Eating Intuitively

United Airlines recently became the third airline to begin charging obese passengers for a second seat.  If you cannot close the arm rest or fasten the seatbelt (with an extension), you will be asked to pay for the second seat.

I have flown at 350 pounds, and it is a stressful situation, even without wondering if you’ll be asked to pay for a second seat.  The entire experience is a big fat reminder how fat you are.  It’s not necessarily a terrible thing to be reminded you are overweight, but it is uncomfortable nevertheless.

You feel squeezed as soon as you get on the plane, as you try to make it down the aisle with your luggage.  You get to the row where your seat is and maneuvering your luggage is a pain.  Just getting into the seat, before you try to put on your seatbelt, can be a real challenge.  If you get the seatbelt on (with or without an extension), seeing if you can put the arm rest down is no picnic.

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I realize this can also be uncomfortable for the person sitting in the next seat.  However, I believe the airlines should take most of the responsibility.  After all, they have the most influence over the size of the seats in this situation.  How did they determine the size of the seat?  Is the size of the seat meant to accomodate 50% of the population comfortably?  60%?  70%?  Is the size arbitrary, or is there some research behind it?

Aside from that, how many other places would you find this situation?  I’m caught without some hard facts, but it sure seems like seats on trains, buses, and in movie theatres are bigger than airline seats.  Even the seats inside the airport are pretty comfortable. 

I think we should all put our heads together and come up with a better idea.  One size fits all just doesn’t work.  What ideas do you have to ensure comfortable flying for all?

Breakfast:  Lemon Poppyseed Muffin; Egg; Mandarin Oranges; Morning Coffee; Cracker, Honeymaid Graham Crackers (Nabisco) ,Low Fat Honey

Morning Snack:  Cottage Cheese, 1% Fat; Applesauce, unsweetened

Lunch:  Pasta with Beef; Cabbage, raw; FF Dressing

Afternoon Snack:  Honey Mustard Pretzel Sticks

Dinner:  Rotini with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce; Zucchini, cooked; Mandarin Oranges; Oil, canola, olive, peanut, safflower; Sweet Potato

Dessert:  Double Chocolate Almond Cookie

Drinks:  Crystal Light

Exercise:  none today.

Pedometer:  ?