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

You never burn 1000 calories from running 3 miles and waling 2! lol

Lol away. That isn’t all I do all day.

Ah I knew all the smug fuckers would turn up to tell me how wrong I was. How they know better than me about how active I am and what I eat

What do you eat on an average day?

What do you eat on an average day?

Why should I justify what I eat to you?

HoustonBess 90% of people who lose weight eventually regain most of it.
Why do you think that is? Could it possibly be because they go back to the way they used to eat and start eating too many calories again?
Yes it really is that simple (bar a few medical issues). Eat the right number of calories to match your energy expenditure = maintanence. Calorie deficit = weight loss. Calorie excess = weight gain.

I've been on a long bus journey next to a obese lady. She was lovely, good chat but her overspill (is that even a word?) was on my leg. A bit inconvenient getting into my personal space yes but what was horrible was the sweat rash I had on my leg afterwards. Unpleasant. Avoiding sitting next to her on the bus for the rest of the journey.

Sadly if you are on the larger side you have to accept you need to adapt.

And yet again on MN, when it comes to weight, personal responsibility rarely comes into it, it's always the nasty advertisers, the junk food manufactures, a raft of obscure psychological disorders, somebody else's fault.

Well said kennehora. Scoffing a few too many mincepies and domino pizzas does not equal an 'eating disorder'.

Unofficially I think they sort of do. I weigh around 60kgs and probably look like I weigh less than that. If I've inadvertently gone a kg or 2 over a luggage limit staff don't pull me up on it

My wife weighs around a stone less and has been pulled up on it. She had to open her case in front of the check-in queue and remove some stuff. Which I then stuffed into my pockets.

Because you've claimed that you violate the laws of physics, as you burn more calories than you use every day and yet don't lose weight.

I didn’t say that. I said I burn 1000 active calories I eat more that 1000 calories.
I’m not saying that I don’t lose weight but I lose it by a tiny tiny amount.

What I am trying to say is that people who are overweight are not all sat there eating pies and crisps all day long.
Some people can be overweight despite leading a healthy lifestyle.

Very far from perfect. I just don't lie to myself or anyone else to dodge responsibility for my weaknesses.

So glad you clearly live in my house and see every mouthful

I think dieters fail for a variety of reasons:

1. Willpower is finite so any diet relying on willpower is only a short term solution.
2. People are increasingly self medicating with food (comfort eating) in a stressed out high pressure isolated society. Furthermore, this is encouraged “you deserve it”
3. Every celebration involves food. And we are Americanised now so our celebrations are bigger. Back in the 80s you got a little Buttons Easter egg. Now it’s an Easter egg hunt and some giant in yer face egg “you’re worth it!”
4. Things reserved for special occasions when I was small (a coke in the pub on a Sunday after a country walk) are now consumed daily and are bottomless
5. The low fat agenda, brought in around 1982 has failed spectacularly but no one will admit it. We have got fatter ever since.

I’m fat.

Virgin has the option to pay £65 for a second seat which I always did as a courtesy to others (I can fit in a seat, I need a seat belt extender).

They’ve now removed this option. I have to pay for an entire other seat now at full price. It isn’t happening

I don't see this as discrimination.

More often than not, obesity is due to an individuals choices. Yes, medication/health issues can cause weight gain, but this is the exception, not the rule and anyone in the medical profession will agree.

If anything, it should encourage obese passengers to take responsibility for their health. Other passengers should not have to be made uncomfortable in seats they've paid for because of the life choices of someone else.

"Non overweight is already in the minority. Ten years time we might have people conducting interventions on anyone slim as it will no longer be the norm. Slim people will be carted off and force fed"

Yes. This is TOTALLY going to happen. 🙄

Some people can be overweight despite leading a healthy lifestyle
That is true, but they are still eating too many calories, albeit in the form of 'healthy food'.

It isn’t happening. So you plan to continue encroaching on the seat that someone else has paid for, for their own exclusive use, PrincessMushroom??
I’d refuse to sit next to you.

Because you've claimed that you violate the laws of physics,

It can’t be just physics. People aren’t machines. What about biology and the role of various hormones in weight gain/loss, especially in terms of individual differences? I’d like to know more about that.

As for obesity and flying: it seems fairly reasonable to me that someone who doesn’t fit in a standard seat should pay extra for more space, but I can’t imagine it affects a great many people. I recently flew with a relative who is 22 stone and she didn’t spill into my seat. I’d never fat shame anyone but I also don’t want to be in contact with a stranger’s body for more than a few seconds.

Some people can be overweight despite leading a healthy lifestyle

What does “healthy” even mean now?

My DC’s cereal box (like a lot of cereals) shouts about how it is vegan. It’s all written in green, there are leaves and the subliminal message is:healthy. It’s full of sugar.

My poor diabetic FIL was told to cut down on fat and not to eat an avocado. Because of course DIETARY FAT CAUSES DIABETES everyone!!!🤦🏻‍♂️ Nowt to do with all the unlimited “heart healthy whole grains” you’re recommending-they won’t spike his insulin. But an avocado will🤷‍♀️

I’m convinced the NHS wants us all dead

The sheer amount of sanity in this thread is heartwarming to say the least. Looks like we're seriously waking up to the problem.

And yeah, it's simple physics and mathematics. Calories In - Calories Out.

30% larger seats for people who take up 30% more space - and which cost 30% more - sounds just fine to me, but I think it only actually solves the problem if airlines can make people who need them use them, and at that point you're going to get a lot of vocal complaining about it.

That's why the model would need to be as I suggested. Larger standard seats, and the option of cheaper small ones available for people who fitted them.

I guess it would have to work the same way it does with your luggage allowance. They weigh it and if it's over you either dump it or agree to pay excess. At check in, if the staff were in doubt about your ability to fit comfortably into a standard economy seat they could reserve the right to insist you get weighed/measured and insist you pay to upgrade to the larger seat - assuming there is one available. If not, you lose your flight.

Sounds harsh but it's no different to anything else in the T&Cs - you know the score when you book. Take it or leave it. Wheelchair users have to accept they can't sit on board in their wheelchair for health and safety reasons so I don't see how this is any different.

Our society is ENORMOUSLY unhealthy. Food is engineered to be addictive. Most people are not naturally obese, in fact it's practically impossible. Someone can only become obese through eating too much of certain foods (over-eating celery is not going to cause obesity.)

It makes me sad that people are led to think they have no control over being obese 'it's in my genes', 'I'm big boned' when it is practically 100% a result of our societies attitude towards food and the way its' manufactured. It is VERY hard to become obese when you eat whole foods and exercise.