The EU’s top court is considering a test case which could oblige employers to treat obesity as a disability.
Denmark has asked the European Court of Justice to rule on the case of a male childminder who says he was sacked for being too fat.
Karsten Kaltoft weighs about 160kg (25 stone; 350 pounds). He told the BBC that “bad habits” had made him fat but that his size was “no problem” at work.
The court’s final ruling will be binding across the EU.
It is seen as especially significant because of rising obesity levels in Europe and elsewhere, including the US. A survey in England in 2012 found that more than half of adults were obese or overweight.
The Danish courts asked the ECJ judges in Luxembourg to clarify European law in Mr Kaltoft’s case, BBC informs.
