NEARLY a third of companies in Bolton are concerned about hiring obese people, according to a recent survey.

It found 28 per cent of Bolton firms worry that obese candidates are more likely to suffer from illnesses and therefore take more time off work.

The survey found that concern over obesity now outweighs that surrounding smoking, with only 18 per cent of businesses in the town expressing a reluctance to hire a smoker.

Graeme Warner, managing director of Manson Warner Healthcare, which carried out the survey, said: "The findings are an eye opener as they highlight that employers may rule out perfectly good candidates on the grounds of perceived future health problems.

"Health insurers are becoming increasingly concerned about the health of their prospective clients.

"One insurer already quotes higher premiums for clients who are obese, and I predict that other providers will follow this trend in the future.

"Smokers are already discriminated against in the insurance market."