Stereotypes about overweight workers being lazier, emotionally unstable or harder to get along with are false, according to a Michigan State University professor of human resources.

Mark Roehling led a team that looked at body weight and personality traits in nearly 3,500 people. Overweight and obese adults were not found to be significantly less conscientious, less agreeable, less extraverted or less emotionally stable, a news release said.

"Previous research has demonstrated that many employers hold negative stereotypes about obese workers, and those beliefs contribute to discrimination against overweight workers at virtually every stage of the employment process, from hiring to promotion to firing," Roehling said.

Roehling said employers should take steps to prevent managers from using weight as a factor for job decisions, including making weight-based stereotypes part of diversity training.

The research appears in the current edition of the journal Group and Organization Management.