Too fat to fly

[loobielousplaits]

Is anyone/has anyone watched this?

It's a documentary about massively obese people being interviewed about being taken off flights/too fat to flight.

While I absolutely agree it's a 'fat shaming' programme - I can't agree with some of the comments from the interviewees that have complained they had to leave the plane due to an armrest not being able to go down - a woman wasn't able to visit the toilet, another who couldn't understand why someone would be offended that half their seat was taken up by overspill - a 32 st man was offended that he was asked to leave the aircraft because he couldn't safely fit in the seat and should have paid for two - pilot decided he wasn't safe to fly.

I'm torn - I absolutely understand weight is a huge issue (I was anorexic in my teens) and it is not easy to control your weight but come on - seriously? You cannot expect to be OK to fly if your weight affects health and safety and you can't fit safely in a seat

If I was put in that position of sitting next to someone who was in my space I would definitely complain and expect to be moved/upgraded or compensated.

Even if this was possibly legal - what if the plane is full? How would you tackle it? This would have made me feel even more uncomfortable than I already did

The persons leg was into my seat - the person the other side, there was a clear gap between us, and our legs were not touching anywhere. What and how would you complain...? Seriously this would surely be so upsetting for everyone

But for you to lump in ALL overweight and obese people, the vast majority of whom just eat too much and don't exercise enough, is not only insulting but really unhelpful in terms of helping either those with or without eating disorders to get better.

It’s that ‘vast majority’ thing I don’t quite see.

I know a lot of people who are overweight or obese. I suppose we all do. These are the reasons for the ten people I know best:
Severe arthritis and depression
Autism and depression
Autism and chronic fatigue
History of sexual assault and depression
Anxiety and alcoholism
Dyspraxia and anxiety
Autism and history of homophobic bullying
History of homophobic bullying and depression
History of sexual assault and anxiety
No reason I know of (but I don’t know everything)

I may know more people with disabilities than is typical. And my experience isn’t necessarily representative. But I don’t know many overweight people who don’t have fairly clear reasons for having troubled relationships with food and/or exercise. So I reckon this idea that the ‘vast majority’ of overweight people are lazy or greedy just doesn’t stand up.

Get the flight assistant or whatever they call themselves and say that you've not got a seat because someone is taking up theirs and yours. I'd ask very strongly to be moved somewhere else.
People who are very big know it and should book an aisle seat. its not acceptable for anyone to be squashed by another person.

People who are very big know it and should book an aisle seat.

What difference does that make if I’m sat in the middle seat?

They can spill out more into the aisle and move over more, leaving the person in the middle untouched.

I know a lot of people who are overweight or obese. I suppose we all do. These are the reasons for the ten people I know best:
Severe arthritis and depression
Autism and depression
Autism and chronic fatigue
History of sexual assault and depression
Anxiety and alcoholism
Dyspraxia and anxiety
Autism and history of homophobic bullying
History of homophobic bullying and depression
History of sexual assault and anxiety
No reason I know of (but I don’t know everything)

A lot of people are overweight because they eat too much and don't exercise. It would be so easy for me to be fat, trust me.

If we decide that fat people shouldn't bear the cost of their increased girth, then the cost should be borne by all the passengers on the plane rather than the the poor sod who happens to be sitting next to them.

No fucking Way would I put up with being squashed by an obese person on a flight.
It’s ridiculous.
We have to stop normalising obesity. It’s not normal. As for ‘fat shaming’ ffs, if someone’s too fat to sit normally in an airline seat then they need to be told. No way should anyone else’s safety and journey because of someone with no self control when it comes to diet.
I’ve been overweight myself and know how easy it is to get there.
These days I eat sensibly although still have the occasional binge days, I educated myself and I weigh myself every day to ensure it never creeps up on me again.

If this happened to me I would be making an almighty fuss.

You pay for a full seat and I won’t be sharing it with anybody.

Normalising obesity is getting worse.

Way to start a bun flight OP!

It would be so easy for me to be fat, trust me.

^

Me too. Instead I say no.

know a lot of people who are overweight or obese. I suppose we all do. These are the reasons for the ten people I know best:
Severe arthritis and depression
Autism and depression
Autism and chronic fatigue
History of sexual assault and depression
Anxiety and alcoholism
Dyspraxia and anxiety
Autism and history of homophobic bullying
History of homophobic bullying and depression
History of sexual assault and anxiety
No reason I know of (but I don’t know everything)^

All those people are over weight because they choose to eat too much. I say this as an ex obese person who made excuses for myself for years.

Calories in vs calories out.

I once had the first 3 days of a 7 day holiday ruined after sitting next to an obese lady who took half my seat. The arm rest would not go down.
I have fibromyagia and back problems so being crammed and not being able to adjust myself meant I spend the first 3 days of the holiday in pain unable to move or play with my DS.
The plane was full so nowhere to move

All those people are over weight because they choose to eat too much.

I’m pretty sure that 9/10 of them are not making choices the same way I make choices around food. It’s much more complex than you are suggesting.

@BentNeckLady .Its not always that straightforward, people can have medical issues like an underactive thyroid, things like PCOS, Cushings etc that make weight gain more likely and some medications make people gain weight as well.

*It would be so easy for me to be fat, trust me.

^

Me too. Instead I say no*

Me too. I have been a bit fat in the past tho. Like 2st over (4st post baby) I would really really like to have chocolate right now as I’ve got PMT. However I’m trying to get away from comfort eating and binge eating so we purposely do not have any in the house apart from DDs Easter egg

To everyone saying that if you weigh more you should pay more/ or have a set allowance for both body weight and luggage - by definition men will have to at least pay for luggage as they're more likely to be heavier. Will it also be country dependant? Pretty big difference between the average height in Japan for example as opposed to Denmark. As height will affect weight up to a point.

To be honest the whys and wherefores of why an individual is overweight make not one iota of difference to the circumstance.

An airline's first priority must always be safety. If someone cannot safely fly, then they shouldn't fly at all. This will exclude some people from taking flights through illness or disability or pregnancy or weight.

Consider what you're doing when you take a flight (it's become so normal that we consider it everyday, but humour me for a moment) - we are ground-dwelling apes speeding through the air at 35,000 feet of altitude in a pressurised metal tube. It's not normal or safe! Safety records might be excellent and I don't have a fear of flying, but I'm under no illusion that what I'm doing isn't a technological marvel and which the human body is certainly not designed to do! It's therefore unsurprising that it can't accommodate every type of person.

Flights are a luxury and a privilege (even if you are flying with Ryanair). Noone has an inalienable right to fly, especially not with the carbon footprint of your average flight.

I don't think its cruel or discriminatory to say to someone that they cannot be safely accommodated in a plane seat and to check whether they can be safely accommodated (e.g. at check-in). Especially when there are so many other options: buy two seats, buy a premium economy / first class seat, take a slower surface method of travel, lose weight, holiday closer to home, have your meeting via conference call, whatever it may be.

No fucking Way would I put up with being squashed by an obese person on a flight.

I didn't put up with it either and was accused of the woman behind me of fat shaming the couple I was being engulfed by when I was moving seat. They got what they wanted in the end by booking an aisle seat and window seat. I enjoyed the rest of the flight in an extra legroom seat without being engulfed by other people's bodies.

As others have said on this thread some obese people refuse to acknowledge the impact they have on others on flights and others are expected to put up with it.

I still agree with having a seat that overweight people have to try before boarding and if they don't fit or spill over the edge then they either don't fly or book another seat. If the flight is full and can't accommodate them then tough luck.

What does that even mean?!

Well, Kennehora, it means that with decreasing seat sizes the probability of large, tall and/or muscular people spilling over into other seats increases. But it is a multifactored problem, which also depends on the respective person's self consciousness or entitlement. Which is why men, who are generally taller, more muscular and feel more entitled will spill into other seats more easily. It is called manspreading.

In summary it means your tall, atheltic partners not spilling into other seats doesn't prove that spilling does not correlate with body heigth, muscularity and gender.

It is called manspreading

That would be me on the last time I sat in standard short-haul economy seat. I had to sit sideways with my legs in the space in the seat next to me. Luckily, that was occupied by my wife. To keep in my own space, I would have had to stand up for the duration of the flight.

I had to sit sideways with my legs in the space in the seat next to me.

That's not manspreading.

Manspreading is when a man sits there with his legs wide open, so each leg ends up in the person's space either side of him.

Well it can cause long-term injuries for the squashed passengers-

“Barbara Hewson, 63, suffered a blood clot, torn leg muscles and sciatica after being squashed against the 23-stone woman during the 11-hour Virgin Atlantic flight to Los Angeles. Almost two years after the incident in January 2001 she is still in pain and walks with a stick.”

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1410877/Airline-passenger-crushed-by-23-st-woman-wins-13000.html

I’d imagine situations like this woman’s will only have become more common in the last 18 years...

Not the same issue, but an illustration of the problems with airline seats and very tall people...Last week I flew long haul (15 hour flight)on a far from full plane, and booked an aisle seat, with my friend in the aisle seat opposite so we could chat. I was seated in the centre block of seats, there were 4 seats across, and the only other occupant of the row was seated on the other aisle seat-4 seats to share between us. Both this gentleman and I got up for the loo about 15 minutes into the flight, and when we returned, our seats were occupied by two very tall, very long-legged young men, who spoke no English. They indicated that they needed the room, and wanted to sleep on the flight, and absolutely refused to move. Cabin staff could not make them move, and gave us both an inferior seat. However my friend and the lovely Irish man in front of me championed my cause and wouldn't let it go - "She's only an old lady-how could you do this to her?", and other people were irate at the principle of having a booked seat "stolen". Eventually the young seat thief reluctantly gave up my seat and was moved to another aisle seat, where he sat with his legs obstructing the free movement of passengers. The third friend in the party, who was sitting behind, but to the side of me (the seat immediately behind me was empty) proceeded to slam the folding table open and closed all night (he wasn't using it), kick the back of my seat and generally be a pain. The other seat thief at the end of the row kept possession of his seat, by the simple precept of utterly refusing to move. He then lay down and spread out across all 3 available seats, with his face only centimetres away from my crotch. Sure, being tall is tricky-and I'm very tall - but the airlines don't want confrontation and appear to tolerate bullying by people whose body conformation doesn't fit standard seats. There does need to be some more variety in seating to accommodate all body types.

I'd imagine situations like this woman’s will only have become more common in the last 18 years

Probably, because obesity is being normalised and people are expected to not mention others being fat.

People often moan about children on planes on MN, I'd much rather be sat beside a wriggly screaming child than an obese person spilling into my space. I'm more than happy to move over in my seat for a sleeping child or lift the armrest so they can sit between myself and their parent. I've on more than one occasion had children on my knee so lone travelling parents can eat their meal or had a child's feet over me so they can sleep. Why? Because it's my choice and not inflicted on me unlike obese people who try and squeeze themselves into seats expecting everyone else to suck it up.

I'm sorry but anxiety, autism, depression and chronic fatigue are not reasons to be obese. I know several people with these conditions and they are all skinny. You can't justify every fault in life with your mental illness (and I would know!). Really grinds my gears when I hear shit like:

"Oh I can't help being paranoid and snooping around on my partner, it's just my anxieties". No, that's on you.

I binged and put on a stone because I got my heart broken, but after a few years of being tubby I realised it wasn't the guy's fault - I chose to react like that! People need to take ownership of their own choices and how they exercise their own free will, rather than "so and so made me do it".