Study: Obese Shoppers Face Discrimination

March 8, 2005 — -- In the world of retail, where commission is king, sales people may be discriminating against a sizable segment of the buying population.

Researchers from Texas' Rice University recently arranged a sort of undercover investigation in a Texas mall.

They sent women of average weight shopping, half the time wearing "fat suits," which made the women look significantly heavier. The women carried tape recorders in their purses and were observed from a distance. Each time, they followed a carefully prepared script, asking for help buying a gift for their sister.

The results of the study found that sales personnel were ruder to the seemingly obese women -- avoiding eye contact and often rushing the sale.

The participants "did feel like they had faced discrimination, they felt uncomfortable, they felt they had been treated badly and it didn't feel good," said Eden King, the study's lead researcher. "It is not a good feeling, even if you are not obese and you're acting as if you are."

One twist to the study: The women wearing fat suits were treated better if they were professionally dressed or if they mentioned that they were trying to lose weight. The researchers say those factors may counteract commonly held stereotypes about obesity.

"Obese individuals are associated with being lazy, with being sloppy, not very hardworking," King said.

The authors of the shopping study say their findings should serve as a wake-up call to retailers. Because shoppers who feel they've been discriminated against tend to spend less money or avoid certain stores altogether.

"There are financial reasons for them to try to reduce discrimination against all types of stigmatized groups," King said.