Oh man - I don't know...this is a slippery slope. I hate that there is discrimination against fat people but if the law gets involved here, it could get tricky.

Like this part "For example, many airline companies in the US now charge larger passengers for two seats. Such a policy is considered illegal discrimination in Canada, where there is a one-person-one-fare law." I see both sides - one - the airline is indeed losing money by basically giving one seat up for free to a passenger that already has one, but on the other hand - they should make the seats larger. But then theres the money issue again- some people would take up an entire row in a small plane with.

Ick - i don't know.

I just took the test... kinda boring but interesting results

i think that in the situation of the airplane seats larger people should DEFINITELY pay for two seats. No one wants to go on a plane and be stuck next to a person who doesn't fit in there one seat and then has to flow over into yours. It makes it uncomfortable for everyone.

Also maybe i'm wrong, but discriminating against people for race and sexuality is different than discriminating against fat people. Change your eating habits, go on a diet.

"Your data suggest a moderate automatic preference for Thin People compared to Fat People"

dont tell my husband that!

overweight people SHOULD pay for that extra seat they take up, its a BUSINESS that needs to make money and if you are taking up two seats? pay for them.

my immediate thought is, no, it's not something that should be governed by law...being fat isn't the same as being black or being jewish or whatever the case may be...you can do something about it in most cases

and i also agree that you should have to pay for two seats on a plane if you need two

but for the situation described above, on the bus - while, i can see that a person on the bus who is large enough to need two seats might be given a dirty look , kicking ANYONE in the stomach and shouting mean names is uncalled for, no matter who you are - it's simply abuse, which is already governed by law

I don't see what the problem is. Your weight is largely under your control. Even if you have type 2 diabetes (which is often a consequence of being overweight in the first place) it doesn't mean you can't lose weight. Why should i have to pay full price for my airline ticket when the person sitting next to me is sitting on their seat and also overflowing onto mine?

And they shouldn't make the seats larger. It is UNHEALTHY to be overweight. We shouldn't cater to that. People should be encouraged to lose weight, not be made more comfortable so they just continue to keep gaining more weight. If you don't fit into the normal seat then that's a problem and you need to do something about it.

I get so tired about people screaming for laws to be made for things that can and should be controlled by ourselves first.

I completely agree with skigurl on this.

How is requiring people to pay for two seats "systematic discrimination"? I would be interested in hearing how many people actually believe they were fired for being overweight. I would guess that in a lot of situations, being overweight prevented them from performing their job.

Yeah, I definitely don't think these laws are something we need.

And, I agree with your guess that most of the people who are fired for being overweight are likely fired because it is affecting their performance at work. I mean, how likely are you to patronize a gym or health food store if the employees are visibly overweight?

That's so sad about the person getting beaten up on the bus. I don't know how people can treat each other that way.

There's no reason whatsoever to call obese people names, or to treat them with anything but kindness.

That said, I have little sympathy for the overweight. It's of their own doing, and the ferocity of the excuses just astonishes me. I think it rises to the level of delusion in many cases.

I think part of the reason of American decline is tied to obesity. So many Americans suffer from an obesity of the mind, leading to weak thinking and hedonism. I am not willing to endorse obesity further by protecting it by law.

Obesity is almost always under your control. It's enough with the excuses already, people.

I'm FAT. But people don't seem to care here. Only those who are ugly but think they're the prettiest thing on earth.

My outcome was: Your data suggest little to no automatic preference between Fat People and Thin People.

When I take a minute to think about it, I really don't much care if someone else is thin, fat, whatever. But for myself I prefer to be healthy and fit.

How about live a healthier life style, that should protect you.

Hi everyone. Loving the comments! The debate surrounding the two seat charge is really tough. One thing I always try to keep in mind: could I travel if I had to pay double for an airfare?

I agree, you should have to pay for two seats. If your body requires you to be uncomfortable in only one and hovering over the person sitting next to you.

I can see that, Tres. Empathy is always a good thing to remember. But, there's also the other side.

When my husband and I were dating, I flew every weekend from Colorado to California so we could hang out. I did this for a whole year - and had many nightmare flights. I don't know what's worse, sitting next to a screaming baby, or sitting next to someone so fat their body is squishing into you for the whole flight. It's not fair to the other people paying, either.

Bri

Okay, well i'm thin and don't take up all the seat. I think it's discriminatory that the airlines don't make smaller seats that I can buy for my size for cheaper!

Tres, that's a really good point. Airline travel is already expensive, even with 100% of the seats being sold. So if airlines have to start giving away free seats to a good portion of their customers, the increase in price per passenger would be tremendous and would likely prohibit many people from being able to fly at all.

If fat people want to stop being discriminated against they should do something other than cry to the government. Get off the couch, put down the chips, and exercise. Yes, some people have health issues that contribute to weight gain but OBESITY is a choice. Gluttony is a mortal sin people, you don't have to be Catholic to see the logic there.

being overwieght is terrible as it is. its not like you can hide it, like say a junkie could. People look at you with disgust, now *this*? I think this law is in order, because it is needed. People think that "lose weight" is a great answer. Let me tell you, if it was that easy do you think wed have such a problem????

i'm a larger person and if the airline told me i needed to buy a second seat, well i would. i'm not large enough to require that, but if the airline felt i would take up more than my fair share, well then what could i do.
the lack of empathy people have is amazing. the typical "put down the chips and get off the couch" comments are unnecessary. there are a lot of reasons people are overweight despite what people who have never experienced it may think. if you've never been fat, then you don't get it, it's that simple.
not all overweight people are crybabies that want laws to protect them.

Tres, I'm sure you don't want to pay double fare. It's a good thing you avoid the situation where you would have to do that.

I'm so sick of people saying obesity is some kind of "disease" that can't be controlled. Obviously there are medical conditions, my mom has hypothyroidism herself, but most of it is the inability to get off your fat can.

This country is full of enablers and since YOUR nasty habit affects other people, especially referring to public transportation, you don't deserve equal protection as minorities or women. Ugh.

I think obese people deserve equal protection under the law, I just don't think we need a new law to establish that. I think it's a little inhumane to suggest that they don't deserve to be protected.

And, I fall somewhere in the middle with the, "get off your butt and stop eating chips" comments. Yes, most obese people have the ability to lose some weight. But, most of them will never be thin; genetics does play a role.

I think certain facts may need legislation, although I believe there are laws that already exist and cover some of those needs, like discrimination and abuse laws.
However, is still awful to see how many people that consider themselves hip and open minded and free believe they have a moral right to belittle people that don't follow their life standards. Overweight people are not overweight on purpose, to piss other people off. I can't believe how may people act like that's the case.

katie448, I take you also must think that all tobacco plants should be penalized (they're catering to nicotine addiction), the clubs shouldn't blast loud music (they proggressively make you deaf) and so on...
a1stbornunico, I'm not catholic, I couldn't care less about sin... but given that point of view, you also must also think that people have right to treat other people awful if they've committed some kind of "sin" (which everyone commits, it just doesn't always reflect on their bodies). So therefore I must have the right to treat someone who likes to have sex in a condescending way because they like to indulge in a deadly sin (lust), and they can also contribute to the expansion of STDs, etc... although that would be also a sin, the sin of pride. Come on now!

What about really tall people that don't fit the seats either? I've known a lot of them too... I think public transportation seats aren't very fitting to anybody. I'm too short and I'm unconfortable (I'm 5' 3'' though, I'm not pathologically short), my aunt is too tall and doesn't have space for her legs (she's not even 6 ft), so there's always something to be said about that issue.

Well said Blackwood.

As a side note, I found that link really hard when they switched which side the word was on. Had to retrain myself all over again

Well, first of all, I'm fat. I don't feel as fat as I am... I've been fat ever since I was a baby practically. When I was a little kid, my parents fed me fast food all the time, and instilled in me the idea of that's the only tasty food out there. They also wouldn't let me do team sports because "I wouldn't go to practice" or "it's too expensive".

I'm always trying to lose weight. Sometimes I eat less, sometimes I exercise more. Right now, I'm on average walking about 2 hrs a day, and probably spend more time standing/walking/being active than sitting. I also try to eat healthy. I've lost about 20lbs, but I dunno if that's going to get gained back any time soon.

Though, for right now, I'm about 100lbs over what I should weigh (which is a weight most people would consider fat).

I don't think I've really been discriminated against, I get along with practically everyone, but I'm also not afraid to make fat jokes about myself.

Though, if fat people are being descriminated against, there should be something done about it. Why? Because a lot of fat people out there CAN'T do anything about their weight, no more than they can about their race or whatever. People are born with thyroid problems, causing them to be unable to lose weight. Birth control pills can make women balloon out (I gained a lot of weight when I got on the pill... though, I didn't go up a pant size even), some people just were never taught how to eat healthy, others never get an opportunity to get to the gym (some jobs practically require you to sit at a desk for 12 hours a day)... the list really goes on.

Thin people are lucky, having the time to actually get exercise and being able to afford healthy foods (as my doctor said, you can eat healthy if you're rich, or have a lot of time on your hands, college students are neither) and being born with good genes and raised by parents who knew what they were doing when they fed their children.

Not that this applies to you, staple, but nearly everyone has the time to be physically active if he or she is creative about it. You (the general you) could walk to work, always take stairs instead of the elevator, always park in the last parking spot, take your kids for a walk every night (if you feel you don't have time because of your family). If you're in college, you could leave a little earlier for class and take a longer way.

And I know that people with less money eat less healthy foods, but I think that's such a cop out! When I go grocery shopping, the least expensive foods are often the healthiest. Some produce is expensive, but some is pretty cheap. Salsa is inexpensive; frozen yogurt costs the same amount as ice cream. It's mostly life style choices, not economics, that keep people from eating healthily. (And actually, since I've been eating more healthily, I've saved a ton of money on food and I work two jobs and volunteer a few nights a week, so I certainly don't have a lot of time on my hands!)

I really can't believe the ignorant comments in this thread. There's much, much more to changing one's weight than just changing their lifestyle! I work out, eat right and I'm still overweight! My mom is too. The owner of the gym I go to who exercises 3-4 times a day is overweight, even though she also specializes in preparing healthy food.

Anyone who thinks overweight people need to just "stop eating" is a moron. There's much, MUCH more to it and it's clear that we probably do need laws to stop the discrimination against people who are overweight. I can see that from the comments in this thread alone. All of you would probably decry racism and sexism, yet prejudice against fat people is "ok" to all of you! Hypocrisy.

lilkimbo: where are you finding commercial salsa for under $3.50? or natural salsa for under $5? i'd love to know!

I'm sorry but if you are taking up two seats then you should pay for two seats. That is not discrimination. On places where space is scarce it is a real problem. If I pay for a seat on a plane and I get there and an overweight person is in the seat next to me and taking up some of my seat, I am not getting what I have paid for.

I'm thin, I'm not lucky - I work my ass off for this body and I'm happy about it. It's all about the choices I make, and the time I make to be fit and healthy (both in the gym and in the kitchen). it's not about having the time, it's about making the time.

and if any dr. ever told me that you had to be rich to eat healthy, I'd find another doctor. It's clear that he's just looking for business, aka a long term patient.

TidalWave, I checked online just now to be sure, but Newman's Own salsa is only $2.99 at Giant and their store brand is only $1.69. Their store brand fresh salsa is only $3.99. Even the organic Nature's Promise salsa is only $2.50.

I recently got two containers of fresh salsa, two containers of hummus, and two bags of tortilla chips for only $16.00 at a farmers' market.

I'm pretty sure the prices are similar, if not the same, at Harris Teeter, as well.

Actually, I did a quick search and the cheapest salsa and tortilla chips come out to 26 cents an ounce, but the cheapest chip dip and potato chips come out to 42 cents an ounce.

Obviously the salsa and tortilla chips are healthier!

"Because a lot of fat people out there CAN'T do anything about their weight, no more than they can about their race or whatever"

so many things wrong with that statment I dont know where to begin.

Unless you are a person, who physically cannot get up out of bed and move around AND you dont get PT AND you eat foods high in fat and calories...then I agree, its gonna be hard for you to lose it. Other than that? you can, you just a) dont really want to work at it or B) truly believe that you are healthy the way you are.

CG said, "You can (lose weight.) You just a) dont really want to work at it or B) truly believe that you are healthy the way you are."

I agree 100 percent, disagree 0 percent, CG.

Also, staple salad, with all respect, if you are over the age of 25, you don't get to blame your parents for your eating choices anymore.

Oh, boo hoo. Sorry but I don't feel sorry for overweight people. the .00000000000000001% of people who ACTUALLY have some freak medical condition that makes them that way, yeah maybe they have a legit reason, but everyone else in america who is obese because the choose mcdonalds over a healthy home cooked meal? Too bad for you if you get made fun of. Pretty sure its illegal to kick a skinny person in the stomach too, you don't need to try to feel special by making a seperate law for fat people.

omg space thats a first! woot!

Per usual, I'm totally with Spacekat on this one. Stop blaming others, stop making excuses, and stop asking for sympathy for something that in 98% of cases is a lifestyle choice (no, seriously, the number of cases of obesity due to medical reasons is 2% or less).

TidalWave - you can get all-natural salsa for well under $5 at Trader Joe's.

StapleSalad - My parents struggled financially when I was a child, but we still ate healthy foods. Lettuce, broccoli, apples - these are not expensive. We never had soda, chips, or other junk food in my house. I had a lot of friends growing up whose parents had even less money than mine but who always had tons of soda and junk food around their house. People can eat a lot healthier if they're willing to forgo spending money on junk food; they just don't want to. My mom managed to provide healthy meals for my family on her public school teacher's salary of about $30k per year, so it is not true that only the "rich" can eat healthy.

I agree with much of the sentiment about taking responsibility for your weight and doing something about it. And I also agree that if you are spilling over into the seat of someone else on a plane then you need to pay for another seat because the other person is not getting what they paid for and that's not fair. But what I don't agree with is things like "Too bad for you if you get made fun of." Do we really want to be the kind of people that say it is ever ok to make fun of someone? That's pretty sad to me.

I think we are being a little harsh to the bigger people. It is completely and totally mental and I understand it is extremely difficult to turn your mind around into choosing a healthier lifestyle and going on a diet.

Dont make excuses just get your mind right. And change your lifestyle.

lilkimbo - I agree. It doesn't take much to be more active. Like walking to school instead of taking the bus if it takes roughly the same amount of time (I walk to and from campus multiple times a day, and it's about a 15-30min walk either way depending on where I'm going). Taking the bus takes longer. And it hurts me when I see people (who don't look like they are sick) take the bus to get off at the next stop.

Though, some places are designed horribly. I wanted to take the stairs every day to get to class from my dorm, so I chose a room right by the stair case. Unfortunately, I live on the 6th floor and the only stairs there are the emergency exit stairs. So, sometimes, for some people, taking the stairs can be problematic.

Though, the thing about food... it's easy to get a veggie or fruit cheap, however, meat, not so much. Most cooked healthy meats seem to be really expensive (expensive being relative, I'm talking from a college perspective), or require you to have access to cooking. And dorm food ain't the most healthy stuff (trust me, I work in food service on campus). So unless you have a body that lets you do raw foods and be a vegetarian, getting a balanced diet on a budget and only eating healthy is hard if you don't have the time/facilities to cook it yourself.

Though, for the overweight adults without a thyroid (or similar, including genetics) problem, and a job that they can walk to, a building that they can take the stairs in, a bit of extra money and a kitchen, there's not much excuse to be grossly overweight.

meat in small portions is fine. I get a bag of 14 chicken leg quarters for 6 bucks at super wal mart.

thanks guys, i dont know why i thought salsa was so expensive. i usually think of it as a "treat" when i buy it for myself and only buy tortilla chips when they're on sale.

I also want to add that both my parents had the worst eating habits you can think of. In fact, my father didnt even have a kitchen table at his new house for a few months because he only ate out! I wasn't taught anything about healthy foods; we rarely had fruit and veggies, always had chips and soda and coookies. Almost all my dinners came out of the freezer and into the microwave.

But now i'm an adult! And I make my own decisions and I choose to be healthy. I choose to buy produce and cook on my own. Neither of my parents cooked, I learned that on my own (allrecipes.com and youtube). Besides, all home-made foods are cheaper (and taste way better) than their frozen counterpart -- actually that is why i went to eating healthier, because i am on a budget!

I get it, you can make health choices and be physically active... make the choice.

But I have to say, it's just the harshness in this crowd that makes my jaw drop. I'm not trying to make excuses for everyone in this country that is obese...there are just other things to think abou. Lets not forget, there are places where... sure you can walk to work and you have the space to go for walks with your family , but is it safe to? Maybe you take the bus because its less of a risk, less dangerous. Maybe you don't leave the house after a certain time because it's just not safe for your kids. There are places where... there IS NO grocery store in walking distance... you have a corner store, that specializes in junk food and candy, sure there's fruit but it is all moldy. Don't forget about these places before you judge everyone.

I get it, this isn't the situation for everyone, but anyone who says this is the situation for only a few is sadly mistaken.

Melly, you dont have to go outside to exercise. and even if you go to a corner store for your groceries only (doubtful) you can ask for help from a number of charitable institutions.