Lose the Weight or Lose the Job

The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City has recently implemented a new policy stating that all male and female waiter and waitresses could be in danger of losing their jobs if they gain more than 7% of their body weight. The Borgata did state that weight gain due to pregnancy or a medical condition would, however, be exempt. Many feminists and union members are in an uproar about the new policy and think of it as a new form of discrimination, but the Borgata feels it has done nothing that would be considered unfair or illegal. They back the policy by saying that the customers expect a certain level of service and appearance.

This is not the first case of 'shape up or ship out' policy-making I've seen. Just a few weeks ago I was reading an article from the Detroit Free Press about a company called Weyco Inc. in Okemos, Michigan.
Click here for the article: http://www.freep.com/money/business/smoke15e_20050215.htm

This company implemented a policy where employees were forced to quit smoking or they would be fired. They believed smoking put other employees at risk, increased health care costs, and made smokers less productive.
I've worked in many different places and it always seemed like those who smoked got more breaks or free-time since they had to leave and smoke. One time I even calculated the average time spent smoking by my co-workers and used that time to eat dinner (on the clock). My manager tried to punish me for it but was quickly silenced when I defending myself by saying that smokers 'got paid' to smoke so I should 'get paid' to eat.

Do you think these policies are taking things too far and becoming illegally discriminatory? I, for one, feel that these companies are taking a step in the right direction. It's about time that America set higher standards for people and gave them incentives to live healthier lives. We may not be the country that smokes the most but we are most definitely the most overweight and I feel it's about time that began to change. Besides, smoking is harmful to one's health and leads to lowered fitness levels. In addition, many often forget just how dangerous second-hand smoke is and I feel that non-smokers are the majority and should be protected against the harmful effects of those who choose to 'light up.'