04 June 2009

Airlines Do Their Bit to Fight Obesity

The seats are small - at least for Americans which, as near as I can tell are their target market. They no longer serve meals. And now, my dear wife tells me, the Airlines are planning to make the seats smaller still.

I can only conclude that the airlines have decided to do their bit to promote fitness. And of course, if they can lower the average weight of American passengers by even 5%, that has to translate into fuel savings enough that they might even turn a profit. As much as I resent their methods, I have to admit to grudging admiration.

Maybe if they set up pedals that we could use to generate electricity for fans and lights they could accelerate this process.

3 comments:

Allen said...

Hmmm . . . maybe this is all just a clever plot to have us STOP using the airline industry as a travel option.

Anonymous said...

are you kidding?! Have you ever tried to hold a squirmy baby in one of those seats?

Life Hiker said...

The airlines clearly understand classical economics. The way to grow profits is to reduce the seat size and charge double for obese people who need two seats!

I don't want any heavy people pedalling near me on a plane. The air is a bit close,as it is.

At the risk of incurring much wrath from some of your readers, I've concluded obesity is almost always a disease of choice. It bugs me that the general economy pays an "enormous" penalty to subsidize the excessive health costs that these folks generate. Any national health insurance plan needs to have a very tough incentive for obese people to get smaller and healthier. It's time for tough love, and to heck with the "fat is beautiful" crowd. What's beautiful about diabetes, edema, and chronic heart failure?