'Fat tax' proposed for obese passengers

A weight-control expert in Australia has put forward a controversial proposal for a tax to be levied from obese passengers flying on planes. The charge, dubbed a "fat tax," would be calculated per excess kilo of a passenger’s weight and would help pay for the extra fuel needed by aircraft to carry heavier loads.

"If you are going to charge for excess baggage, then charge fat people for excess weight," nutrition expert Dr John Tickell told Australia's The Sunday Telegraph.

"Airlines are buying fuel, and if you are carrying a heavy weight on a plane you have to pay more for it. But, instead, the rest of the public is paying for it. It's got to be restricted."

Dr Tickell said that he had been charged $100 to check in his golf clubs even though an overweight passenger weighed more than him and his clubs combined.

Unsurprisingly, many have objected to Dr Tickell's plans. Dr Tim Gill, from the Obese Society, said such a tax could make overweight people feel "like pariahs." "It's not fair to single out those people who have a problem, which is already impacting greatly on their life."

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What do you think? Is a tax on fat passengers a reasonable extension of excess baggage charges or a rude insult? Post your comments below...

Comments

[Annabel]

This is a complete outrage! Some airlines already demand that the overweight buy two seats on their flights and now this suggestion is being made that we should have to pay additional charges on top of that. I had to face the humiliation of being told I needed to get an extra seat on a trip to Australia recently. I was so embarrassed, I didn't even question the cost and just foolishly gave over my credit card. We may be bigger, but that doesn't mean we have deeper pockets, you know...

[Lucy Adams]

A fat tax sounds fair. It's just an extension of excess-baggage charges surely? Airlines should decide on a weight range and then charge anyone outside of that extra.

[Tom Dawes]

Annabel,

Just to say I spent the same amount of money for my ticket. Why should I be crushed by you? I'm entitled to a decent amount of space and not have bigger people spill over into my seat. If you need extra space, you should pay for it.

[Mary Baker]

This is unfair. Airlines are preying on people who have a medical problem. A lot of people can't help being overweight. How about airlines charging pregnant women twice because they're clearly carrying two people? Where does it end?

[Dimitri]

I think this is just funny. In my not overweight opinion:

There are so many factors which influence the price, and the weight is just a small part of it. Have you thought about the fact that sometimes planes are only 50-70 per cent occupied?

What about crying small children, people who snore and have stomach problems, they all can be disturbing but should they pay more fore it?

And by the way, it is usually more difficult and costly to handle the luggage into the plane than actually carry it by plane.

That's why there is a difference between a heavy and large item of luggage (which has to be handled) and fat people who actually can walk themselves into the plane. Some airlines like easyJet do not even have limitation for cabin luggage in terms of weight! And that's all because it does not have to be handled, you carry it just like you would carry your own fat.

So even though weight is becoming a huge problem even in EU - it will certainly not be solved by introducing this ridiculous tax.

[Scott]

That's a pretty immature way for a doctor to garner some name recognition. I imagine this preceeds a weight loss or nutrition book.

[Donna]

This is fantastic; it's about time others picked on! First it was the smokers and we did nothing, then the fat folks and again we did nothing, next they will come for you for being too tall, or too smelly or your perfume stinks.

I just am smiling because they took smokers' rights away, so why not charge fat folks for taking up so much space! And then let's get those crying whining kids: put a noise tax on the rug rats and also their screaming mommies!

[janet cattell]

I think the airlines should review their seats. The "one size fits all" does not work for many people. People who are over 6ft have great difficulty and disabled people have to be shoehorned into seats. I have witnessed some apalling treatment of elderly and disabled passengers on recent flights. It is time the airlines stopped trying to ram everyone, irrespective of size, weight and ability, into the same size seat.

[big daddy]

Well this would open up a can of worms. For instance, I was always a big man... Not fat for most of my life but just plain buff. Basically built like a football player. However, I was not fat at all. Yet the airline seats never fit me and if another man built like me sat next to me we were screwed for space. Usually I was in an aisle seat and the other guy would be a window and pity the person in the middle.

Anyway, do you make an exception for me since I was not fat yet I still took up more space than Twiggy or do you tax me the same? How would you decide that? And that is just an example.

So for me, I would rather see a certain amount of seats that were built larger for people who are bigger and again half of the "bigger" men who I see on planes are not fat, they are just big guys.

We pay extra for XXL shirts, I understand as it takes more material, so i can see paying more for a seat that is XXL. Besides getting two seats of current size solves nothing for me and if I have to pay double I want a seat that is actually a lot larger, two small seats are still as uncomfortable as one. Make 'em bigger and i will pay extra.

[Ken]

Charging according to the size of the seat only makes sense. Airlines should supply different size seats to fit children as well as the fat and charge according to space used. Shipping larger items, whether it be parcels or people, costs more.

[Jeff]

I once saw a little guy get compacted between two obese men on a flight. He got out of the seat and demanded a new one, which, since they were sold out, they didn't have. They had to pay extra to get on a different airline. That raises the cost per seat on my flight. Fat people should pay more...or the airline should make "fat" seats that cost more. There are no "fat rights". Take it upon yourself as an individual, and not as part of a "fat rights group" to do what is best for you as an individual and society as whole. Lose some weight.

[Nytefytr]

This is discrimination by the airlines, pure and simple. The airlines know they can get away with charging for every little thing they can, and having a surcharge requirement for "excess weight" is no exception. As for people who discriminate based on a person's size... who the heck are you to judge who is overweight and who is not? What, based on some "BMI" math calculation? Ladies and gentlemen, mankind has re-found a old way to discriminate... and its perfectly legal.

[luminous]

I think it's just to have fat people pay more. They use up more fuel and spill over into my seat.

If they have a genuine medical problem then they can get a medical letter that absolves them from excess charges.

That is fair.

What isn't fair is for me to be penalised because they can't stop eating cakes and pies.

[Mark]

I totally agree with charging a Fat Tax. I once was stuck between two large, and I mean large, people and it was the worst flight I had ever had. I have paid for my seat so why should I have to share it with anyone else? If you let yourself get that big then you need to pay for it! So bring on the Fat Tax.

[Cole]

I think Fat Tax is a good thing! If I have to pay extra for a heavy bag, fat people should have to pay for their extra weight!

[Taylor-Marie]

Honestly, I think it is fair. Although people can't help being overweight or obese, if airlines are suggesting that you should purchase two seats... you should. Airplanes require more fuel for more weight contained on the plane. Why do you think they charge more if your luggage is too heavy? It may sound like weightism at first, but you have to look at the outcome... extra weight, less fuel...