Comment: I weight 115 and with 55 lbs bag limit. Why should a 300 lbs person with 55 lbs not pay more? Have you ever sat next to one? They "spill" into your seat and try to take the arm rest up so they have more room. They get seat belt extenders. Are they safe to climb over in case of a crach. Has the FAA ever thought of that issue?
Comment: Fat people should pay more-I do for my bags. I have had many flights where I was stuck next to a fat person with no where to go in my seat, I'm sorry, if I don't know you, I surely don't want your body pressing against mine for 3 hours. I payed for my seat and I want my space.
Comment: I agree, I have to buy four full priced tickets to fly me, my wife, and my two boys (5 and 3) across the country. Our combined total weight is under 400lbs, that's only 100lbs/ticket, or somewhere around $5 per pound. Now with additional baggage restrictions and charges it is getting absurd, yet someone that weighs what we all do combined can, in some cases, only buy one seat and get the same treatement we do.
Who is really being discriminated against?
Comment: Don't airlines limit the weight of baggage a person may bring? What would be fairer is to limit the combined weight of passenger and baggage.
Comment: Don't airlines put a limit on baggage weight? What would be more fair is putting a limit on combined weight of a person with their baggage, with a surcharge attached for overages. I weight 275 barefoot.
Comment: Why do Americans always blame someone or something else for their personal mistakes? Maybe it's related to the fact that America is one of the only countries in the world to spend millions of tax dollars on a government organized committee to investigate flying saucers for nearly 20 years, Project Blue Book. Yeah, that's the perfect job for me. If you're fat, don't blame fast food advertisements. It may not be completely your fault, so take responsibility and do something about it; if it bothers you.
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Comment: Let's start giving std tests at airports to make sure everyone is comfortable!!!!
Comment: Let's start giving std tests at airports to make sure everyone is comfortable!!!!
Comment: Let's start giving std tests at airports to make sure everyone is comfortable!!!!
Comment: Let's start giving std tests at airports to make sure everyone is comfortable!!!!
Comment: This is absolutely ridiculous. Why not charge people more for having a defenseless infant on a plane who has colic and won't stop crying!!! Or how about a pregnant woman who's gained a few pounds due to repopulating the planet!!! i think Americans are greedy and try to express control in any way possible, and this is another power trip to try and opress others. This country is already a wreck and this is just another way to make life even more stressful. Don't you think life is already hard enough for these people being stared at and laughed at!?!?!? Then to discriminated against for something some people can't control. it's apalling as well as disgusting. I mean I understand health insurance being high just as it is for smokers. But come on a ticket. Geez!!!
Comment: I think that you're all pretty friggin ignorant!!! Look inside your own families - I'll bet there's a FATTY somewhere, be it your Momma, Gramma, aunt, etc... Nobody choses to be obese! Shall we begin charging pregnant women additional fees to fly when they've gained their weight? Shall we charge members of the african american population charges because they have a different "body fragrance" that some may find offensive? How about the guy next to you that keeps on drinking those little bottles of something, just to help him handle the flight? Come on folks, let's get serious! The only way things are going to change is if everybody gets rid of their prejudices and accepts life at face value. Perhaps your pilot or co-pilot is carrying a little extra weight? Should we also charge them or pay them less because they're "weighing the plane down"? Commercial companies, like the airlines, must STOP using barbie dolls to take measurements for their seats. Just like the public buses, trains, etc... I happen to be tall and obese and if I was flying next to somebody ignorant, I would gladly sit next to you anyways. It takes all kinds in this world. Grow up!
Comment: I think that you're all pretty friggin ignorant!!! Look inside your own families - I'll bet there's a FATTY somewhere, be it your Momma, Gramma, aunt, etc... Nobody choses to be obese! Shall we begin charging pregnant women additional fees to fly when they've gained their weight? Shall we charge members of the african american population charges because they have a different "body fragrance" that some may find offensive? How about the guy next to you that keeps on drinking those little bottles of something, just to help him handle the flight? Come on folks, let's get serious! The only way things are going to change is if everybody gets rid of their prejudices and accepts life at face value. Perhaps your pilot or co-pilot is carrying a little extra weight? Should we also charge them or pay them less because they're "weighing the plane down"? Commercial companies, like the airlines, must STOP using barbie dolls to take measurements for their seats. Just like the public buses, trains, etc... I happen to be tall and obese and if I was flying next to somebody ignorant, I would gladly sit next to you anyways. It takes all kinds in this world. Grow up!
Comment: I agree with Mahalo. I have seen hundreds of overweight people standing in line at McDonalds and I ask myself, "Why are they buying Big Mac's when they know that they are overweight and know that they shouldn't be eating it". I myself, gained 20 lbs at one time simply because I could not stop eating fast food. As soon as I put down the fast food, and starting eating healthy again, it only took me 2-3 months to drop the 20 lbs. The problem is that people need to learn how to control their urges to eat the unhealthy food. Fast food is an addiction. Just think, if we got rid of McDonald's, Burger King, etc, then 1/2 of the population would loose weight. Now, back to the topic of the airline charges. I agree that if you are too big to fit into one seat, then you should buy 2 seats. I don't necessarily agree that we should charge by weight, I think that we should charge by mass (again if you are too big to fit into 1 seat, then you fit into 2 and pay the extra money).
Comment: You pay to ship a dog or cat.
Comment: This is not an issue of discrimination, it's a societal issue that has gotten out of hand. First, if you cannot fit into one seat, you should buy a second seat. It is only fair to the person sitting next to you. You should not be allowed to infringe on their paid space. Plain and simple. Second, as airlines keep tightening the space, there should be a minimum allowed so they cannot tighten it more to increase revenues unfairly. The airline industry and consumers must come to a consensus first of what is allowable - say, 20", and then stick to it. Then, beyond that, if a consumer cannot fit into that space (just like with bags), you must buy a second seat. I cannot tell you the countless times I have seen people pre-boarding as if they have a disability who are overweight, only to later see them walking elsewhere. Today, obesity is an epedemic. There are people with health issues, but they are truly a very rare minority. Have you been in a restaurant or a fast food place and seen the so-called "medical condition" obsese ordering and eating? I am sure you have and can tell you that the majority is not medical. Have you been to a buffet-style restaurant? I have, and again, you see the parents and their children eating what is not healthy food for their weight situation, and these are the very people who are flying and complaining that they have "health issues" controlling their weight. However, it is what they are putting in their mouths, where they are parking their cars in lieu of walking, riding around in hte grocery stores in motorized carts, etc. They are not trying to reduce their weight or that of their family - you can see it. Yes, there are the legitimate people who have health issues, but that would be less than 10% of the population, I guarantee you. Even then, there is no reason for them to infringe on others space, it is not comfortable for them or for others. If they can produce a doctor's note stating a medical reason, then they can pay half-price for their seat - or there can be a row of larger seats for medically proven people. But the rest, they have to buy seats. I am very sick of a society of complacent people blaming everyone else (be it the menu at Burger King, the larger portions, etc.) for their problems. I am not obese - I am tempted by a lot of food, but I control my portions. I cannot eat anything I want, I have self control and do not want to be in that position. I take pride in myself and my family, and care about my health. Those who don't, should pay up. We should not have to pay for others bad choices while we make the right ones. That is simply not discrimination, it's called common sense.
Comment: 20" ???? Oh my. I am a size 16 and I wouldn't be able to fit into that space. I think the size of seats should be a little more realistic don't you think. I mean. We do have a bigger size population these days. so why not accommodate the majority. Lord knows, the prices keep going up. The airlines will still get their money.
Comment: Your use of the phrase "fat people" demonstrates your elitist / prejudice mindset. The correct terminology is "Obese" or "Overweight". You can not be 'fat', you have 'fat'. I am not 'Red Hair', I have red hair. Obesity is not a "lifestyle choice". Like a person's height, I challenge you to find one person that has chosen to be obese. You are right, it does tend to be an American disease, probably because the U.S. allows high fructose corn syrup to be used rather than pure sugar, but that doesn't make it less of a "disease".
If ticket prices were based on total consumer weight: body plus baggage, there still would be a charge of discrimination because a 300 lbs person with 50 lbs of luggage would still be charged more than a 110 lbs person with 200 lbs of luggage!
You're not subsidizing anything, your ticket prices will not go down even if they charge obese people more. It is an opportunity for the airlines to charge for something extra, so they pick a group of people to charge because it's popular to hate obese people and socially acceptable to instill anger and disgust upon this group of citizens. Which is demonstrated true by your using the phrase "fat people".
Comment: When you buy a ticket to fly on an airplane, you are essentially purchasing fuel and renting space. I weigh 110 lbs and take up a small space and consume less fuel. The person sitting next to me who weighs 250 lbs will use a larger space and consume more fuel. This is basic economics. I propose a set weight limit (one's own body plus baggage) for everyone to make it fair. I shouldn't have to pay an extra fee for bringing a heavy suitcase if my weight is less than half that of the person sitting next to me in the first place. If fat people are using more resources than I am for the same flight, they should be able to sacrifice in other areas (like baggage).
Also, being tall is NOT the same as being fat. You cannot reduce your height. You can reduce your weight. Obesity is a lifestyle choice- anyone who has traveled internationally, whether it's Europe, Africa, Asia, etc., can tell you that obesity is a Western disease. Very overweight people are conspicuously absent from nations outside of the United States (and from the generations of Americans who came before us). I sympathize with those who are struggling with their weight, but the struggle is not hopeless-nor is it is something that can never be changed. In the meantime, the rest of us should NOT have to subsidize their unhealthy lifestyles.
Comment: I agree that it is discrimination. The Department of Health and Human Services has allowed Medicaid and Medicare to declare it a medical condition that can be treated and prevented at Medicaid/Medicare's expense. This would suggest that weight is a private health matter protected by HIPPA, similar to AIDS or Cancer and can not be used as an instrument of discrimination. Why not charge tall people more. They take up more leg room and kick the sit in front of them more often. They also demand that airlines create taller cabins and add more space between rows. Should they be charged extra if they can not sit in their chair without touching the chair in front of them? A well developed lawsuit could prevent the airlines from imposing such a policy.
Obese people being biased towards the obese is a social construct similar to Black people being racist towards other Black people. It's the same reason Black school children feel white dolls are superior to black dolls. Society has ingrained a discriminatory mind set of what beauty is.
Comment: they take up more space and add weight to the aircraft, why shouldnt they pay?
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Comment: Sure they are taking up more space and more weight on the aircraft. Why shouldnt they pay?
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Comment: The true "cost" to the airline of transferring someone is their total weight - thus, the if implemented the ticket cost should depend on the combined cost of the passenger AND their luggage.
Comment: You people are amazing. You act as tho. I for instance. I am sure I wouldn't fit into a 20" seat. as my waist alone is 45". You people act as if I purposeful go to McDonald and shove 5 BigMacs in my mouth to get big n fat so that I can purposely make soome skinny minnie on the plane uncomfortable. PLEASE GET A LIFE PEOPLE!!!!! I am fat or "OBESE" and I hate it. I have struggled with it since I was 13 years old. If you think i choose to be this way I get to differ.
Comment: I think some people are missing the point and viewing this as an outright attack on overweight individuals. Somebody below said it best, I pay for my seat thus it is my seat, if somebody who is overweight takes up a portion of my seat, its not fair to me, its almost as if I am paying a portion of their fare. This is not an attack on the overweight, do I care that you are fat? Heck no! If you enjoy your body the way it is, then more power to you, but you have to understand that there may be instances where your weight can be troublesome to others. I am a business consultant, my life is lived on a plane...most times I'm on a plane at least twice a week and I can honestly say I absolutely hate being sat next to the obese. Not because they "gross me out", not because I find their lack of control offensive, but because they are for lack of a better term "invading my space" space I paid for, space that is rightfully mine. If you require two seats then yes, you should pay for them. Just out of curiousity are there any overweight people out there that think its justifiable for airlines to make you pay for two seats? I would like to see your side of the issue.
Comment: I don't know what to say about this. I recently went to the doctor and found out that I am "obese," despite the fact that I NEVER (and I mean NEVER) eat fast food, and I go to the gym four times a week- I do an hour of cardio, then pilates, then weightlifting. I have never been a small girl and I never will be- I'm not making excuses, it's my body shape and I've always been very curvy and not thin. For example, in high school I was a lacrosse player and a cheerleader and I still weighed in at 165 at 5'4. I was, however, ridiculously fit and healthy back then, I could run an 8-minute mile. I am shaped like the women on my dad's side of the family- we are all very curvy and we are not small women.
As an adult, I fit in airline seats and on bus seats just fine, I don't squash anyone. So I would find it a little ridiculous if I had to pay more money for my seat, when I actually take care of myself and exercise, than a skinny person who eats like a pig and is just lucky to be thin. The lowest weight that I could be and still be healthy and look good is like 165- and if I weighed that I would STILL be considered overweight. Sometimes it just seems like I can't win! That being said, other than losing a few pounds, I wouldn't really change anything about my body. Women pay thousands for fake breasts SMALLER than my natural ones, and I have ridiculous curves. But it still sucks to think I might have to pay more than some lazy skinny person just because I weigh more than they do.
Comment: I don't know what to say about this. I recently went to the doctor and found out that I am "obese," despite the fact that I NEVER (and I mean NEVER) eat fast food, and I go to the gym four times a week- I do an hour of cardio, then pilates, then weightlifting. I have never been a small girl and I never will be- I'm not making excuses, it's my body shape and I've always been very curvy and not thin. For example, in high school I was a lacrosse player and a cheerleader and I still weighed in at 165 at 5'4. I was, however, ridiculously fit and healthy back then, I could run an 8-minute mile. I am shaped like the women on my dad's side of the family- we are all very curvy and we are not small women.
As an adult, I fit in airline seats and on bus seats just fine, I don't squash anyone. So I would find it a little ridiculous if I had to pay more money for my seat, when I actually take care of myself and exercise, than a skinny person who eats like a pig and is just lucky to be thin. The lowest weight that I could be and still be healthy and look good is like 165- and if I weighed that I would STILL be considered overweight. Sometimes it just seems like I can't win! That being said, other than losing a few pounds, I wouldn't really change anything about my body. Women pay thousands for fake breasts SMALLER than my natural ones, and I have ridiculous curves. But it still sucks to think I might have to pay more than some lazy skinny person just because I weigh more than they do.
Comment: I think its not fair that skinny people only get 1/2 a seat and they are squished and miserable while the fat can relax and enjoy the plane ride. I think the fat should pay for 2 seats. Are we being punished for being healthy?
Comment: In many people obesity is a medical problem. You wnant to punish them for being ill? Shame on you.
Comment: Well, if you actually do fit into airplane seats just fine, then why do you think this applies to you?
Comment: I think the obese should pay for 2 seats because its a choice they made to be fat. No normal person wants 1/2 a seat and squished while the fat can relax and enjoy the plane ride its just not fair. Are we being punished for being healthy?
Comment: If you can prove that you have a medical condition that is causing you to be obese, you should be able to get a waiver from a doctor saying so and not have to pay the extra fee. BUT, you should still be required to have two seats. Let your insurance pay for the other one. Honestly, there are so few actual instances of people who truly are obese due to medical reasons, it is mind boggling. MOST people who are obese are that way due to food addictions and lack of motivation to exercise or eat well.
America is becoming a nation of HUGE, overweight, sickly, sedentary slugs. It is nauseating. Honestly, how have we sunk so low in the past 30 year? It is an epidemic and making excuses or being an enabler is NOT the solution.
Comment: I completely agree with you
Comment: I have a friend who is very large due to a rare illness and the medication he must take for it. He took it upon himself to only travel in first class, which he cannot afford, out of consideration for those who must sit next to
him. It's not a luxury. It's a financial hardship. But he knows there is more room for his fellow travelers if he sits where there is more room. He cannot help his size anymore than can a pregnant woman. The
assumption that all large people are lazy and should be docked for it is erroneous and hurtful. I think the excess baggage the airlines should be cutting or charging extra for is luggage....like titanium golf club cases.
Comment: I think people and their bags should have to weigh together. There could be a limit set for weight of passenger and bags en toto and if it's over a certain amount they pay an extra fee. It bugs the heck out of me that when my husband and I traveled recently (UAL) the agent at our initial boarding site (DSM) made such a HUGE deal out of the following: My checked bag weighed 52#. My husband's checked bag weighed 47# -- and so we were told to move items from one to the other to equal the allotted 50# per bag (unless we paid the extra fee). After reorganizing we still didn't meet the EXACT #50 -- mine was 50.5#, my husband's 49.5# -- the agent made a BIG DEAL out of "let[ting] it go THIS TIME but I'm not supposed to." At the very next check-in kiosk was a man who EASILY weighed 350-400# checking in with his bag and who was allotted the SAME 50# bag. Nobody made a big deal about his weight (and I was glad not to be seated next to him!) but my total combined weight (bags and person) would equal about 175#. You tell me what's fair about this! Who 'cost' the airlines more avgas??? Set a limit--275# or whatever for everything going on a plane under the name of ONE passenger. If you're over by 1# you pay extra.
Comment: I think Fatso's should have to pay more because I should not hove to suffer because they chose to eat 500 big macs and 800 large fries. Why should I have to let them slop there big nasty belly on me and my stuff And then watch them scarf down the airline meals ? I pay for my seat on the plane and a big obese person has NO right to take up half of the seat i payed for! So Fatties can buy two seats, lose weight, or get off the plane!
Comment: how dare you karen and joan for judging people..only god does that...so maybe you should pay more if you want to go to heaven, with what you have stated in your article, take a good look a YOURSELF...i am sure you have some flaws of some kind. i know of one, you are a very cruel and rude person...so yes you should be charged for opening your BIG MOUTH when you critic others on their weight. sunflower123
Comment: Ah, yes, nothing scares mean people more than the threat of hell. March on, righteous one!
Comment: Let's talk reality, this is not about Fat or Thin. This is about the Airlines turning the aircraft that we fly on into cattle cars. When my parents flew domestically and internationally in the 50's on the beautiful Connie, there was plenty of room for everyone, and when you woke up in the morning, you woke to the smell of Coffee and bacon being cooked for you in the Galley. If you really want to point the Wicked finger where it belongs, let's point it at the airlines, not at each other. Please, where is the civility? I am thinner than you, therefore, I am a better and superior person (kshortSD). File your complaints with the Airlines or the FAA, otherwise, keep it to yourself, or buy yourself a seat on a charter with only four of your very slender and superior friends.
Comment: O.K.
Comment: Hotels should also be charging fat people more to stay since they use more soap.
Comment: thats a little extreme they don't actually. its just how long it takes them and I'm not fat
Comment: U shallow minded nit!!! I bring my own soap!!! Yes FAT PPL SHOWER!!!!!!!
Comment: I think they should pay like everyone else what were to happen if you got fat and you were to pay more money then you have think would you want to pay more then what you want.
Comment: I think people should have to pay for how much they weight because the more you weight the more gas is used
Comment: I don't think its fair because there normal people not aliens
Comment: They may be normal people but as in their own cars, on a plane they cost more per mile. Not charging them more means my ticket subsidizes their fuel costs.
Comment: they chose to be fatso it is their fault unless they have a disease
Comment: Why should some people pay more then others.. yes i know that gas is ALOT now these days but... The Real Question should be, "What is the right weight for a person?".
Comment: Why should some people pay more then others.. yes i know that gas is ALOT now these days but... The Real Question should be, "What is the right weight for a person?".
Comment: AYE ThiS YOUR GiRL KEiSHABOO..
I THiNK iTS RiGHT FOR THEM TO PAY BECAUSE THERE TAKEiNG UP MORE SAETS THEN THEY HAVE TO TAKE UP SO FAT PEOPLE LOSE SOME WEiHGT IF U HAVE TO..
Comment: Yea i think that the bigger people should have to pay more if they gotta move the armrest just so they can have more room cause then they are in the other person space so they should have to pay more money huh
Comment: i think it is not fair to the obese people to pay more when we already have to pay a lot anyway so the price should stay the same for every one!
Comment: AYE THiS YOUR GiRL MYRiYONBOO..
FAT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE THATS CAUSEiNG THEM TO HAVE LESS SEATS THEN THAT MEANS THAT LESS PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ON THAT PLANE SO THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER ONE TO COME. ITS NOT RiGHT TO WASTE SEATS FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
Comment: Mr. Adler has obviously never shared elljaye's experience or he would have reached a different conclusion. However, I'm surprised that elljaye was inconvenienced because Southwest policy is to charge an extra fare for such people unless the flight isn't full.An airline ticket entitles the passenger to the space between two armrests and no more. Regardless of the reason/cause for a person's obesity they are not entitled to encroach on the space of others. If they don't fit between the armrests then they should pay for the extra seat!
Comment: I had heard of Southwest's policy before, but how would they know if you actually need two seats until you show up? I kinda doubt that many obese people would say when booking their flight "by the way, I'm obese and need to buy two seats" I have shared 3 seats with one other large person before , when the flight was not full, but on the the occaision of the said incident, the flight was full. Would the flight attendant say to them "pay up or get off" I think this would create an uncomfortable situation that no one would want to encounter. I think the flight attendants would rather not deal with the situation. Since I did not complain- I'm the type to just accept my fate and wait to get it over with since there does not appear to be a solution, they chose to ignore it. They did, however seem to to find ways to make my situation worse. ( A sadistic lean on their part, or just plain apathy?)
Comment: What the airlines should do is make a few rows of wider seats that are optional to anyone who is willing to pay a little more for their flight. I'm sure larger people would be glad to have the extra room.
I am a small person and never cared about neighboring "overflow' until one time on Southwest I was one of the first people on the plane, and chose an aisle seat. Then two obese people were boarding and spotted little me alone on a row and made a beeline towards me. They both pulled up the armrests and forced me up and out of my seat. As I stood there looking around for somewhere else to sit, the flight attendant yelled at me and told me to sit down. There was aproximately 1/4 of a seat for me, which I could only sqweeze into by sliding in sideways with my feet pointing out in the aisle. The flight attendant proceeded to yell at me to tuck my feet in and would kick me and roll the carts over me. I could barely breathe and it took every fiber of my being to not have a panic attack. After the 2/12 hour flight, my legs were asleep, I was soaked in sweat, and was covered in bruises the next day. The two obese people, by the way, never aknowledged me nor apologized. Neither did Southwest Airlines.
Comment: Enter Your CommentI have a horror story for you as well. I'm not a tiny girl but I can fit very comfortably in an airplane seat. On my last SW flight, I was one of the first ones in and chose a window seat. I saw a very large woman beeline for the seat right next to me and was determined to keep the armrest between us to myself. However, the moment she sat down, her roll pushed my arm right off the armrest. Then, she began wiggling around and actually started pushing the armrest between us up *purposefully* with her hip. I politely said, "Excuse me" and brought the armrest back down. Later on, I fell asleep leaning against the window side because our arms were touching if I sat up straight and when I woke up, to my absolute horror, she had shoved the armrest all the way up and we were in full bodily contact from hip to shoulder. I was so incredibly disturbed and sickened. I'm in my early twenties but I guess I can look younger--if it had been a regular sized male who woke up against me, you bet that the airline would've realized immediately how innappropriate that contact was. However, because it was a woman who "couldn't help" but be large, when I found an attendent on my way to the rest room and asked what could be done, she just looked at me like I was being horrible and said the flight was full so there wasn't anything she could do. No apology AND I had to go back and stuff myself back between the woman and the wall of the airplane.
Comment: Why don' t we just accomplish this by providing discounts to lighter people. That way it is a skinny discount and not a Fat tax which comes across as much easier to swallow. Those who want to try to get a discount would be the only ones effected. Young people and adult men and women under a predetemined threshold would get a discount.
Comment: You two make me sick, what is light enough for you, a size 2? 97lbs and 5 feet tall as well? Let's just make a new class on each Flight. The really, really good looking, thin and tiny class. And guess what, you get to ride in the overhead bins, so none of us have to look at you. SNAP.
Comment: That's actually a pretty good idea. It turns the idea into a positive notion rather than negative, and turns the benefit into an incentive rather than to be perceived as punishment or discrimination. Works for me...
Comment: I know what. For those who are not at fault for being heavier than others, we could have the "no fault fat" system. Those who are at fault for being obese have to pay by the pound, but those who are obese because of some reason than voracity can get a regular ticket for a normal weight. Probably ought to just add a department to Homeland Security for this. Just after you put your shoes, belts and brassieres on beyond the security checkpoint, there is a scale and a government physician-psychiatrist who interviews each passenger who is over the weight limit for the passenger height. Tall and skinny people are easily exempted. No need to applaud, tall people, you are off the weight hook. Then, those with thyroid irregularities and whatever else causes weight gain without fault are let off. The rest the ultra heavy have to cough up extra dough to fly away.
We are noted for our enterprise in this country, and it is inevitable that a laxative concession will appear at the restrooms near your flight gate for those who are just over the line, and couldn't sweat off enough at home just before leaving for the airport.
One should not have to pay for us to haul fat that accumulates without the fault of its owner, and by the same token, innocent passengers should not have to pay to haul all of the "pleasure fat" that accumulates on some of the hogs whose loose fat is just about to spill over your armrest.
Comment: Well, the idea of charging obese passengers a higher fees is pretty silly (even if you consider that they cost the airline more in fuel), but what about the idea of higher health insurance premiums for the obese? I would like to see some folks be required to pay more for their insurance if their lifestyle has contributed to more health issues, especially if my rates will go down because I eat healthy and work out.
Comment: OK, but I bet people would have a heart attack if we also started raising health insurance for:
(1) Smokers
2) Thin people who eat like pigs and refuse to work out because they are "already thin"
After all, smoking causes all sorts of health problems. A smoker with cancer would certainly cost an insurance company more than a fat person would. And thin people who eat junk have the exact same problems as fat people who do. So we'll just charge everyone who lives a dangerous lifestyle. Let's include people with stressful jobs in there too (stress often leads to physical problems, even strokes and heart attacks).
If we're gonna do this, let's be fair.
Comment: Obviously, you've never applied for individual insurance. As a former smoker, I can tell you from experience you will pay close to TRIPLE for individual long term insurance. PS despite being "genetically disposed" to nicotine addiction, I did quit.
Comment: Keep in mind that we're human--life's not fair. For point 1, have you never heard of the federal cigarette excise tax? It collects around $2 billion a year, I think. As for point 2, well sometimes people have better genes than others of us and we really can't control whether it works positively or negatively against us. I have crappy eyesight. Because of that, I have to pay every year for glasses and contacts. Incidentally, people with the genes for perfect eye sight get to forgo those costs, even if they do horrible things like squint and read in the dark all the time. It's not fair, but larger people should suck it up and pay what they have to for taking up more room and gas on flights.
Comment: Oh please. You people are ridiculous. Heavier people DO PAY MORE for health insurance. As much as smokers do. And, people can be refused health insurance because of their weight. And there is no exceptions with some companies.
Comment: And when the airlines continue to decrease the size of seats even more so that even the svelte and "beautiful" people can't fit in them, will those superior people still think it's ok to charge more if you don't fit comfortably in the seat?
Comment: You act like thin people are just lucky, just as having natural "beauty" would be the result of luck. If being thin is the result of hard work and discipline, maybe some of us can feel a bit superior? After all, it seems that we have achieved something that many people deem "impossible".
Comment: I would like you to meet my two daughters, one is 21 and the other 28. One was born an ectomorph, and the other an endomorph. My "thin" child, has always been a bean pole. Luck of the genetic draw. My "heavier" child got, what I consider to be the short end of the stick. They were both raised at the same dinner table with a balanced meal every evening. Both were taught correct principles nutritionally, and yet I have had to watch my "heavier" daughter struggle with her body from Day 1. She had watch her sister, who eats anything she chooses, doesn't work out at the gym and basically has been blessed with the body that was given to her. She was chosen to be a runway model in High School and has never worried a day in her life about weight. My other daughter has the discipline to be a vegetarian and eat berries and twigs off of small plates. She works out every day at the gym and I have great respect for her. She will NEVER look like her sister, and It breaks my heart to see her struggle against the genetic code of being an ectomorph and having to work like a dog so that she can be accepted by people like you who "feel a bit superior" to those who didn't get the ectomorph luck of the draw. My daughter is Superior to your self-righteous rambling about what a great person you are. Shame on you and others like you. You indeed have achieved the "impossible" total self-absorption, and a lack of sincere consideration for others. Shame on you.
Comment: Like I've said before, life is unfair, suck it up and pay what's due. I've worked my way from a crappy inner-city school to elite higher education by reading and reading and reading--incidentally, I have the genes for myopia and have had to buy glasses and contacts since the fifth grade. There are people out there who are completely illiterate who will live the majority of their lives with perfect vision, while all I want to do is learn and I can't even read a computer screen from a foot away. Guess that means I have to keep paying for the flaws of my crappy genes, right? Sucks for you daughter, but tell her to man up and compensate for her flaws, not whine to other people that they're not being fair.
Comment: Phuleeze...I'm no overweight, but I am 5'11. At my weight (repectable for a woman of my age) It's hard for me to fit into the 17 inches that are allowed in coach. And where I am supposed to put my legs. That's why I always sit in the exit aisle. Next, you;ll be whining about the Vertically Challanged having to pay a surcharge as well. Give me a break. We should charge the righteous who believe that everyone but YOU should be surcharged because you are so very special. If you don't like it, upgrade to First Class where all of the seats and comfy coxy and you can drink your way out of your obession with people who have the unfortunate stigma of being overweight..
Comment: I heard today that one airline is considering charging more for premium seats (note this is not 1st class but in coach) such as those by the exits and those in the center and those by windows. So if you need that leg room you would have to pay more to fit your legs in. Also heard that they are considering eliminating the coffee machine on board , weighs about 500lbs, to save fuel. The days of the luxury airliner is over it's just a greyhopund bus with wings instead of wheels.
Comment: We should also charge smelly people for the inconvenience of their stench - both body odor and perfume/cologne stench.
We should charge ugly people for the inconvenience of having to try not to look at them.
We should charge people with kids for the noise and rowdiness.
We should charge sick people for the inconvenience of having to hear them cough and sneeze.
We should charge tall people for the inconvenience of their legs bumping our seats and their heads being in the way.
Smokers are already persecuted more than anyone else, so they should get a discount, or at least free booze to cope with the cravings.
Comment: you are so racist show a little respect to some people
Comment: Since the only reason we're really debating this issue is because smaller people are being crowded out of their seats by larger people, it actually has nothing to do with a person's weight. Some one who is 6'-3" tall and weighs 250 lbs. is alot less of an issue than someone 5'-3" and weighing 250 lbs. I think that airlines should have a cutoff point on the waist size of the traveler. (waist size is easy to measure, so no public embaressment unless you lie and want the airport to measure you) If they took out some normal seats and replaced those with wider seats that would cost more and be reserved for the larger folks, everyone would be comfortable.
Comment: Don't breed for basketball players. Breed for a cheap ride. It's more sensible. Make little people. Up with small and down with tall.
Comment: sorry not going to happen
Comment: Olderwiser,
remember the song about SHORT PEOPLE? I was short and hated that song. Under your plan and several others here I could come out pretty well for once in my life. Pay for the ticket by the pound and I'm doing great...
Comment: Look at it this way. If we would all concentrate on breeding down to three feet tall and 48 pounds apiece, the world could hold many more of us. All conveyances could be reduced in size so that there would be enough petroleum left to last forever. Bush could have started on this eight years ago. But he just sat around and played with his hobby horse and cap pistols. Presidents just don't have the originality they used to have in the old days.
Comment: When it comes to an airplane getting off of the ground weight matters. So I agree that people should be charged per the weight they brong with them. I don't care if its muscle,, fat, or luggage. Others should not have to pay more for flights because some choose to bring 5 carry ons, while other choose to (yup) you got it right 'eat their way to obisity. I know I'm going to get all sort of horrible responses, but I know I'm right. Genetic argument has nothing to do with this article! BTW I happen to really have a thyroid problem runs in the family. I have to take pills for the rest of my life but this still has nothing to do with weight and lifting it up in the air. I happen to be at a normal weight and I struggle daily to maintain it. Even with genetic leaning towards obisity this alone does not make you fat- stuffing your face with empty calories and burnning way less that you consume does.
Comment: News Alert:
Effective immediately, the federal government will now include the following required fields on IRS income tax returns. State governments will also be following suit shortly:
-Medically-certified weight section to charge fat people more since they tear up the freeways, requiring costly repairs. Also, if you are underweight and cannot prove you are NOT yo-yo dieting, you will be charged more since our national health care costs for anorexia, heart attacks, and dental care are increasing due to you.
-Make and model of your vehicle. You SUV and pickup drivers are tearing up the crap out of our roads as well, and we'll need you to pay more.
-Medically-certified vaccination records, because people getting these communicable diseases every year is helping to increase health care costs.
-If you eat meat and how frequently, since the EPA has to pay for environmental cleanup due to the animal waste your "meals" incur.
-Number of children. Right, you already report this, but from now on you're getting charged for it, since your brats perpetuate more overpopulation with their teenage pregnancies, drive drunk, commit crimes, and are basically nogoodniks.
-Intelligence Quotient. You poor dumb people will of course pay more for your decreased intelligence that puts the rest of us at risk - unless you can prove that your stupidity is due to a medical condition.
While I am living my perfect, flawless life with my model's body and my 150 IQ on my deserted island, you all can hash out just what it means to be human beings who are meant to be helping each other and having compassion for each other's foibles instead of being the petty, sniping, self-absorbed, selfish money-worshippers that our species seems to have become.
Comment: OMG, this post is the funniest thing I have read on the Internet this year. Thanks for the laugh!
Unfortunately, the narrow-minded bigots won't get it....
Comment: While we're at it, why don't we put a medically-certified weight section on the 1040 income tax form? Because fat people are going to be putting more stress on the roads when they drive as well, with their weight. Oh, but then also remember to report on your taxes what kind of a car you drive - I think people who drive mammoth SUVs and pickup trucks and have yachts should DEFINITELY pay more taxes, since they tear up the roads more, too, leading to more repairs...
While we're at it, I'd like to have all of you report on your tax forms if you have been vaccinated against measles, mumps, Rubella, chicken pox, polio, if you receive a flu vaccine every year as is recommended, etc. because you people getting these communicable diseases every year is what makes my health insurance go up.
Please, also, if you are a meat eater, please report this as well and be penalized $x more dollars a year - after all, the methane from the animals you are eating is polluting my air and you should be made to pay.
Anyone with children should be penalized BIG TIME. The more kids you have, the more you should be penalized, as your rugrats are the ones who are perpetuating crime, drug use, health issues, and teenage pregnancies to produce more brats, and I am paying out the nose for your and your children's mistakes! Plus I'm being taxed a school tax for my district for educating your monsters, and I really don't care if this society becomes totally illiterate.
You skinny people, don't think that you're getting away with anything. Are you yo-yo dieting? Can you provie that you're NOT bulimic or anorexic? Well then, I think you should end up paying more as well, since your increased risk of heart attack, anorexia, and dental problems is delaying the time I have to spend sitting in the emergency room waiting my turn while you sorry asses diet yourselves into disease.
Everyone should have their IQ tested and be tracked and charged accordingly for that as well. Fees should be charged on a sliding scale once you go below 125 IQ points. God knows I don't want to pay any more than I have to to keep you morons out of trouble. Too many of you blithering idiots are keeping vicious pets and accidentally sawing your limbs off while gardening.
While I am living my perfect, flawless, vegan, green life with my model's body and my 150 IQ on my deserted island, you all can hash out just what it means to be human beings who are supposed to be helping each other and having compassion for each other's foibles instead of being the petty, sniping, self-absorbed, selfish money-worshippers that our species seems to have become.
Aloha!
Comment: Aloha,
very good post. Just a suggestion tho....you might want to reconsider your position on the society becoming illiterate because you and I will hopefully live to become very old, unfortunately due to our advanced age we might need to see a doctor and personally I hope that he/she can spell well enough to write the correct drug name on the prescription pad and I hope tha pharmacist can read well enough to put the correct pills in the little pill container. just my opinion:)
Comment: Holy cow! Talk about discrimination! How about charging tall people more because they take up more room? Or better yet, lets just start charging by the pound...its just about as ridiculous. I really believe the airlines are taking this too far....charges for food, luggage, security, and multiple surcharges all on top of already unreasonably high ticket fees. What's next.... oxygen?
Comment: Tall people can't help that they are tall.
Comment: i completely agree its not our fault
Comment: Couldn???t the airport check-in counter place a scale on the spot where people stand when checking in, allowing the agent to register the weight automatically?
It is clear that it would be extremely difficult to sell fare by weight; after all, most tickets are probably sold online, though it could somehow be adjusted at the airport, like they do when weighing our luggage during check-in. The per-weight fee should also be reasonable to a person???s height with exceptions for pregnancies (I wonder how many would want to make their unfitness pass as pregnancy?!?!?).
I used to be 100+ overweight, and am now within the normal/healthy range (yay for me!), maintaining it for several years. One of the issues that prompted me to loose weight was the embarrassment of spilling over into someone else's personal space in planes, trains and cars. I knew I was making others uncomfortable. Loosing weight is very hard, but it is possible. It is much easier to manage ones weight and never let it get out of hand. But, I digress???
While it is true that obesity can be genetic, genes do not make someone 300+ lbs. Genes make you more likely to store fat, make you less inclined to an active lifestyle; make you more likely to crave certain foods, etc. People still need to control what they eat and their activity levels. Most cases of obesity are simple cases of personal irresponsibility: adults making the wrong choices about what to eat, drink and how much to exercise.
I agree that people should pay according to their choices. If I want to carry more weight in public transportation, weather in my luggage or on my body, I should pay more that those that choose to carry less. Just like we pay +/- for other shipping costs based on weight. By the way, some health insurers charge a premium to smokers because they choose to smoke and are a higher risk. Why not the same with morbidly obese folks? With some exceptions, morbidly obese people choose to be unhealthily heavy. Why should others pay? Fair is fair.
Yes, muscle is heavier than fat, but still, I think a 300-body builder should pay more than those that maintain a reasonably normal BMI. I do not want anyone spilling over onto my seat and I don???t think I should subsidize their extra cost to public transportation, body-builder or not.
Comment: You have a great point. I for one have had a very hard time my whole life with my weight. I was really embarrassed one day when I could not fit on a rollercoaster seat....Well I fit but I needed help getting back out. So I know all too well what people feel like about the narrow small seats on the airlines. I agree for paying the two seat fare if I am taking up that much room. But being told that I am lazy and disguisting is just not fair. I wish I could get it under control. But it is hopeless. So to all of you that think I am disgusting please just look the other way, you have no idea how I got here.
Comment: My husband is a pilot. When we go someplace together we generally rent a small (2-4 seat) airplane. With a full tank of fuel many of these aircraft can only usefully lift another 500-700 lbs. So in order to get where we are going he has to account for our weight as well as any luggage.
The same holds true for airliners. As it is now, the pilot gets a head count of ppl on the plane, multiplies that by a guess of the average american weight and adds that to the luggage and fuel. Thus he guesses the load on the airframe. Now if the actual average wieght of the passengers is actually 30 lbs higher than his estimate, there may be an extra 1500-3000+ lbs of weight on the plane. Not only does this mean the plane will burn fuel faster than the pilot may expect, but it can be the difference in getting off the ground or not.
Although I am one who would be considered over weight, I think that airfare should be by weight. You plus all of your luggage times cost equals air-fair.
Comment: My husband is a pilot. When we go someplace together we generally rent a small (2-4 seat) airplane. With a full tank of fuel many of these aircraft can only usefully lift another 500-700 lbs. So in order to get where we are going he has to account for our weight as well as any luggage.
The same holds true for airliners. As it is now, the pilot gets a head count of ppl on the plane, multiplies that by a guess of the average american weight and adds that to the luggage and fuel. Thus he guesses the load on the airframe. Now if the actual average wieght of the passengers is actually 30 lbs higher than his estimate, there may be an extra 1500-3000+ lbs of weight on the plane. Not only does this mean the plane will burn fuel faster than the pilot may expect, but it can be the difference in getting off the ground or not.
Although I am one who would be considered over weight, I think that airfare should be by weight. You plus all of your luggage times cost equals air-fair.
Comment: There is a l0X10 room filled with research documents proving that obesity if genetic. Those who continue to describe it as a moral weakness demonstrate ignorance and bigotry. Some people need something to hate and most past hate objects are now off limits, so they zoom in on obese kids and adults. One year ago a woman in Spain collapsed and died because she starved herself to work as a clothes model. /This is the kind of reaction anticipated by a societal model that malnutrition and boniness equals beauty. As to airlines, they are now charging extra for baggage, food, and have decreased the size of seats ---all to make an extra buck or two, so that the airline CEO can take home billions of dollars. Service to passengers is a joke. Of course they want to punish the obese customer. They punish customers of any weight. Consider yourself lucky to arrive anywhere with decent service. There oughta be a law.
Comment: Ok, if there's a 10 x 10 room proving obesity is genetic then there's a 1million x 1million room proving that behavior and environment contribute to obesity vastly more then genetics. If it is genetic, then why has the incidence of obesity quadrupled over the past 40 years? At the same time, fast food, soda, sugary snacks, larger portions, and a more sendentary lifestyle have also increased. Coincidence? Definitely not.
I've researched obesity extensively, and it is not about genetics. In a very slim margin, perhaps 3% or less, genetics or physical abnormalities like a slow thyroid can contribute. But the vast majority of cases are due to overeating and lack of exercise. Check out the CDC's website, the National Institute of Health, or the Mayo Clinic for more info.
Comment: Ummm, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but obesity is not the only disease that has risen drastically over those same 40 years. ADHD, Alzheimer's, Asthma, Autism... and the list goes on and on. Could it be there is something in the environment that is causing all of these problems, including obesity? I find it amazing that obesity researchers with multiple PHDs can't even pinpoint what causes the disease, yet many ignorant people still believe it is ALL about diet and exercise. A few months back, they even discovered a VIRUS that causes some obesity.
Comment: Consumer debt has also risen alarmingly in the past 40 years, perhaps this could be caused by a virus as well.
Comment: Does it surprise you that the horrible lifestyle Americans lead now could be the cause of an icnrease in disease in general? Obesity is a disease exacerbated by lifestyle--down try and pawn it off on genetics or a virus only. You realize, even if that's the initial cause, the lifestyle many obese (and autistic, ADHD, etc.) people live are only making it worse? Now tell me that lifestyle is something that a person can't change for themselves.
Comment: I agree. I hear all sorts of excuses from people (It's genetics, it's my thyroid, I'm on insulin which makes me gain weight). You make a great point in articulating the rate in which obesity has increased. It cannot be a coincidence that obesity is on the rise as portion sizes have increased and we rely more on restaurant meals. People seem to want WHAT they want WHEN they want it, and do not want to "sacrifice" their cravings for their health. They want everything they eat to taste like either sugar, salt, or fat and have lost the ability to taste FOOD. They say that it's too difficult or too expensive to eat healthy. BOLOGNE. Lots of things in life are hard, and we deal with it. I don't feel sorry for people who abuse their bodies out of laziness.
Comment: I completely agree with summer4077. Obese people obviously eat up more fuel than their thinner counterparts - so why shouldn't they have to pay more? I think charging per pound for airfare is a fantastic idea - it may even give obese parents incentive not feed their kids unhealthy junk. As for politial-correctness, you're dead on there, too. Why not just state it like it is? Sugar-coating everything just makes people feel like there aren't any consequences for their actions. If you have (unprotected) sex at 16, you'll probably get pregant. If you eat a bunch of junkfood and don't exercise, you'll end up fat. Simple as that. Responsible citizens shouldn't have to pay for other people's irresponsibility.
Comment: Muscle weighs more than fat.
