Obesity can be considered disability, EU court rules

The European Union's (EU) highest court has ruled obesity can be considered as a disability in certain circumstances even if someone's gross obesity is caused by overeating or gluttony.

The European Court of Justice heard the case after a Danish court asked it to consider the case of a male childminder in Denmark who claimed he was sacked for being too fat, BBC reported.

The court ruled that if obesity could hinder "full and effective participation" at work then it could count as a disability.

The ruling will be applicable in all EU countries.

Karsten Kaltoft weighs about 160 kg. He brought a discrimination case against his employers, Billund local authority, after he was sacked four years ago.

The authority said Kaltoft was sacked because of a fall in the number of children at the place where he works but the petitioner claimed he was dismissed because he was overweight.

Earlier this year, he told the BBC that reports that he was so fat that he was unable to bend down to tie children's shoelaces were untrue.

"I can sit on the floor and play with them, I have no problems like that," he said.

"I don't see myself as disabled. It's not OK just to fire a person because they're fat, if they're doing their job properly."

The court in Denmark will now assess Kaltoft's weight to see if his case can be classed as a disability, the report said.