Being obese can be considered a disability in some circumstances, the European Court of Justice ruled today.
The judgment was branded a “can of worms” that could allow grossly overweight people to demand special furniture and even parking spaces at work.
It follows the sacking of Danish nursery worker Karsten Kaltoft, who was reportedly so fat he could not bend down to tie his shoelaces.
Firms across Europe will be bound by the court’s ruling that obesity is a disability if it “hinders the full and effective participation of the person concerned in professional life on an equal basis with other workers”.
Legal experts said companies could be forced to provide extra-strong chairs and bigger tables. National Obesity Forum spokesman Tam Fry said the ruling was a “can of worms” that could cause friction in the workplace.
In July, the Advocate General advised the ECJ that obesity does not of itself automatically amount to a disability, but it could if the individual was morbidly obese.