Obesity is on the rise

[Beardo]

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Obese people have the right to two seats for the price of one on flights within Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Thursday.

The high court declined to hear an appeal by Canadian airlines of a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency that people who are "functionally disabled by obesity" deserve to have two seats for one fare.

The airlines had lost an appeal at the Federal Court of Appeal in May and had sought to launch a fresh appeal at the Supreme Court. The court's decision not to hear a new appeal means the one-person-one-fare policy stands.

The appeal had been launched by Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz and WestJet.

(Reporting by Randall Palmer)

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddly...4AJ8G020081120

[- IqRa -]

that people who are "functionally disabled by obesity" deserve to have two seats for one fare.

.... :muddlehea

[GuestFellow]

Gosh I feel lucky that I am not obese o.o....

[nebula]

im not fat im just big boned imsad lol

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[Beardo]

im not fat im just big boned imsad lol

We're on the same boat then. I'm also... big.. boned...

[Beardo]

I'm not obese, and I hope I never become overweight insha-Allah.

[Little_Lion]

"I'm not fat, I'm POOFY!"

Sorry, I liked "Ice Age". XD I'll be the first to admit that I am overweight (but working on it!) but nononononono, obese people should NOT get an extra seat for free; UNLESS, and only unless, they have a documented medical condition that shows it is due to illness or disease (and I don't count food addiction as a "disease"), in which case they should be handled as any other disabled traveler, which on most airlines in the US at least is accommodation within the airline's capability to make them comfortable at no extra fee. Having been married to a disabled person, I know this can mean bumped flights, less than convenient seats, and odd flying hours. I wonder if that is what many obese people would be fighting for . . . . ;)

[Beardo]

^ Lol, and don't forget, "I'm not fat. I just have big bones."

Yeah, I know... in Canada, you have to give two free seats to obese people. :|

[Ğħαrєєвαħ]

wow interesting!

so is this only for those who are in Canada? or else where too?

[GuestFellow]

@ Little_Lion

I thought obesity is an illness to begin with.

[Little_Lion]

@Guestfellow - obesity may be a symptom or result of an illness, such as a thyroid condition. It is not in itself an illness, especially if it is a result of eating poorly and lack of exercise.

[Ghazalah]

"I'm not fat, I'm POOFY!"

Lol I love that. :p

[Pygoscelis]

This makes me ashamed to be Canadian. :hiding:

[Fivesolas]

I am still very muscular, its just moved to my mid-section over time.

[CosmicPathos]

This makes me ashamed to be Canadian. :hiding:

why so? I am quite happy to see this decision. Most obese people are obese because its not that they do not want to get slim. Obesity is hard to control. Also, there are many underlying genetic factors at play which predispose people to obesity. If society at large keep making fun of obese people, it will not do to solve this rising issue obesity which is actually precipitated by modern sedentary lifestyle. Exercise alone actually does not help obese people to loose weight. Its a mix of exercise and healthy diet. And what is healthy diet? Everyone's body is different, what might be healthy for one person might be unhealthy for another.

After observing morbidly obese patients undergo bone biopsies and synovial fluid analysis etc and hearing these shrieks, I realized they are as humans as us we cannot blame them entirely for their obesity. Just like we cannot blame smokers entirely for smoking. They are addicted, they need help. Not moral taunting.

[BoredAgnostic]

"I'm not fat, I'm POOFY!"

Sorry, I liked "Ice Age". XD I'll be the first to admit that I am overweight (but working on it!) but nononononono, obese people should NOT get an extra seat for free; UNLESS, and only unless, they have a documented medical condition that shows it is due to illness or disease (and I don't count food addiction as a "disease"), in which case they should be handled as any other disabled traveler, which on most airlines in the US at least is accommodation within the airline's capability to make them comfortable at no extra fee. Having been married to a disabled person, I know this can mean bumped flights, less than convenient seats, and odd flying hours. I wonder if that is what many obese people would be fighting for . . . . ;)

I agree. I understand how difficult addiction can be, but why enable those that have a serious issue? It's not about humiliating those that are obese; I just don't see why there should be extra accommodations. If you occupy two seats then you should pay for those two seats, simple as that.

[Pygoscelis]

why so? I am quite happy to see this decision. Most obese people are obese because its not that they do not want to get slim. Obesity is hard to control. Also, there are many underlying genetic factors at play which predispose people to obesity. If society at large keep making fun of obese people, it will not do to solve this rising issue obesity [which is actually precipitated by modern sedentary lifestyle.

I agree with all you have written here. But denying somebody a free second seat on an airplane is not making fun of them. It is demanding that they pay their way like everybody else. If you take more space you should pay for that space. If you can't fit in one seat and need two seats, I have no problem with that, but you should pay for that seat. Why should the airline pay, and thus the rest of us pay with higher prices for our tickets, for the obese person's second seat?

This is special treatment for obese people and it embarasses me that it is happening in my homeland. :hiding:
Now, if we ALL got two seats for the price of one, that'd be different.

And no, I really don't have much empathy for the vast majority of fat people. It is true that some are that way due to a glandular or genetic flaw (I do have empathy for those select few), but far far more are that way by choice, which is reflected by the growing numbers of such people. Would anybody seroiusly argue that glandular and genetic issues re obesity got so widespread so fast? No. It is more and more people eating badly and sitting on their bums. And the more that do it and the more it becomes socially taboo to criticize it, the more will follow them into it. We shouldn't make fun of them or hate on them for being obese, but we shouldn't praise or reward them for it either, and we shouldn't stop people from expressing concern for it. No, it really isn't healthy and it really isn't good.

Just like we cannot blame smokers entirely for smoking.

For smoking tobaco? Yes, I'm pretty sure we can blame them. I am not aware of anybody being born needing to smoke tobaco. They can do their smoking away from non-smokers and not pollute the airspace of the rest of us. And they can pay a premium for it, that the rest of us should not subsidize. I don't make fun of smokers or hate them for smoking. But I do expect them, as I expect voluntarily obese people, to take some personal responsibility for their poor choices and to not demand special treatment or subsidizing so they can continue in their chosen path.

They are addicted, they need help.

Yes I agree. They need help getting OUT of these patterns, not coddling within these patterns. Giving fat people a free second seat doesn't encourage them to eat better or exercise. If anything it does the opposite.

[Haya emaan]

sounds interesting.. two seats for obese person.. that must be a good decision
how can these people manage a single seat.....

[GuestFellow]

Why should the airline pay, and thus the rest of us pay with higher prices for our tickets, for the obese person's second seat?

Because you're a kind, caring and considerate person.

For smoking tobaco? Yes, I'm pretty sure we can blame them. I am not aware of anybody being born needing to smoke tobaco.

It is not entirely their fault in some cases. Some people have problems beyond their control and unfortunately turn to smoking. It is a coping mechanism.

to take some personal responsibility for their poor choices and to not demand special treatment

Would you deny them access to public health care?

[BoredAgnostic]

The prices for a pack of cigs in some areas is fairly high, if enough smokers demand that every purchase should be "buy one, get one free", should the government comply, since its an addiction and not entirely their fault? No
If we start bending backwards to make a really unhealthy lifestyle seem "Ok", then there's going to be little incentive for people to change.

[CosmicPathos]

I agree with all you have written here. But denying somebody a free second seat on an airplane is not making fun of them. It is demanding that they pay their way like everybody else. If you take more space you should pay for that space. If you can't fit in one seat and need two seats, I have no problem with that, but you should pay for that seat. Why should the airline pay, and thus the rest of us pay with higher prices for our tickets, for the obese person's second seat?

This is special treatment for obese people and it embarasses me that it is happening in my homeland. :hiding:
Now, if we ALL got two seats for the price of one, that'd be different.

And no, I really don't have much empathy for the vast majority of fat people. It is true that some are that way due to a glandular or genetic flaw (I do have empathy for those select few), but far far more are that way by choice, which is reflected by the growing numbers of such people. Would anybody seroiusly argue that glandular and genetic issues re obesity got so widespread so fast? No. It is more and more people eating badly and sitting on their bums. And the more that do it and the more it becomes socially taboo to criticize it, the more will follow them into it. We shouldn't make fun of them or hate on them for being obese, but we shouldn't praise or reward them for it either, and we shouldn't stop people from expressing concern for it. No, it really isn't healthy and it really isn't good.



For smoking tobaco? Yes, I'm pretty sure we can blame them. I am not aware of anybody being born needing to smoke tobaco. They can do their smoking away from non-smokers and not pollute the airspace of the rest of us. And they can pay a premium for it, that the rest of us should not subsidize. I don't make fun of smokers or hate them for smoking. But I do expect them, as I expect voluntarily obese people, to take some personal responsibility for their poor choices and to not demand special treatment or subsidizing so they can continue in their chosen path.



Yes I agree. They need help getting OUT of these patterns, not coddling within these patterns. Giving fat people a free second seat doesn't encourage them to eat better or exercise. If anything it does the opposite.

well so are you saying that blind people must pay for special services they receive in governmental institutions? If so that would be very immoral. Are you saying that a child born with down syndrome should not be provided additional facilitative services free of cost if he/she cannot afford it? Are you saying that a person with no legs should not be provided prosthetics free of cost if it enables their life? Seems to be quite an immoral worldview. Fat people, by virtue of their disease, need more space. They must pay what everyone else pays. They are not taking more space because they want to for luxurious purposes. They are taking more space because their very existence demands so. To deny the rights of their hefty existence, which is not by their free choice, is denying them their right to be treated as respectable persons.

[Little_Lion]

mad, you know there's a great difference between being blind, having Down's Syndrome, and being obese . . . two are not options, the third is. And when the third is not, such as in cases where there is a true underlying medical condition, then the disability is not in the obesity but the disease that caused it.

Smokers choose to smoke - it's easy to start, and tough to quit, but it is still a CHOICE. Overeaters choose to eat excessively and not exercise - it's a lot easier to be lazy, and Doritos sure taste better than celery, but allowing themselves to gain the weight was still an avoidable CHOICE. A disease or disability is not a choice, and there's a lot of people with true disabilities and illnesses who take GREAT exception to things like smoking or overeating being lumped in with cancer, or multiple sclerosis, or amputation.