Overweight workers in Britain are discriminated against when applying for positions, passed over for promotions, and more likely to lose their jobs, a report stated.

In a survey of more than 2,000 personnel officers by Personnel Today magazine, 93 percent said they would choose an applicant of "normal weight" over an obese applicant with the same experience and qualifications.

"Overweight workers are being marginalized and given fewer opportunities than their slimmer counterparts," editor Karen Dempsey said in a statement.

The survey also showed that 30 percent of human resource managers believe obesity is a valid medical reason for not employing a person.

Some 15 percent said they would be less likely to promote an obese person, and around one in 10 said they thought firms could fairly dismiss someone who was overweight.

One in five English adults is obese and the number has tripled in the two decades to 2001, according to the last survey of obesity by the UK's National Audit Office.