"I think the word 'plus-size' is so divisive to women. I think that when you use the word 'plus-size' you're putting all these women into a category: 'You don't eat well.' 'You don't work out.' 'You could care less about your body.' 'You're insecure.' 'You have no confidence.'"

Roehling’s study estimates that only 5-22 pecent of CEOs are plus, despite that 67% of women in America identify as a size 14 or larger. The effect is also gendered: that range is 45-61 percent for male CEOs. The implication of her study is that weight discrimination is particularly punishing for female executives, and that’s even more concerning as these women already have to contend with the corporate “glass ceiling.” While plus-sized celebrities — like Oprah — can leverage their star power for a place in the C-suite, the vast majority of plus-sized women don’t have have that particular advantage.

A 2016 study found that male job interviewers judged overweight female candidates more harshly than overweight male candidates, while female job interviewers judged both female and male overweight candidates harshly.