard data that states that fat people are paid up to 6% less than thin people in comparable positions and fat women suffer even more than fat men. (Baum et al 2004). This type of discrimination has to end and allowing North Carolina to enact such a policy will only worsen the problem.
NAAFA calls upon the employee union leaders to use your influence to stop this shameless discrimination against fellow employees.
NAAFA calls upon the people of North Carolina to stand up and make your voice heard. This is a clear and shameless violation of your civil rights. Flood your governor’s office with letters, faxes and phone calls demanding that this be stopped in its tracks:
Governor Bev Perdue
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Phone: (919) 733-5811
Fax: (919)733-2120
Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
On the web: http://www.naafa.org
For more information contact:
Peggy Howell, Public Relations Director, NAAFA
email: naafa_
