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Travelling while fat
The New York Times ^ | October 20, 2010 | Ron Goldstone

Posted on 10/24/2010 1:55:30 AM PDT by Cronos

At 285 pounds and 5 feet 7 inches, I may not be the tallest, but I am almost always one of the biggest passengers on a plane. That’s “one of”: as anyone with even the most tangential relationship with news headlines over the last several years knows, Americans are getting fatter and fatter.

..

“How many kilos you weigh?” asked a customs officer at Ho Chi Minh Airport when I visited Vietnam a few years ago.

“Is that a question on the form?” I responded, slightly unnerved.

Smiling, she told me no. She was apparently just curious.

After giving me the once-over, she giggled and advised me to avoid riding in the local hand-pulled rickshaws, as my size could force them to tip over.

(Excerpt) Read more at travel.nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airplan; commiecare; fat; food; nannys; nannystate; noonesbusiness; notmybusiness; obese; personalissue; weight
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I find it really strange that people can let themselves balloon to 285 lbs on a 5'7" body. That's just being lazy.
1 posted on 10/24/2010 1:55:33 AM PDT by Cronos
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To: Cronos

Sometimes people have medical condition. Most of the time people are just lazy.

Fat man can beat a hungry man any time one on one. Three hungry men can beat a fat man no problem. Last I checked China had about 3 to one on us.

Doesn’t bode well for us.


2 posted on 10/24/2010 1:59:22 AM PDT by Eyes Unclouded ("The word bipartisan means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out." -George Carlin)
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To: Cronos
I have a couple of problems while flying the friendly skies. 1) I'm 6'6” tall and weigh about 315 lbs. Not only do I have a hard time getting between the arm rests but there are always people who like to recline their seat backs down and slam into my knees. I am, I admit, overweight but not fat by any means. 2) The second problem I have is I have bullets in my legs from when I was in the military. They were unable to surgically remove them due to the fact, they are buried deep into my muscles. If they attempted to get them out, it would make my handicap even worse than it is. The metal detectors goes freaking nuts when I walk through them. I am always brought to the semi-private and given the once over even though I have a medical card stating what the problem is. TSA personnel are just a little slow when trying to read. lol So needless to say, I avoid flying as much as possible.
3 posted on 10/24/2010 2:08:16 AM PDT by Nitehawk0325 (I have the right to remain silent, but I lack the ability...........)
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To: Cronos

I have a different issue. At 6’8” I don’t fit on many planes. I can only fly first class so Southwest is out. And most commuter jets are not made for tall passengers. To make things worse, some airlines are considering eliminating first class.


4 posted on 10/24/2010 2:17:13 AM PDT by South40 (Spread my work ethic not my wealth!)
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To: Cronos

I’m 6”, and I came really close to breaking 300 lbs awhile back. It wasn’t laziness, it was a combination of post-pregnancy weight and hormone shots. It was horrifying, and it took me a year and a half to slim back down.

Thank God I didn’t have occasion to fly anywhere during this time...All common decency and kindness seem to go out the window when people spot a fat person on a plane.


5 posted on 10/24/2010 2:31:14 AM PDT by LongElegantLegs (To be determined...)
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To: Nitehawk0325
Thank you for your service.

I shattered a heel five years ago and had a plate and nine pins in my foot. The surgeon was going to leave the metal in, and told me I'd get a medical card to get me through the TSA screens. I've since learned that such cards are virtually worthless, which makes sense because it wouldn't be difficult for even a Muzzie terrorist to figure out he could avoid a thorough search by merely forging a doctor's excuse if they did work. I am fortunately, I suppose, that I required two additional surgeries and on the third they pulled all the metal.

I hate to burst your bubble, but at 6'6" and 315 lb you are fat, with a body mass index of 36, which is well above the obesity threshold of 30. I have no doubt that you carry your mass well, considering. I have a BMI of 40, so I envy your relatively svelt physique.

Given the bullets in your legs, think about requesting a front-row seat with no reclining seat in front of you. Or, request a seat behind an exit row, as those seats don't recline. Just tell the booking agent you have a disability, and they will likely accomodate you. I usually request an aisle seat on the side of the plane opposite my bum foot, because its easier to get in and out of my seat with such an assignment. I've been accomodated more often than not. The problem I've had is the airline being overaccomdative by greeting the plane with a wheelchair for me (which I've never requested, but the word "disability" seems to trigger some protocol). I've always declined a wheelchair because I regard the walk through the airport as a form of physical therapy. I've only missed one connecting flight because of this.

Those who take cheap shots at fat folks are fortunate that they have a metabolism or an ability to stay active enough to keep the weight off. I gained 50 lb after being diagnosed with diabetes, much of that due to the medications. I stopped taking one pill for two months just to see if it had any effect on my weight, and I lost 20 lb without any increase in physical activity or any attempt to modify my diet. My blood sugar was sky high after those two months and I went back to taking the pill, but as my doctor said, "Take the pill to keep your blood sugar down and live longer at a higher weight, or forego the pill for a lower weight, a supposed higher quality of life, but plan on dying sooner." To tell you the truth, being lighter with a chronically high blood sugar isnt much of a quality improvement.

6 posted on 10/24/2010 2:39:00 AM PDT by skookum55 ("We can give up on America or we can give up on this president ...." D. D'Souza)
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To: LongElegantLegs
Wow, 6 inches and 300 pounds, that would really be a sight.

All joking aside, it is great that you lost itbut one thing I will say. People are very cruel when it comes to the way people look or sound. People have got to start accepting who they are and loving who they are. People shouldn't pay attention to TV, movies or any advertisements, just love who they are and where a big smile because a big smile will get you almost anywhere. God Bless.

7 posted on 10/24/2010 2:39:04 AM PDT by rambo316
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To: Nitehawk0325

In our current environment I’m okay with them pulling you aside despite your medical card. Otherwise, that might become an easy dodge for those with bad intent.

And, indeed—thank you for your service!


8 posted on 10/24/2010 2:50:33 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: skookum55

You may have been deceived about your medication for glucose control: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193313.php

Forty years of diabetes treatment protocol has been invalidated with the confirmation that the medications were killing the diabetics at a much higher rate than the high glucose levels.


9 posted on 10/24/2010 2:57:00 AM PDT by kruss3 (Kruss3@gmail.com)
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To: skookum55

BMI is a scale that should be completely tossed - it’s really NOT a good indicator of health or obesity at all...

Three days ago, I had my biannual physical. I’m 1.83 meters (6 feet) tall, and just clocked in at 126.6 kg (280 pounds). Morbidly obese according to the BMI (and over here in China where I live half-time, and am presently reclining AND residing, I’m a freaking wall). I wear a US size 64 jacket. And a US size 36 jeans. I have 32-34” thighs, so I get custom made jeans to fit me. I’m just thick with a monster rib-cage. I do have 18” biceps, but with my oversized 16” diameter elbows and 10” diameter wrists, they look small. And anything smaller than my 19” neck would be pencil-sized on my frame.

It’s not from being a bodybuilder - workouts for me consist of huffing heavy gear around once or twice a week for half an hour or so, and a nightly walk for 30-40 minutes after dinner. My entire grandfather’s family was built this way, like overgrown dwarves, or shrunken cave-trolls if you will. We also suffer from short legs - I have a 28” inseam on a 6 foot frame - I have the legs of a man that is 5’ 7” tall, and the torso of a man around 6’ 5” tall.

I get the big, tailored jackets because my chest doesn’t fit in something that fits my waist (I can’t even get my arms in it, the jacket would rip across the shoulders), or if it fits my shoulders/chest I could slip another me in the waist.

I once “slimmed down” to 240 pounds, but when my hip bones and lower ribs started to show, it was clear that’s just not healthy for me. Sometimes people don’t just “carry it well”, they’re BUILT that way on purpose. In my case, I believe I’m built this way to make the local Chinese tailors sweat, and to serve as a living jungle-gym for the kids of my friends...:)

FWIW, my checkup revealed I’m in great health, good BP/heartrate, no cholesterol problems at all. EKG and stress test were all fine. Only issue detected was my hemoglobin count; for Caucasian men it should be between 135 and 170 grams per liter, and I clocked in at a doctors-record-high 192. Doctor’s prescription? She said I can take some expensive drugs, or give blood 2-3 times a month... I’ll choose the latter - I’ve got enough to share!


10 posted on 10/24/2010 2:59:30 AM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the Sting of Truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: rambo316

Erg, the second I hit post I thought “You idiot, you put the ‘inch’ designation instead of the ‘foot’ designation. I KNEW that was going to attract attention! :-)

You can’t improve yourself until you accept yourself. I didn’t really make any progress with my weight until I realized that I was worth the extra work it took to lose it.


11 posted on 10/24/2010 3:03:27 AM PDT by LongElegantLegs (To be determined...)
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To: Cronos

I have a pretty big beer belly. No excuses, just the way it is.

I get the same treatment from kids and, believe it or not, young ladies here in Tokyo. Girls, especially high school to to college age, just can’t seem to walk by me on the train without giving my belly a friendly little pat or poke.

I’ve even had a young lady stop and put her ear on my tummy to “listen to the baby”. I swatted her with my newspaper and her friends giggled themselves to tears.


12 posted on 10/24/2010 3:03:34 AM PDT by Ronin (If he were not so gruesomely incompetent and dangerous, Obama would just be silly.)
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To: South40

at 6’8” — I doubt you’d fit in most places :) Though I do wish I was 7 inches taller. Being your height has it’s advantages too!


13 posted on 10/24/2010 3:04:43 AM PDT by Cronos (This Church is Holy,theOne Church,theTrue Church,theCatholic Church - St. Augustine)
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To: skookum55

I think some of this thinness goes to extremes. My son is 6’1” tall, and he weighs about 215. He wrestles, and has a 32 inch waste. Let me tell you, the kid is solid as a brick sh*t house. In boyscouts, they play around, and its fun for him to get 4-5 other scouts on him and carry them around as they try and topple him.

Now, on to the story, his female doctor tells me one day that he is “obese”. She shows me some chart, and I’m looking at it, and in the normal range for his height is 135 lbs to 145 lbs or some such nonsense (I could be ten pounds off here or there, I don’t remember exactly what it was, so if your a doctor, please don’t flame me).

My kid would have a 12” inch waste if he was that thin. Further, when he was in 5th grade, they told us he was obese, because he was chubby. Well, I raised him like my dog when it was a puppy, he ate lots of protein, and he filled in that size. I bet if I starved him on wheat germ, tofu and bean sprouts as was suggested, he would have been malnourished, and not half as smart as he is now.

I’m not discounting the obesity problem, but I think there are more important things to worry about in life.

It started with the media portraying all women as 6’ and 95’ pounds, and now its on to the men as well. I’m sorry, I dont’ find anything masculine about a 6’ 95lb man, and would be hard pressed to take any such creature seriously if he threatened me. My wife says I look like Sean Connery, that’s the build I have, and I’m sure I’m considered obese as well by these medical experts.

Screw em all.


14 posted on 10/24/2010 3:05:08 AM PDT by esoxmagnum
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To: LongElegantLegs
"post-pregnancy" -- the "laziness" bit doesn't apply to you or to other people who medically become fat. There are quite a few like you who can't help the weight they are at (thyroid problems for one), yet the vast majority of fat and obese CAN do something about it.

Btw, you did something about it too and now weight less, right?
15 posted on 10/24/2010 3:06:28 AM PDT by Cronos (This Church is Holy,theOne Church,theTrue Church,theCatholic Church - St. Augustine)
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To: LongElegantLegs
"common sense and decency"? I guess you mean the jokes right? or is it worse?

Though, having lived outside the US for some time now, I can say that most Americans are unhealthily fat and need to slim down quite a bit.
16 posted on 10/24/2010 3:07:46 AM PDT by Cronos (This Church is Holy,theOne Church,theTrue Church,theCatholic Church - St. Augustine)
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To: skookum55

BMI isn’t completely accurate. I have a BMI of 23.5 now, but I used to have a BMI of 26 when I was heavily into powerlifting and had 55%-60% muscle mass.


17 posted on 10/24/2010 3:09:39 AM PDT by Cronos (This Church is Holy,theOne Church,theTrue Church,theCatholic Church - St. Augustine)
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To: skookum55

ouch — though, doesn’t additional rigourous exercise help?


18 posted on 10/24/2010 3:15:40 AM PDT by Cronos (This Church is Holy,theOne Church,theTrue Church,theCatholic Church - St. Augustine)
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To: Ronin

well, if the girls are pretty....


19 posted on 10/24/2010 3:18:40 AM PDT by Cronos (This Church is Holy,theOne Church,theTrue Church,theCatholic Church - St. Augustine)
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To: Cronos

You only need a hundred extra calories a day. Plus when you get so big, it’s really hard to move, exercise. Imagine having hundred pound pack on, all the time.

Other then that, you could well be a hard working, dutiful spouce.

Anyway,

So you get to a point, even if you are not adding calories, even eating little, but burning little because you are so big, and don’t move so you don’t need calories, and don’t burn them.

Plus, you are/might be so depressed, physically and other wise, that the only pleasure you get is food, because physically you feel lousy all the time.


20 posted on 10/24/2010 3:19:28 AM PDT by Leisler
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