While there's no such recognised disease as 'passive obesity', and you are
unlikely to put on weight by being near an obese person ( unless you start to
eat their French Fries, chocolate cake, packet of crisps, bag of peanuts, stack
of sandwichs, ice cream, doughnuts, baguettes, or dive in to the packets of
sweets or super-giant-sized-diet-coke filling their rucksack, claiming to be
little more than an afternoon snack ), problems of obesity are not confined to
those who suffer from the disorder.Fat may have been a feminist issue, but it is now one which affects not just
those who are obese, but those who have to travel with such people.
In the 'dog eat dog' world of commercial capitalism, the drive is on, as it
always has been, to reap maximum profits from minimum outlay, and the effects
can be seen far and wide.
Nowhere more so than by passengers who have to travel with the world's airlines
as they find their seats becoming narrower and narrower, and leg room being
reduced to a bare minimum.
It is no surprise that more passengers are complaining about discomfort
while flying, and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) appears to be becoming more
prevalent.
Flying has always been a tortuous prospect; if the plane actually gets of the
ground at the scheduled time, there is the worry that it may not reach its
destination, falling out the sky halfway, or taken by hijackers to some
despot country most people would prefer to leave rather than go to. Hoping the
plane, and your luggage, arrives where it is meant to is one thing, but
the thought that your final destination may now be Floor 63 of some anonymous
grey skyscraper or the basement of some military installation is another.
If you can get on the plane without wondering if the pilot, co-pilot and
engineer are on board, or if they've been totally replaced by computers, and you
can set your mind at rest from fears arising from the results of the
privatisation of the National Air Traffic System, there's the food to worry
about, and of course, what sort of 'loony' you'll end up with sitting next to
you on your flight of fear.
Imagine then how Barbara Hewson felt, when shoe-horned into her Virgin Atlantic,
Economy Class seat, only to find that she's been allocated a place next to the
most obese woman she will remember for a long time.
Many people have trouble with airline seats, but Mrs Hewson's co-passenger was
only able to fit into her seat by raising the arm rest, with the result
that Mrs Hewson ended up jammed in her seat, with body parts pressed down upon
her.
The freelance writer from Swansea, South Wales, complained to the cabin crew
before the flight took off, but was told the flight was full, and there were
no other seats available; a typical "Not F--king Interested", response from
airlines which many passengers complain of.
Stuck on an 11 hour flight to Los Angeles, Mrs Hewson must have had the
tolerance of a Saint as she suffered from being squashed by her co-passenger.
I don't know why she didn't lock herself in the toilet, and leave the crew to
sort the seating problem out, sit in the aisle, or take the opportunity of
using the easy way out, leaving the plane while at 30,000 feet, but she
didn't.
Mrs Hewson's suffering during the flight was not to be the end of the matter;
this was not a flight which she was going to laugh off down the local pub,
amusing her friends while recounting tales that, "You should have seen the size
of the fat b-----d sat next to me".
Mrs Hewson, who has described the flight as, "Horrific", had to be rushed to
hospital when the plane touched down, and was bed-ridden for a month. She
suffered many injuries from her ordeal, including a blood clot in her chest,
torn muscles, acute sciatica, and has been in continuing pain during the two
years since the incident. Mrs Hewson is still in pain, and walks with the aid
of a stick.
As would be expected, Mrs Hewson complained to Virgin Atlantic, and I am sure
that the staff p--sed themselves with laughter at the tale of someone being
crushed by a fellow passenger because they were so large.
Virgin were so concerned for Mrs Hewson after her ordeal that they reportedly
offered her a small basket of goods worth 15 GBP by way of compensation.
Mrs Hewson, having been seriously injured and still in pain, turned down the
less than generous offer, and continued to push for proper compensation.
Two years after being abused, and after an 18 month battle with Virgin to have
her claim taken seriously, numerous examinations by medical doctors appointed
by Virgin, have finally convinced the airline that she has a valid claim, and
Virgin have belatedly offered compensation of 13,000 GBP, which Mrs Hewson has
accepted.
Hardly great compensation for a two year battle, constant pain, and the
inability to walk unaided, but at least Virgin have admitted they were
responsible, and have finally given a proper apology. Of course, it wasn't
really Virgin's fault, but a peculiar set of circumstances which caused the
problems.
Obese people, who prefer not to be called "Fat" ( and there are medical
difference in the definition of disorders; "Overweight" is generally what
most people think it means, "Obese" is being overweight by a long shot, and
"Morbid" or "Malignant obesity" is identifiable by not having anyone happy
to sit next to you in tight confines ), say that problems arising from their
weight are not caused by them. It is true that the world is not suited to
those with a large frame, whether due to their genetic disposition, or
because they quite simply eat too much.
There has been a steady increase in cases of obesity ( usually defined as being
up to 20% above the ideal body weight ) over recent years. Over 20% of the UK
population is clinically obese according to National Audit Office figures,
while obesity affects nearly 60% of Americans.
Morbid obesity is the most serious form of obesity. Defined as being 100 or
more pounds ( 45 Kg ) overweight; over 9 million Americans meet that
criteria.
If airlines continue to push people into smaller and smaller seats, and the
population continues to put on weight, it will not be long before the planes
can't take off the ground.
