- 23 Sep 2005
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"A 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";
Full story;
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Australia airline 'fat tax' urged
I think its a great idea if there was a fat tax on airlines. I know its a harsh idea, but its a fair idea.
""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."
I agree with this above statement concerning obesity
""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."
Yes these people have a problem, but it is a problem which in the large majority of cases is self-inflicted, why should people of good body weight have to suffer for those which are obese?
Don't get me wrong, i do sympathise for fat people and i do not choose my friends based on their weight, as far as i am concerned someone who weighs 20 stone could be just as nice a person as someone who weighs 10 stone.
But obesity is a major problem which is on the rise that many western societies face, and we need to do something about it, because otherwise we are heading for major health problems in this country which will put a severe financial strain on our health systems.
Tobacco and alcohol is expensive because it is taxed a great deal (minus the tax the products actually cost very little), the reason why it is taxed is because people who drink a alcohol or smoke tobacco are more likely to suffer health problems than those who don't, so the tax is needed to help pay for health problems brought about by these substances- if there wasn't such a high tax on alcohol and tobacco, health services would be even more financially strained and there would be even less money to fund better treatments for health problems brought about by these substances and more. The tax gained from these things is vital for our health services etc.
We can't tax unhealthy foods though (although if there was a good and fair way to do it, it wouldn't be such a bad idea) because even the most fattening of foods won't necessarily cause you to become overweight as long as you eat them in moderation or avoid eating them altogether.
So what do we do to help discourage people from becomming fat or fatter and where are we going to get the money for the ever increasingly strain these obesity problems are putting on our health services?
Yes, taxing obese people on plains may make them feel worse about their weight problems (and this may cause them to be even fatter depending on the reasons why their over-eat), but you could also say at the same time it may give the encouragement and motivation to some fat people to really seek help about their problems by making them more aware about how big they really are.
Like how with how many anorexics think they are bigger than what they really are, many obese people are also in denial about their weight problems and don't deal with them. If we are too kind to the obesity problem and too accepting of it how can we expect to make the obesity problem any better?
Yes maybe it will make obese people feel more excluded from society, but you can't let that get in the way- it would be like saying its not fair to have a smoking ban for indoor public places because it makes smokers feel more excluded from society.
As far as i am concerned you can do whatever you want with your body, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be expected to deal with the consequences of your actions/choices and shouldn't expect everyone to be happy and accepting of your actions/choices etc. The fact of the matter is that times are changing.
I smoke and i had to deal with the consequences of the ban on indoor smoking in public places, personally the ban didn't effect me much at all. I don't see why though that fat/obese people don't have to deal with the consequences of their actions though if they are having a detrimental effect on society.
Yes, some people really are overweight through no real fault of their own- one example i can give is one of my aunts, she used to be really slim but after going through and abusive marriage and suffering from certain health problems she developed bad depression and some other mental problems, so she was prescribed some medication to help her live with these problems so she could lead a normal and happy life (which now she does). The side effect of the medication though is that it made her fat, and she went from a size 6 to a size 16.
However, i would say that for the majority of overweight/fat/obese people their weight problems really are their own fault, and they are simply fat because they put the wrong foods or too much food in their mouths, and that the only person that can solve their weight problems is theirself.
I have suffered discomfort because of other people being obese.
For example, paying for tickets to go to Australia to see my family is very expensive and takes a whole year to save up for such a trip, the journey on the plain is very long and i expect to fly to australia in relevant comfort considering how expensive the tickets are. But it is really bad when you are stuck in economy class where the seats and space are already very small and the person sitting next to you is very obese and their fat is pushing through into your seat, under the arm rest and over it, leaving you pushing against the far side of your side with no arm rest space- you are left in a position which is not comfortable and which you can hardly relax in and let alone get any sleep in during the very long flight journey on the plane.
The the fat person needs to go to the toilet and they can barely sqeeze past you, so you either have to get out of your seat completely or suffer having the life squished out of your already numb legs while having their fat bum squeeze just inches away from your face. All night you are kept awake from them opening packets of peanuts and crisps as they munch loudly, feeding their weight problems. And don't get me started on the farts.
In a case such as this, wouldn't it just be better and far more comfortable for both of us, me and the fat person, if the fat person just payed for the extra seat they obviously need, and let me enjoy my flight journey in as much comfort as i posibly can (given that i also have a fear of flying)?
It would be good if planes did extra large seats for fat people, but at the end of the day they are always going to be more expensive than standard size seats since flying planes is a buisness and not a charity.
Anyways...I haven't completely made up my mind about this, and i know my opinions could be taken as very controversial or offensive to some. But i just think more needs to be done about the obesity problem.
What do you think about this whole subject?
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";
Full story;
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Australia airline 'fat tax' urged
I think its a great idea if there was a fat tax on airlines. I know its a harsh idea, but its a fair idea.
""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."
I agree with this above statement concerning obesity
""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."
Yes these people have a problem, but it is a problem which in the large majority of cases is self-inflicted, why should people of good body weight have to suffer for those which are obese?
Don't get me wrong, i do sympathise for fat people and i do not choose my friends based on their weight, as far as i am concerned someone who weighs 20 stone could be just as nice a person as someone who weighs 10 stone.
But obesity is a major problem which is on the rise that many western societies face, and we need to do something about it, because otherwise we are heading for major health problems in this country which will put a severe financial strain on our health systems.
Tobacco and alcohol is expensive because it is taxed a great deal (minus the tax the products actually cost very little), the reason why it is taxed is because people who drink a alcohol or smoke tobacco are more likely to suffer health problems than those who don't, so the tax is needed to help pay for health problems brought about by these substances- if there wasn't such a high tax on alcohol and tobacco, health services would be even more financially strained and there would be even less money to fund better treatments for health problems brought about by these substances and more. The tax gained from these things is vital for our health services etc.
We can't tax unhealthy foods though (although if there was a good and fair way to do it, it wouldn't be such a bad idea) because even the most fattening of foods won't necessarily cause you to become overweight as long as you eat them in moderation or avoid eating them altogether.
So what do we do to help discourage people from becomming fat or fatter and where are we going to get the money for the ever increasingly strain these obesity problems are putting on our health services?
Yes, taxing obese people on plains may make them feel worse about their weight problems (and this may cause them to be even fatter depending on the reasons why their over-eat), but you could also say at the same time it may give the encouragement and motivation to some fat people to really seek help about their problems by making them more aware about how big they really are.
Like how with how many anorexics think they are bigger than what they really are, many obese people are also in denial about their weight problems and don't deal with them. If we are too kind to the obesity problem and too accepting of it how can we expect to make the obesity problem any better?
Yes maybe it will make obese people feel more excluded from society, but you can't let that get in the way- it would be like saying its not fair to have a smoking ban for indoor public places because it makes smokers feel more excluded from society.
As far as i am concerned you can do whatever you want with your body, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be expected to deal with the consequences of your actions/choices and shouldn't expect everyone to be happy and accepting of your actions/choices etc. The fact of the matter is that times are changing.
I smoke and i had to deal with the consequences of the ban on indoor smoking in public places, personally the ban didn't effect me much at all. I don't see why though that fat/obese people don't have to deal with the consequences of their actions though if they are having a detrimental effect on society.
Yes, some people really are overweight through no real fault of their own- one example i can give is one of my aunts, she used to be really slim but after going through and abusive marriage and suffering from certain health problems she developed bad depression and some other mental problems, so she was prescribed some medication to help her live with these problems so she could lead a normal and happy life (which now she does). The side effect of the medication though is that it made her fat, and she went from a size 6 to a size 16.
However, i would say that for the majority of overweight/fat/obese people their weight problems really are their own fault, and they are simply fat because they put the wrong foods or too much food in their mouths, and that the only person that can solve their weight problems is theirself.
I have suffered discomfort because of other people being obese.
For example, paying for tickets to go to Australia to see my family is very expensive and takes a whole year to save up for such a trip, the journey on the plain is very long and i expect to fly to australia in relevant comfort considering how expensive the tickets are. But it is really bad when you are stuck in economy class where the seats and space are already very small and the person sitting next to you is very obese and their fat is pushing through into your seat, under the arm rest and over it, leaving you pushing against the far side of your side with no arm rest space- you are left in a position which is not comfortable and which you can hardly relax in and let alone get any sleep in during the very long flight journey on the plane.
The the fat person needs to go to the toilet and they can barely sqeeze past you, so you either have to get out of your seat completely or suffer having the life squished out of your already numb legs while having their fat bum squeeze just inches away from your face. All night you are kept awake from them opening packets of peanuts and crisps as they munch loudly, feeding their weight problems. And don't get me started on the farts.
In a case such as this, wouldn't it just be better and far more comfortable for both of us, me and the fat person, if the fat person just payed for the extra seat they obviously need, and let me enjoy my flight journey in as much comfort as i posibly can (given that i also have a fear of flying)?
It would be good if planes did extra large seats for fat people, but at the end of the day they are always going to be more expensive than standard size seats since flying planes is a buisness and not a charity.
Anyways...I haven't completely made up my mind about this, and i know my opinions could be taken as very controversial or offensive to some. But i just think more needs to be done about the obesity problem.
What do you think about this whole subject?