Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Too fat to fly

968 replies

loobielousplaits · 02/04/2019 23:55

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

OP posts:
CardsforKittens · 03/04/2019 23:28

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".

Yeah, that’s the same as autism, depression, anxiety, arthritis and sexual assault. You’ve totally convinced me.

HolyForkingShirt · 03/04/2019 23:36

You can't make excuses for obesity saying it must all be explained away by mental illness, because plenty of people (including me) have mental illnesses and are slim. Most people just eat too much and too much of the wrong food, and drive everywhere - the fat people I know eat shitty oven food, drive 3 mile journeys instead of cycling and drink 4 cans of coke a day. Blaming it on something else just leaves you as a powerless victim, "oh, poor me, I'm not responsible for being this fat, it's my X condition" and is totally unhelpful. The vast majority of people CAN change their weight themselves and should take responsibility for their own actions.

MadMillie · 03/04/2019 23:37

Yeah, that’s the same as autism, depression, anxiety, arthritis and sexual assault. You’ve totally convinced me.

Other people should be subjected to being crammed into a seat on an airline because someone is obese due to the above? No. No they shouldn't. If someone if obese they should not be expecting others to e sure. Flight due to the size of their body.

HolyForkingShirt · 03/04/2019 23:40

Also I'm pretty sure autism, depression, anxiety, arthritis and sexual assault have existed since the dawn of mankind, yet the obesity crisis has completely coincided with cars, a sedentary lifestyle and sugary processed food. Funny that.

TheGrey1houndSpeaks · 03/04/2019 23:41

Surely lots of people suffering from those things are slim? If they were all obese could be seen as a causative factor, but they really aren’t

MadMillie · 03/04/2019 23:42

That should have read 'endure the flight due to the size of their body'

Original poster
loobielousplaits · 03/04/2019 23:45

Wow - didn't expect this to take off so much as it has, but just goes to show how much of a problem it is - the answer? I still don't know - whilst we shouldn't enable obesity and crisis that is undoubtedly here - in the NHS we DO make changes such as bariatric beds, chairs etc. Recognising that no it's not ideal, but statistically there are far more obese people than years ago.

As for the comments I'm a GF and 'where is the OP' - apologies - I posted late at night have been on a 12 hour shift today and just got round to catch up.

You think I'm a GF or not genuine report me - I've been on here for years admittedly under numerous names.

And I absolutely am not fat shaming, like I've said I've been at the opposite side of the weight shame - I have a sister who is massively obese and absolutely can see it from both sides.

OP posts:
CardsforKittens · 03/04/2019 23:50

plenty of people (including me) have mental illnesses and are slim

Two of the five things I mentioned are mental illnesses. But on top of other health conditions those mental illnesses make weight loss particularly difficult. Clearly you don’t understand the complexities of overweight, which isn’t surprising since few people do. But your approach is neither helpful nor effective. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that you will continue to argue that since you lost a few pounds everyone can. Good luck with that!

Kennehora · 04/04/2019 00:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

badlydrawnperson · 04/04/2019 00:11

Given that most planes were designed and started manufacture decades ago, it would probably be a positive step for seats on new planes to be made larger given the collective increase in our waistlines!

Actually decades ago there was waaaay more space on planes. The fuckers keep putting in narrower seats closer together.

TrendyNorthLondonTeen · 04/04/2019 00:33

"Wow - didn't expect this to take off so much as it has, but just goes to show how much of a problem it is - the answer?"

You're really shocked that a fat bashing thread (even if you protest otherwise) has taken off on MN? 🙄

SnagAndChips · 04/04/2019 02:12

I watched this last week on Youtube.
It was deliberately meant to provoke strong feelings.
I felt sorry for the crew who obviously did not want to antagonise the overweight passengers- perhaps past experience?- which then made it unsafe for all people as they were not strapped in.

Dana28 · 04/04/2019 02:46

I got fatter for years and years because I had an undiagnosed underactive thyroid.How was t

hat my fault?.

Kennehora · 04/04/2019 03:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MarshaBradyo · 04/04/2019 03:59

Yes space has reduced on flights but so has cost so if you need or want more space then go premium economy or bc

Haven’t watched it but economy is miserable enough as it is these days without losing space to another passenger

MarshaBradyo · 04/04/2019 04:22

Or two seats.

But yep it’s not up to other passengers to be discomforted

brizzlemint · 04/04/2019 06:07

I'm overweight. I hard pics, an underactive thyroid and I'm on medication which causes weight gain. Presumably I should stay at home and not fly anywhere ?

brizzlemint · 04/04/2019 06:08

^ hard pics ?? Should be have pcos of course

deepwatersolo · 04/04/2019 06:51

If it was more than 10 pounds it wasn't caused by hypothyroidism, @Dana28**

^Massive weight gain is rarely associated
with hypothyroidism. In general, 5-10 pounds of body
weight may be attributable to the thyroid, depending on
the severity of the hypothyroidism^

Can we agree that the term 'rarely' does not equal the term 'never ever'? Just to point out the obvious flaw with this argument.

deepwatersolo · 04/04/2019 06:57

You can't make excuses for obesity saying it must all be explained away by mental illness, because plenty of people (including me) have mental illnesses and are slim.

Maybe it ain't the same mental illness. Or people, depending on other factors like life circumstances, have different coping mechanisms. Some people cut themselves, some people starve themselves, some are compelled to have random sex with strangers - doesn't mean just because one person uses one of those coping mechanisms, everybody must use the same.

WhoAteMyNuts · 04/04/2019 07:08

I don't think it matters why someone is obese. Surely the cause is irrelevant because the impact to the person sat next to them is the same whether it was caused by simply eating too much, medical or MH etc.

People can be sympathetic but equally expect not to be uncomfortable. It isn't an either or situation. If you can't fit into one seat then you upgrade or buy two.

I haven't flown economy for years as I always upgrade as I want more things that are offered as standard economy. I see that as no different to a person who is obese where the standard economy seat size does not give them enough room. They pay for what they need.

RottnestFerry · 04/04/2019 07:10

Yes space has reduced on flights but so has cost so if you need or want more space then go premium economy or bc

Tricky on most short haul or budget airline flights.

WhoAteMyNuts · 04/04/2019 07:13

Tricky on most short haul or budget airline flights.

Usually there are multiple operators which gives you the option of flying with someone else.

I think it comes down to money. Some people refuse to pay for things they need and choose to chance it that no one will complain if they overspill into someone else's personal and paid for space.

RottnestFerry · 04/04/2019 07:23

I haven't flown economy for years as I always upgrade as I want more things that are offered as standard economy. I see that as no different to a person who is obese where the standard economy seat size does not give them enough room. They pay for what they need

Looking at it from the perspective of somebody that travels economy and does pay for what they need (extra legroom), if extra width seats were made available, there would need to be some means of prioritising their use by passengers that need them due to excessive girth. As airlines will not know the size of people booking the seats until all the tickets are sold and everybody has checked in it could mean slim people being moved from extra wide seats to a standard width seat. I doubt they would be very happy.

WhoAteMyNuts · 04/04/2019 07:32

RottnessFerry but if you find the extra wide seats have gone you look on another flight or upgrade to PE/business etc. I still don't see an issue except it is coming down again to the fact that someone may resent paying more even though it is for what they need and just chance it or don't care.