A weighty kerfluffle arose and then quickly disappeared in Victoria, Texas. As reported in
Becker's Hospital Review, Citizens Medical Center instituted a ban on hiring people with body mass indices (BMIs) of 35 or higher. According to the
Texas Tribune, the hospital stated that an employee’s physique “should fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a healthcare professional,” including an appearance “free from distraction” for hospital patients. (The image to the left is from the
Tribune.)
Shortly later
Becker's reported that the folks at Citizens had second thoughts,
announcing they would rescind the ban. This may have been the result of pressure from the
Obesity Action Coalition.
I'd like to say something thoughtful about all this, but I am mainly perplexed. How did this rise to the level of a hospital policy in the first place?
