Washington, May 20 (IANS): This may come as an astonishing news for the Indian voters but if you are planning to contest elections in the US, better watch your weight.
Voters in the US seem to prefer slender candidates over their overweight counterparts, a fascinating study has indicated.
Overweight political candidates tend to receive fewer votes than their thinner opponents.
“We found weight had a significant effect on voting behaviour,” said Mark Roehling, professor of human resources at Michigan State University.
“The study,” added Roehling, “provides evidence that the bias and discrimination against the overweight and obese that has been documented in the areas of employment, education, health care and social situations also extends to the electoral process in the United States.”
Additionally, the greater size disparity between candidates, the greater the vote share of the more slender candidate, he noted.
For the study, the researchers analysed data from the 2008 and 2012 US Senate elections.
Research assistants determined from colour photos whether the candidates in 126 primary and general elections were normal weight, overweight or obese.
Both obese men and women were less likely to get on the ballot in the first place, the findings showed.
When it came to the voting, both male and female candidates - whether obese or simply overweight - got a lower share of the vote total than their more slender opponents.
The study appeared in the research journal Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.