The Demise of the Fat Capitalist?
January 24, 2013
In January this story featured in the Wall Street Journal. Entitled “Want to be CEO? What’s your BMI?” it tells of the ‘new’ requirement for Chief Executives to be slim, trim and ready for (business) warfare. It even features aspiring business academic guru, Barry Posner, who explains that he can’t name one single fortune 500 CEO who is overweight! (An aside – see my colleague Bill Kaye-Blake’s 4 part critique of Posner’s The Leadership Challenge – very entertaining).
Now we must give credit where it is due here, it appears that the weight-loss industry has now managed to fully colonise all other forms of capitalism, including the suited warrior. CEO’s now need to take the tiny bit of family life they have left after their 70 hour weeks and give it to the weight-loss industry. They must dispense with the three course lunches and proudly displayed 18 year old whiskey and instead play squash with the CFO at 5.00am. Is this the ultimate demise of the Fat Capitalist? – or will the finance sector fight back and claw back their gastronomic pleasures?
Dr Andrew Dickson a.g.dickson@massey.ac.nz
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