'Today' anchor Hoda Kotb says a former boss told her she might want to 'get on the treadmill'

• Hoda Kotb, 60, says she was body-shamed by a former boss when she was younger.
• "He goes, 'Hey, I got an idea. Maybe you might want to try to get on the treadmill,'" Kotb said, recalling his words.
• In the US, there are no federal laws that prohibit weight discrimination.

Hoda Kotb, 60, says she was body-shamed by her former boss.

During Monday's episode of "Today with Hoda and Jenna," Kotb recalled how her former boss had made comments about her weight when she was younger.

"I still remember I had just started working in a small market. And I played basketball in high school, so I always assumed I was in shape even though, literally, after college and stuff, I wasn't," Kotb told her cohost, Jenna Bush Hager.

"I still remember my boss going to me, 'Hey, Hoda,' and I was like, 'Yeah?' He goes, 'Hey, I got an idea. Maybe you might want to try to get on the treadmill,'" Kotb said, recalling his words.

Kotb says she was shocked by his comment because she didn't see herself that way.

"You know when you have a perception of yourself that is not the perception of the world?" Kotb said. "Yeah, so I was like, 'What are you talking about?'"

She went on to explain that "if you don't fit," people will "want you to wear something a certain way, cut your hair a certain way, speak a certain way."

But when people pretend to be someone they're not, they'll start losing who they really are, Kotb said, adding that there are times when people do have to "do things to fit into a work environment."

Kotb's comment came about during a discussion on the show about Timothée Chalamet and how he recently shared that he was told to change his body type early in his career to land bigger roles.

A 2023 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that almost 72% of US workers who have experienced unfair treatment at work due to their weight say it made them feel like quitting their jobs. Additionally, 11% of HR professionals surveyed say obese employees at their organization are not always treated as fairly as average-weight employees.

There are no federal laws that prohibit weight discrimination, although some cities in the US — such as San Francisco and Washington DC — have passed local laws banning weight discrimination. In 2023, New York City passed a law making weight discrimination illegal.

Michigan was the first state to pass a law that prevents weight discrimination.

Emily Capelli, a psychotherapist, previously told Business Insider that it can be helpful to speak up against weight stigma.

"You can say, just simply, 'That feels fatphobic,' or 'That hurts my feelings'," Capelli suggests. "This falls under setting boundaries with people, and I think it's helpful to say that setting boundaries is a skill. Like riding a bike, you can work on this skill."

There are also ways to change the subject or shut down the conversation if the topic comes up, she said: "It's perfectly OK to walk away."

A representative for Kotb did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.