EK BMI voodoo
 

more or less as you would have thought: it's bollocks....

Kevin Libin: Fat people are not our enemy | Full Comment | National Post

Well , yes and no , being overweight is not good for you , but some of the airlines obsession with medicals / BMI / etc is nonsense , as anybody who applies to KAL or even makes the mistake of Indian airline employment where the latest ' ploy ' is to make us ageing expats pass a military medical - there is NO way a 60+ pilot is going to pass a medical designed for 25 year olds however fit they are - I am fairly fit ( we can all be fitter ) but my vitals are good and especially my ticker . I have Class 1 Medical , both UK and ICAO , but am deemed a risk by ALL Asian airlines because I am over 55 .
C'est la vie.

Apparently the statistics are that pilots at EK with a BMI over 30 account for 75% of the sick days. Draw your own conclusions, but maybe they're onto something.


TP

Maybe 75% of the pilots have a BMI over 30!

I think you get grounded for a bit when BMI equals or is better than 30. So it would make sense that more sick days are taken by this group, as the company sends them on sick leave.
Kinda like saying 50% of all managers are below average intelligence really.

The Don

To be fair I don't think it's purely aesthetics that drive the "off to fat camp" letters... for the cabin crew at least they have to be of a certain size to do their jobs well. Call me sizeist but at a previous company we had many "large boned" girls and guys who were an absolute pain to fly with... couldn't pass them in the aisle, got squashed on a jumpseat and they annoyed the hell out of the pax with their "CD Disease"- hitting every pax in the C & D seats with their arse on the way down the aisle. Let's not get started on not even fitting out of the overwing exits on aircraft that had them... no I am not kidding one girl was at least as Oz size 22!!! Shouldn't have been flying but of course the PC brigade wouldn't let them sack her or send her on a nutrition plan because it might offend her... I actually think EK have the right idea. As long as they take into account muscle/fat ratio and not just pure BMI (some who work out a lot show 'opbese' even if they are not) I think it's ok.

I much prefer knowing that my colleagues are fit and able to do their jobs... okay so for the pilots you guys tend to be locked away for most of the flight, but have you ever had to get your capt/fo out of the seat as a deadweight?? It's bloody hard with a fit healthy one let alone one with a huge BMI... for your own sake keep the size down or your F/o may decide he can't be bothered hauling your ass out of that seat and just move up one seniority number instead :E

True smoking, drinking and partying aren't the healthiest either but obesity has definitely been linked to serious illnesses... as regards pilots and cabin crew it seems the fatter they are the higher the risk to the company health scheme. So pass up that next cheese plate & F/C dessert guys... :ok:

Don and Outlaw - sorry to burst your bubble, but you do not get grounded for any particular BMI figure.

It is however, correct that the majority of sick days are taken by pilots with BMI exceeding 30.

So of course the company will want to address the issue to become more efficient - and as a consequence, those pilots who are overweight will lose weight, become healthier, happier, etc....

It also seems to me that the only pilots who have a problem with the policy, are the ones who are overweight!

I bet the majority are also right handed. Suggest we only recruit left handed pilots in future.

Probably MALE as well

What to do!

oh hell...what do I do? Am male, left handed and just a smidge (a 'gnats cock') over 30 on the BMI.....

BMI is an indicator for unfit people but for the instance of poor old gamich, GF captain who was unfit and skinny as a stick, with a BMI close to anorexic saw the eternal sky before retirement

So, who do the health Stazi go after next, once all pilots have BMI less than 30, 100% of all sick days will be attributed to slim "healthy" pilots.

Guys or gals wearing glasses, baldies, left handers ???:ugh:

The Stat that 75% of sick days are taken by 30+ BMI boys/girls is, from personal obsevation, total horlicks!

The vast majority of sickies who I know are without exception super active fitties who have blown out their backs by kite surfing or dislocated shoulders out dirt biking or blowing out knees running or water skiing. injuries that take flipping weeks to mend.

The other little stinger is the 4% national group who make up 25% of the sickie roster going upto 80% of weekend sickie roster:cool:

Bet you can't guess who!

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics!

Another spin on this is BMI over 30 causing illness and /or decease will be deemed self induced and will void loss of license

The docs don't give well muscled over 30 BMI guys a problem, it's just that many that are over 30 "think" they are well muscled and even have a six pack which on closer inspection turns out to be in the fridge.

Think there is a quiet revolt among the docs at eghq about BMI anyway.............

I have a friend who thinks he might be stout :cool:and he got no hassle at his medical at all as BP HR etc were all normal though his BMI is 32!

Hooray for common sense.:ok:

Fact: No one I talked to that was complaining about the BMI rule looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger [sic].

Fact: Everyone I talked to that was complaining about the BMI rule was just simply fat and unfit.

QED.

I gotta say IB, you're bang on with this one:}:ok::}:ok:

IB you are probably correct.................However when the next blitz starts on smokers ..........It will only be the smoker complaining. Its all very funny until the light shines on you.

What really grates is you either hold a Class 1 medical or you don't, if you don't have one you dont fly, if you do you pass go and carry on working.

Oddly the size of ones waist does not indicate ones ability to operate a jet ( I have seen all shapes and sizes stuff up and shine in equal measure!)

If a person has history of taking way over the average number of sickie days then a cause should be investigated. So smokers with chest infections, sporty types injuring themselves or whatever but for flips sake lets target the culprits and not villify any particular group just because someone has a theory.

Just one more thought .................... Divert off a Polar Route and you may be grateful to have a couple of extra kilos on board...........never seen a skinny Polar Bear!:ok: