The Body Mass Index (BMI) is an general indicator of "fatness" calculated as a formula of height and weight. While proper health is an aspect of life generally under control of an individual, many lack the perseverance or due care which has resulted in an increasingly obese America. Unlike race or ethnicity, the common perception of weight control is that it is controllable and this has resulted in a growing sentiment of distaste for the obese trickling on the edges of discrimination. Studies into weight discrimination reveal that:

• discrimination against men begins with a BMI of 35
• women are discriminated against with a BMI of 27
• women with a BMI above 30 are three times more likely to be discriminated against than men
• weight discrimination is perceived as the third most common form of discrimination