What is the definition of obese?

[riverfish]

Would you let this guy on your plane?


Obese air passenger in economy seat has picture taken - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6671018/Obese-air-passenger-in-economy-seat-has-picture-taken.html)

[Slickster]

Yeah, but he'd have to buy 3 seats.

Definition of obese is a Body Mass Index over 30 (BMI is weight in Kg, divided by height, in meters, squared). I will bet, any amount of money, that the person in the picture is grossly obese.

Apart from anything else, what about the poor folk who have to sit next to him?

[Glamgirl]

How about having a look at this thread?

http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/397525-obese-passenger-757-a.html

Gg

[Slickster]

Quite amusing, but perhaps a little harsh on the "fatties". I have to admit that I have no sympathy with them; we all have our problems, and having lived and worked in Africa for 2 years, there was a dearth of fatsos there (plenty of AIDS victims though).

As a skinny one, I would love that we all paid by weight. I could probably carry loads more luggage, whilst fatties would be reduced to a toothbrush. I think it's the only fair way; step on to the scales with all your luggage, and get charged accordingly.

If people can't control their behaviour, whatever it is, I don't see why the rest of us should suffer, or pay for it.

[bermudatriangle]

i believe that being clinically obese is as little as 2 stone,28lbs or 12.5kgs above the average weight for the height.
apparently,30% of western adults are regarded as clinically obese,quite a frightening statistic.

[Di_Vosh]

apparently,30% of western adults are regarded as clinically obese,quite a frightening statistic.

Not necessarily a "frightening statistic".

BMI should be used as a guideline only as a measure of height:weight, because it doesn't account for is what makes up that "weight". Unfortunately in this day and age, BMI is pretty much the only measure that is used when reporting modern obesity.

AFAIK, the BMI categories were conceived in the late 1940's. The problem with that, of course, is that most people in the 1940's (esp. in europe) were malnourished, having grown up during the depression and then WW2.

Today people are taller and larger than they were, and have far more muscle mass than when the BMI categories were written. It's common for body builders to be classified as obese.

My 2c

DIVOSH!

[AirborneSoon]

It's certainly an issue on many grounds. Safety being the prime one. I think this is a case where the airline should have a policy that ensures oversized persons are safe onboard the aircraft, even if that person doesn't want to recognise the need for it. The situation pictured is not a safe one.

Buying an extra seat if your body mass requires it (for safety and comfort) is no different to many other disabilities\circumstances that require passengers to pay for extra seating. Or to upgrade to a more spacious class to accomodate their needs.

Asking this person to pay for the space he clearly requires is not nearly as embarassing to him or those around him, as travelling in an unsafe and inadequate manner (such as that pictured).

[TurningFinals]

What happens if there was an emergency evacuation of this aircraft?

Surely this pax would slow down the process considerably for the other pax behind him?

Is there even going to be a lifejacket onboard that is going to fit round him?!