What is it with this "I'm a victim" society... you're not a victim, you are lazy and have a bad diet. You probably smoke too.
I am not a victim. I told you - I choose to be in seats that fit when I can as it's far more comfortable for me, particularly when the rest of the air travel experience is so incredibly and deliberately hellish.
I don't often have that choice now that's there LCC everywhere, including in traditional carriers who insist on using tiny and far more uncomfortable planes. When I have no choice, neither do you. I am not buying a second seat when all I really want is a comfortable single seat. Take that choice away from me, and that's simply not my fault. I should not have to suffer a financial penalty for choices clearly outside my control.
At one stage, it is true I enjoyed a McDonald's meal or three. Once I ate McDonalds 52 meals straight. I ended up in hospital, and since then (some 18 years ago), I make it my sole purpose in life never to eat the same type of food more than once a month. Since then, I have a wildly varied and usually quite healthy diet. My downfall is two things:
a) portion sizes, which have increased everywhere, but most of all, here in the USA
b) my body is insulin resistant, probably from genetics (both my parents are large and so were theirs). This has inevitably led to a number of weight and heart related issues. These have for the last few years concentrated my mind considerably on getting down to a healthy weight.
I have to take a beta blocker to prevent high blood pressure. This pill does not work if I load my body with high fat, high salt foods. Therefore, I don't have a high fat, high salt diet any more.
I have to control my blood sugars so I don't fall into a diabetic coma. I check my blood four times a day. I am lucky - I can control my diabetes at this stage with diet and exercise alone, but to do so requires constant vigilance. I eat far less sugars and refined carbs than you do (I can guarantee this unless you're also a diabetic), I exercise at least 30 minutes every day (more on weekends). I have never smoked.
I didn't know I had diabetes until recently and I didn't manage my diet to the extent that I do now. The untreated diabetes caused my metabolic syndrome, which escalated over a long time (nearly 20 years) to the point where I am now morbidly obese despite being (at the time) on a good diet and exercise. Metabolic syndrome means that if you and I ate the same things for an entire year, you'd be a skinny whippet and I'd be fatter by the end of the year. My body is extremely efficient at converting ANY spare calories into fat. Eating even 20 kJ over my daily calorific intake requirements will cause me to put on weight. I got morbidly obese one day at a time, one diet at a time, one failed attempt at losing the weight at a time. Nothing worked despite ALWAYS trying for the last 15 years to take off weight. Now that I know I have metabolic syndrome and diabetes, I can finally get onto the right diet which avoids foods which my body readily converts into fat - even if I am eating like 1500 calories a day.
I am now slowly but surely (and safely) losing my weight. But compared to someone who has only a few kilograms to lose, it takes me about 5x - 10x the level of effort and extreme concentration on not eating ANY crap. I can't be lax about my diet because any lapse, particularly a lapse over a couple of months might kill me.
Now tell me again why I shouldn't travel? I am not a victim. I don't want your pity nor your scorn. I want a comfy seat with no seat belt extender. I am prepared to pay for it and be treated like a human. Is that too much to ask?
Andrew