Australia airline 'fat tax' urged

[Square Ball]

Is this discrimination or common sense, and how do you make the call who is obess and who isnt?

Frm the BBC

leading Australian nutritionist has urged airlines to charge obese passengers more for their seats.
Dr John Tickell believes a "fat tax" would highlight his country's obesity crisis and make commercial sense, as heavier loads increase fuel costs.

But health groups have warned that to single out people with weight problems could cause them emotional stress.

Recent studies estimate that 67% of Australian men and over half of women aged over 25 are overweight or obese.

Experts have warned that by 2030 half of the country's children will be overweight or obese if the problem goes unchecked.

In March, Australian health officials were forced to equip their fleet of ambulances with heavy-duty stretchers to cope with the sharp rise in overweight patients.

'Too precious'

Dr Tickell, a leading nutritionist and author, told the BBC that society should take a more hardline stance against obesity and get tough on fat airline passengers.

He said that Australian airlines should impose charges on their overweight clients, as they do for excess baggage, because heavier loads increase fuel costs.

  It's not fair to single out those people who have a problem, which is already impacting greatly on their life, and make them feel like pariahs

Dr Tim Gill
Australasian Obesity Society

"I fly Sydney to Perth - five hours - and being totally disadvantaged by some huge person next to me literally flopping over into my seat. Why should I pay the same as them?" he asked.

Dr Tickell said it was important to start highlighting Australia's obesity crisis.

"I think we're a bit too nice, we're a bit too precious about minority groups. I think the majority group must have something to say too," he added.


But the chief executive of the Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity, Dr Tim Gill, said penalty charges should not be imposed on overweight passengers.

"It's not fair to single out those people who have a problem, which is already impacting greatly on their life, and make them feel like pariahs," he said.

A spokesman for the Australian budge airline, Jetstar, said it had no plans to charge larger passengers more for their seats.

Airlines are, however, monitoring long-term trends in the size and shape of their customers, the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney says.

[pintsofguinness]

"I fly Sydney to Perth - five hours - and being totally disadvantaged by some huge person next to me literally flopping over into my seat. Why should I pay the same as them?" he asked.

Oh ffs he's got problems.

[J70]

"I fly Sydney to Perth - five hours - and being totally disadvantaged by some huge person next to me literally flopping over into my seat. Why should I pay the same as them?" he asked.

Oh ffs he's got problems.

Having someone sitting next to you spilling their excess girth over into your seat is definitely no fun.

Maybe the airlines should put a row or two of XL seats onto planes and insist on intrusively obese people buying them.

[An Fear Rua]

isnt there a big space underneath?,just put a few couches and a fridge in there and use them as balance? Cant wait to Ryanair annouce their special fat flights

[pintsofguinness]

Id rather have that than some smelly person or loud person or crying baby.

The last time I was on a plane a child (about 3) cried and screamed behind me the whole time.  Aaaaahhhh
Needed a good slap if you ask me!

[Gnevin]

Id rather have that than some smelly person or loud person or crying baby.

The last time I was on a plane a child (about 3) cried and screamed behind me the whole time.  Aaaaahhhh
Needed a good slap if you ask me!

If i was stuck on a plane with a grumpy fecker like you beside me i'd scream 

[pintsofguinness]

I wouldn't be talking to you!
Spilling over into your seat.
Smelling
being loud - what would the problem me?
I'd be an excellent person to sit beside.

[Snowed Under]

Exercise is the way forward; more walking should be encouraged; even something as simple as walking the length of a carpark to stock up on sweets instead of parking in allocated spaces could help.

[Snowed Under]

Id rather have that than some smelly person or loud person or crying baby.

The last time I was on a plane a child (about 3) cried and screamed behind me the whole time.  Aaaaahhhh
Needed a good slap if you ask me!

You really are unreal; slaping a 3 year old child because he/she was crying.     Sure tell you what because you choose not to have children ban kids from everything to make you feel at ease.  So to date abortion is all wrong - human life is sacred - no exceptions - but if a small child is in distress on an areoplane just hit him/her a slap and that will be grand, Jesus wept.

[theskull1]

Exercise is the way forward; more walking should be encouraged; even something as simple as walking the length of a carpark to stock up on sweets instead of parking in allocated spaces could help.

Is snowed under the only cyber stalker on the board these days, or does anybody else have one? 

[ziggysego]

SammyG is Tony Fearon's

[Snowed Under]

Exercise is the way forward; more walking should be encouraged; even something as simple as walking the length of a carpark to stock up on sweets instead of parking in allocated spaces could help.

Is snowed under the only cyber stalker on the board these days, or does anybody else have one? 

Ah Pints less we question him.  Judging by the amount of posts of some users on this board and the times does anyone else have a life could be a more apt question. 

[Gnevin]

I wouldn't be talking to you!
Spilling over into your seat.
Smelling
being loud - what would the problem me?
I'd be an excellent person to sit beside.

Fine be like that , just because i was in me Dublin jersey sing Molly Malone at the top of my voice .

[lfdown2]

Exercise is the way forward; more walking should be encouraged; even something as simple as walking the length of a carpark to stock up on sweets instead of parking in allocated spaces could help.

or walking instead of flying!!

[mannix]

Fat people should be put in bigger seats.I am 13 stone, i find some seats tight, how does a fella weighing 20 stone fit in?
Its unfair to anyone to have to share their seat with a big person.
I would ask to be moved or else ask for some consolation.Crying babies are one thing and I feel sorry for them usually, spoilt kids or indeed spoilt adults really annoy me.I saw a spoilt girl of about 7 hopping and jumping all through a 6 houir flight, her mother was delighted to tell everyone how she likes to sing and dance.Her mother refused to sit her down for landing and got a right bollocking from an irish air hostess who threatened to have her arrested for threatening the safety of other passengers, soon shut up but f' ed the head of some fella that was smiling too obviously for his own good.