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HOSPITAL administrator who advocates healthy habits among his staff, among which is maintaining appropriate body weight, is doing his job in squaring the image. Although it might sound self-righteous to some people who would resent the subtle intrusiveness, the message would by and large be well taken. But Mr Liak Teng Lit, chief executive of Alexandra Hospital and the just opened Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Yishun, would have known eyebrows would be raised when he appeared to exceed platitudes in suggesting that obesity could jeopardise the career prospects of hospital staff. After his remarks were reported, The Sunday Times asked Mr Liak to explain his position. He responded that excessive weight could not be the main determinant in assessing a candidate’s fitness for promotion. A range of factors would be taken into account: “... it’s never about one criterion,” he asserted. This was an important clarification for his hospital, foremost, but also for the practice of personnelmanagement in any other sector of the economy.
Did it go far enough in dispelling the notion that overweight people could begin to face some form of discrimination, in job applications besides advancement opportunities? Mr Liak is not an unknown. He has worked so long in health care that what he says in the nature of industry benchmarks will receive serious thought. He believes in leading by example, as a prominent figure in the industry. He is super-fit through regular exercise, eats carefully, is of the correct weight, and is a dedicated marathon runner. Being the chief executive of public hospitals, his personal creed would seep into the institutions’ administrative ethos. He is unmoved in his view that hospital workers should set an example to the patients they care for by staying healthy and looking demonstrably fit. It is acceptable, commendable even, if it stops here at the stage of fostering model behaviour.
But Mr Liak’s words have caused unease among trade unions and human resource people. In spite of his disclaimer, any probability of an anti-obesity movement in personnel selection gaining force should be denied before it can do damage. It is irrational. Body shape is nobody’s business and excess weight is not usually a measure of a person’s health. What might be next? Denying opportunities to thin people and ugly people? Those with family histories of certain medical conditions? The National Trades Union Congress has been fighting a rearguard action to discourage insidious forms of discrimination. Ageism, gender stereotypes, preference for Chinese language skills and the sidelining of pregnant women have been tough nuts to crack. It would loath to be loaded with disputatious matters of weight.
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