Should you pay extra if you’re fat?

The Parade magazine, which is an insert in newspapers nationwide, is conducting a poll. Should obese fliers be required to buy two seats if their girth prevents them from lowering the armrest that divides the seat?

Apparently Southwest Airlines will be pulling passengers aside and, because of their weight they will be required to purchase a second ticket. If the flight is not full, the passenger will qualify for a refund.

According to a Southwest representative the airline instituted this policy due to complaints from adjoining passengers. The airline believes that “People should be able to breath a little easier without their neighbor encroaching”. The airline also wants to “Give everybody the room they need”.

When I read this on Sunday I immediately placed my "yes" vote. On Sunday the poll showed a 90% “yes” and 10% “no” vote.

So,why did I vote “yes”? Because I have been, more times than I want to remember, what I call the baloney in the “seat sandwich”. I have sat in the middle seat with large individuals on each side of me. I have had the displeasure of having their elbows jabbing into my sides. I have also dealt with their bodies flowing into my seat prohibiting me from being able to move as well as dealing with their computers and carry on items falling on me since they have no room in their own seat. I placed my vote and it was a resounding, “yes”!

And then, I started to think about this ethical question. I have a brother-in-law who is built like a linebacker. As a matter of fact, he did play football in high school. This guy is wide. From shoulder to shoulder he’s about double my size. He’s a big guy, but he’s not fat. He’s a big guy and he’s also healthy. So, is it ethical to ask him to pay for another seat because he looks fat?

Who will decide who is too fat and who isn’t? Will the airlines have a girth-o-meter that someone will have to step into at the gate? Will bells and whistles go off so everyone knows that the person is fat? What if someone doesn’t want to buy another ticket?

Will the airlines stop a person from boarding the plane altogether? Isn’t this an airline issue because they keep shrinking the seat space so they can put more passengers on a plane?

As an exercise physiologist I know that body size does not dictate health. I know many thin people who are very unhealthy. I also know an ultra marathoner who runs 50-mile races who is large yet he's healthy. However, I also know that one out of every three adults in this country are considered obese.

Obviously, there are many questions that surround this move by Southwest airline. For me, this issue brings up the question of discrimination, the dignity of human beings, being considerate to all passengers as well as the issue of obesity in our country. Think about it. If so many adults weren’t obese this move by Southwest wouldn’t be necessary. Would it?

I have to say that now I’m not so sure about my resounding “yes” vote. I have to rethink this because it’s a tough call. There really is more to this than whether I am inconvenienced on a plane.

At the writing of this blog the vote at the Parade site was 64% “yes” and 36% “no”.
Is it time to start charging individuals for their unhealthy habits? What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Wind