One Show - Minute Video about Obese People Flying

[DeborahS]

Anyone see that last night?

It was actually a woman's reply to a "one minute video" earlier in the week (where a man had said that he thought that people's total allowances for flights should include their body weight - so light people would have much bigger baggage allowance than heavier people).

The woman on the video was very upset - she was saying that being overweight (or clinically obese) was not a lifestyle choice (it just happened - despite a healthy diet and active lifestyle). So it was unfair to penalise people for being overweight because it wasn't their fault.

thought prevoking stuff I thought.

Anyone else see it?

Deborah

 

[carolfoy]

my ex colleague used to work for Laker airlines and part of her check in duty in the early days was to weigh passengers with their bags prior to check in so they could calculate exact fuel requirements.

I remember being weighed last year prior to my grand canyon helicopter flight so they could balance the chopper properly. I think its the fairest way to do things to be honest (although I was three stone heavier at that point!)

I do feel sorry for people who are clinically obese but theres nothing worse than being sat betwen those people on a flight.
Do people in wheel chairs complain about being 'singled out' for special early boarding arrangements? no, its something they have learned to live with, its not their fault either, its just the way it goes, if people expect to travel but have a special requirement then the airline has no choice but to make allowances, I don't see it as being penalised, rather a safety feature.
also it would be rather difficult to book a flight 11 months ahead, who knows what my weight will be then?

 

[T16GEM]

Yep got to aggree with Carol and the couple in the video, at the end of the day most people have a choice about whether they are big or small, I know that some people have medical conditions and there is nothing that they can do but at the end of the day many many obese people are that way because they don't want to eat sensibly and take exercise. I am sure that I will be flamed for my views but as a person who is very careful about what I don weight wise I feel bad that I have to pay for extra baggage when others are carrying it and not being checked - no matter how they are carrying it - in a bag or in person they should be checked.

Just my opinion though.

 

[Chilly]

It isn't as simply as being normal weight or overweight though as that would discriminate against really tall people who obviously would weigh a lot more than short people.

 

[carolfoy]

but you could argue that tall people are discriminated against anyway due to the great lack of legroom in economy seating, those seats are only comfortable up to the height of about 5 foot 11, and only then if you're under-to-normal weight too.
tall people often book business class tickets simply because of the lack of comfort in economy, again, entirely their choice if they wish to travel.

 

[Dimplenose]

at the end of the day many many obese people are that way because they don't want to eat sensibly and take exercise.

I wish it were just that simple. I am sure most people WANT to do this but there are many, many other issues involved than just a desire to do it.

As for pricing the tickets it does seem unfair for all to pay the same, but how much extra would it cost to induvidually tailor the fares?

Libby

 

[T16GEM]

I wish it were just that simple. I am sure most people WANT to do this but there are many, many other issues involved than just a desire to do it.

As for pricing the tickets it does seem unfair for all to pay the same, but how much extra would it cost to induvidually tailor the fares?

Libby

Libby - you have missed off the bit where I say :

I know that some people have medical conditions and there is nothing that they can do

I understand that people have other issues which mean that they can't do anything about the way that they are.

You say that it would cost extra to individually tailor the fares, but it wouldn't be any different from how it is now with excess baggage - it's weighed and a standard per kilo charge is applied - however with obesity increasingly on the rise the airlines may need more staff to cope with the demand.

I think this is an emotive subject so that is my last post on this thread.

 

[Dimplenose]

I wasn't getting cross with your comments, it's so hard to get my tone right in a message, but I was genuinely wondering if there would be any extra costs involved, I hadn't even thought of being weighed at checkin and being charged in an "excess baggage" fashion. I had assumed passengerswould be paying extra when they buy their tickets, but then again I'm 5 stone lighter than I was 10 months ago so that probably wouldn't work.

Libby

 

[PaulaSB12]

Yep got to aggree with Carol and the couple in the video, at the end of the day most people have a choice about whether they are big or small, I know that some people have medical conditions and there is nothing that they can do but at the end of the day many many obese people are that way because they don't want to eat sensibly and take exercise. I am sure that I will be flamed for my views but as a person who is very careful about what I don weight wise I feel bad that I have to pay for extra baggage when others are carrying it and not being checked - no matter how they are carrying it - in a bag or in person they should be checked.

Just my opinion though.

Its not so easy, I have to admit to comfort eating when stressed and with 125 jobs going next year and another the year after, plus changing from 24/5 to 24/7 plus the worry about my mother I am getting really stressed out. I would go to my doctor but he is a patronising git who I don't trust that much, I don't want medications because I don't want to get hooked on anything. If you want to give up smoking there is much help from the medical proffession and people in your family and around help. If you are overweight you are assumed to be a fat greedy pig who just needs to eat sensibly, if only it was that easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I eat chocolate a bar lasts at least 3 days (and that is sharing it) I don't eat at mcdonalds or places like that (apart from holiday) I only eat out at resteraunts about 3 times a year. As I said I have lost a little weight but when you are eating because you are getting stressed out you do know it but breaking the circle of it isn't as easy as people are saying. I am just getting a little fed up with the way people are knocked if they are overweight, how unhealthy we are, how we are draining the nhs etc,etc. I am so unhealthy I haven't had ONE day of work sick in over 10 years (I worked for golden wonder 10 years ago, got some wotsits flavouring in a cut on my leg and it blew up after that took 1 day of it was so hot and angry! never ate them after that) I have seen my doctor for pap smear, to make sure I didn't have a period over holiday and to be told the lump on my hand was a ganglion (it didn't nead any treatment) so I haven't exactly cost anything.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

You have to take into account medical conditions, I am on steroids for a condition and they cause weight gain, others have other medical conditions.

I agree that excess luggage should be charged for, ( including carry on) -many people cannot choose their weight, if they could we all will have good figures.

The next stage would be to say, all smokers must pay extra for NHS services? Is that fair?

 

[carolfoy]

but with smokers being refused surgery on the grounds that they smoke and some obese people being refused the same because their personal weight already deems them a health risk we're going round in circles, The issue is: should airlines include personal body weight as part of the baggage allowance/, if they did then you'd know upfront based on your own weight exactly what baggage you can carry free and how much you'd have to pay for extra.