The top court in the EU is considering a test case which could define obesity as a disability.
The matter arose when Denmark asked the Court of Justice to clarify European law by considering a case involving a male childminder who claims he had been sacked because of his weight.
Despite weighing some 160kg (350 pounds), Karsten Kaltoft says that his girth was “no problem” at work. He said he was able to bend low enough to reach children’s shoes and could also sit on the floor with the children at play time.
The judges will have to decide whether obesity is covered under the EU's Employment Equality Directive, which prohibits job discrimination on the grounds of disability. If the judges decide it is a disability, then employers could face new obligations.
The court’s ruling will be binding across the EU.
The obesity rates in many countries of the world are challenging health care provision. A 2012 survey in England found that more than half of adults are overweight or obese.
Mr Kaltoft worked for Billund local authority for 15 years. He said they had paid a three month gym membership for him which he used for weight training.
The authority said he had been dismissed when there was a decline in the number of children attending.
