I was intrigued by the announcement from Ryanair last week that it was considering imposing a 'fat tax' on passengers who exceeded certain limits on weight and/or waist size. I think there is a very good reason why they are talking about this and not actually doing it and that is because the legal and moral headaches would cost them a lot of time and money. Despite this, as Britain's obesity epidemic takes hold there may be a chance that all airlines will set some size or weight limits in the future, once they have explored the law and tested customer attitudes. This is still some way off though. I know that many airlines in the US tackle this problem by requiring obese passengers to buy two economy seats but give them a refund for one seat if the plane is not full. The interesting aspect of the Ryanair story is that it wasn't just about a penny-pinching firm being mean, the idea came from the airline's passengers. An online poll found that one in three, or 30,000 people favoured charging excess weight fees for very large passengers. Those for it say that apart from the discomfort for large passengers and those around them, there are safety implications. “People who are obese need help to enable them to make healthy lifestyle changes like modifying their diet and increasing their fitness levels," said a British Medical Association spokesman in response to the Ryanair announcement. What they don’t need is to be penalised and discriminated against.” The chairman of the National Obesity Forum, Dr David Haslam, said: “They cannot put an extra charge on being overweight or obese. It is discriminatory and will not happen.” The proposed Ryanair fat tax would apply to every kg over 130kg/20 stone for men and 100kg/15 stone for women; every waist inch over 45 inches for men and 40 inches for women; every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points is obese); or for a second seat if a passenger’s waist touches both armrests. Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said: “In all cases we’ve limits at very high levels so that a fat tax will only apply to those really large passengers who invade the space of the passengers sitting beside them. These charges, if introduced, might also act as an incentive to some of our very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier. The revenues from any such fat tax will be used to lower the airfares for all Ryanair passengers yet further.” Ryanair is already considering a £1 charge for passengers to use the on-board loos, something which I believe will never be allowed legally and which was designed to get them some newspaper headlines. Other suggestions in their customer poll included a charge for allowing smoking in the loo or a fee for special loo paper featuring the face of controversial Ryanair boss Tony O'Leary. Need I say more?

What next! A crying baby and annoying children tax!

Thats even better than a 'fattie' tax. Good call Kidrock

Thanks Biggsy,It good to agree on something for once.lol

When i first read this I thought this was an out of date April fools day joke! I liked the dig at kids on planes.lol to add to that will they be charging over weight people for extra use of oxygen on flights.

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Dont stop me now, Im having such a good time.

Why shouldn't the morbid obese be charged more though? I don't think we're talking about your run of the mill 'fatties' but people who spill over into two seats really shoudn't expect to pay the same as a normal sized person.

I can see your point of view,but this will open a whole new can of worms and would affect all forms of transport especially public transport.Are we wanting obese people to pay extra for bus and train transport? I very much doubt it.

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Dont stop me now, Im having such a good time.

Well actually yes it makes sense for them to pay more for public transport. They are using more fuel and power because of the extra weight, putting the seats under more strain and taking up more room. Did you know that a man with a moustache will have an $8 a year greater car fuel bill because of the extra weight, so imagine the extra cost associated to an obese person on a bus, train or ferry for a year? Make sense to me...

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Sam G

Tom69:

I can see your point of view,but this will open a whole new can of worms and would affect all forms of transport especially public transport.Are we wanting obese people to pay extra for bus and train transport? I very much doubt it.

 

Why not? Charge them double perhaps some of them will walk as they obvioulsy need the excercise

And please don't start  the its an illness whine, if it really is an illness we all know the cure excercise and dieting.

I see your trying to get someone to bite on this whole obese issue. I shall reframe this time.lol

kidrock72:

I see your trying to get someone to bite on this whole obese issue. I shall reframe this time.lol

I'm not looking for anybody to bite, just expressing an opinion Kidrock (there is also a diffence to being a bit overweight and morbidly obese)

SamG:

Well actually yes it makes sense for them to pay more for public transport. They are using more fuel and power because of the extra weight, putting the seats under more strain and taking up more room. Did you know that a man with a moustache will have an $8 a year greater car fuel bill because of the extra weight, so imagine the extra cost associated to an obese person on a bus, train 0;or ferry for a year? Make sense to me...

Perhaps we should then charge pregnant women extra during their pregnancy when using public transport?

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Dont stop me now, Im having such a good time.

Tom69:

SamG:

Well actually yes it makes sense for them to pay more for public transport. They are using more fuel and power because of the extra weight, putting the seats under more strain and taking up more room. Did you know that a man with a moustache will have an $8 a year greater car fuel bill because of the extra weight, so imagine the extra cost associated to an obese person on a bus, train 0;or ferry for a year? Make sense to me...

Perhaps we should then charge pregnant women extra during their pregnancy when using public transport?

 

How can you compare pregnancy to being morbid obese? One is reproducing and helping the human race continue the other is a lazy drain on society who doesn't know the way to the gym. (very brave though even i am not stupid enough to have a go at pregnant woman)

But touching on children again unborn and noisy, I'd pay extra to use an airline who didn't take kids. (I don't mind flying with pregnant woman)

Tom69:

SamG:

Well actually yes it makes sense for them to pay more for public transport. They are using more fuel and power because of the extra weight, putting the seats under more strain and taking up more room. Did you know that a man with a moustache will have an $8 a year greater car fuel bill because of the extra weight, so imagine the extra cost associated to an obese person on a bus, train 0;or ferry for a year? Make sense to me...

Perhaps we should then charge pregnant women extra during their pregnancy when using public transport?

That’s ridiculous, as biggsy has alluded to one is a necessity and the other is 9 times out of 10 just lazy.

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Sam G