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On Obesity as a Disability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Katharina Ó Cathaoir
Katharina Ó Cathaoir*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, katharina.o.cathaoir@jur.ku.dk
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Abstract

Case C-354/13, Fag og Arbejde (FOA) v Kommunernes Landsforening (KL) [2014] (not yet reported)

There is no general principle under European Union law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of obesity in regard to employment and occupation. Obesity alone is not a disability but can constitute a disability where it is accompanied by a limitation resulting from long term physical, mental or psychological impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder the full and effective participation of the individual in professional life on an equal basis with other workers (official headnote).

In December 2014, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a preliminary ruling addressing, firstly, whether obesity is a protected ground of non–discrimination, and, secondly, whether obesity can amount to a disability. This piece begins with an introduction to the topic of obesity, followed by the facts of the case, the CJEU's judgment and a comment on the decision.

Type
Case Notes
Information
European Journal of Risk Regulation , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , March 2015 , pp. 145 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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