Link to the Story.

Not to step on any toes because I am not a light weight myself, but the cost of all of the special equipment that has to be used to take care of these individuals that are so tremendously overweight is very high. Just to buy one bariatric (overweight) bed costs from $10,000 to $20,000. That does not include the specialized lifting equipment that costs as much as the bed. There have been waaaay to many injuries to EMS and healthcare workers over the years trying to lift and care for these individuals. Equipment was invented to help with this and extra material cost extra money. As with anything else, when you require higher priced care the cost is passed along to you. A persons weight is not the fault of anyone else!

If I am in seriouse pain or dieing, I will gladly pay a lil extra to get back on my feet.

The guy is 1,000+ lbs. My question is this: How does someone get that fat?!

Lazy and lack of exercise, but I better be careful that description fits me too.

In your case maybe but that is not always true and it has been proven.

Discrimination......

The really sad part about people that gets this large is that they have to have someone that is enabling them to continue to eat such large portions and get larger and larger long after they become unable to get up and go get it themselves. It is just like they are slowly enabling them to die.

I'm with Medman on this...if a company has to have more specialized equipment, or more personnel to accomplish the job, then it should cost more. Period. Doesn't have anything to do with discrimination or not, it's just the cost of the service itself.

By definition, it is discrimination......

From dictionary.com:
treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

So how else does one get to way 1/2 a ton beside being lazy and not exercising?

Metabolic disorder, such as low thyroid function or hormonal imbalances.

Justified.

I agree. People are "discriminating" against companies who provide a service, that entails more service and specialized equipment to haul said "big-uns".

Colmes, I'm kinda surprised you wouldn't take a company's side on this...if it takes more specialized equipment, and more hands on deck than normal, then as a company, you would charge for those extra services.

It's no different than the proposed healthcare, illegal immigration, etc.. Why should I, as a taxpayer, have to pay my ambulance service more to absorb their loss on hauling the "big-uns" around? Big-Uns can do what they want, but I shouldn't have to pay extra. If the Big-Uns want to buy steak, and I'm buying hamburger, why should I have to pay for their steak?

Same reason why you have to pay more because of aids or cancer. It has been proven that many obese people have a disease or medical problem that make them that way and for you to sit back and run them down like there sub human is deplorable at the least. Should you have to pay more for cancer research and equipment even though you do not have cancer? Thanks for reducing them to just "big-uns" instead of people with real problems! Pathetic!

Obese, big-uns, etc.... and BTW, I didn't cut them down or call them sub-human...I could give a hoo-hah what they do, if they want to weigh 1,500 pounds, more power to 'em - I could care less... but when they want medical care, and a company has to provide more services and above the "normal and ordinary" to tote you, well then, that's what ya gotta do....

And one thing we do agree on... they definitely have "problems", whether it's medical or self-induced. Course most people who find out they have cancer, actually do something about it, and pay for it, and don't scream discrimination.

If a cancer patient was charged more cause they have cancer to ride an ambulance you can damn sure bet they would scream discrimination. I understand the 1500 lb being charged more scenario but who decides who gets charged more? What do you do when the 300 lb man gets charged more?

I understand what you're saying, but comparing cancer to obesity, to me, is like comparing apples and oranges.

To me, it's a business thing, not a "who" they are, or how much they weigh, or what they have.

It's purely business. If ambulances have to buy and stock supplies to be able to carry larger people, then those supplies will cost more than "ordinary" supplies and services. Thus, the cost of that supply and service is passed on to the consumer who uses it.

If, for example, you owned an emergency ambulance company, you would stock certain things. Now, some things are going to cost more than others, and you would charge according to what was used, and that is then passed on to the consumer. However, then you have those type of items that you may use, it's not stock, and let's face it, in this day and age, the more you buy of one thing, the lesser it is per item... but if you're only buying 2 stretchers, for example, for larger people, then that price per each item is going to be higher, than had you purchased 20 stock stretchers.

If I'm having a heart attack, and I'm in the ambulance, and they're having to zap me with those paddles, I sure want 'em to zap me. Would I be willing to pay more because they had the zappers and they zapped me? Well, yeah... DUH... Do I think that others who rode in the ambulance who have nothing that severe ought to be charged less than me with the heart attack? Well, criminey, I sure would hope so!!!!!

It's the cost of doing business, and the business owner should decide what they charge, and no one else.

Health Care depends on the individual, we have all had attempts to teach us how we should eat, drink, and live healthy lives. Many can not live up to those standards. Should they be rewarded for living an unhealthy lifestyle ? Or should we as people accept their unhealthy lifestyle ? Those are their vices, their rewards, and their downfall, when it comes to health. We all understand the parameters of living a healthy lifestyle, yet many of us do not follow those guidelines. It could be through addiction, comfort, excuses, habits, metabolic chemistry in our bodies, or indifference to what our bodies are telling us.

Should an obese person be charged for an additional seat on a bus, plane, or train ? The charges are based on averages. I have been obese in my lifetime, but I chose to change my appearance. Some will say that is vanity, but I knew that cutting back on my diet, and exercising more would benefit my health.

People should expect to be charged more. This is not discrimination, and it is not wrong. This will throw you for a loop, but I live in the moving business, and in the food industry. It's weight times mileage, and cost per pound. What sets the price of anything ? Weight in gold, or human understanding ? It's a very easy mathematical equation to understand.

And just where have I stated which side of this issue I'm on??? I answered the original posters question (which is see is no longer there...lol..): Is this discrimination. BY DEFINITION, it is discrimination......

Chicken... LOL! I'm messing with you...so let's really define discrimination...(you knew this was coming, didn't you - LOL!)

Unfair treatment or denial of normal privileges to persons because of their RACE, AGE, NATIONALITY OR RELIGION...

Doesn't say anything about weight. Also states, "...all of whom stand in the same relation to the PRIVILEGES granted and between whom and those not favored no reasonable distinction can be found."

Also states, "Other federal acts, as supplemented by court decisions, prohibit discrimination in voting rights, housing, extension of credit, public education, and access to public facilities."

At some point, this welfare state of "it's owed to me" has got to stop....

Colmes, homosexuals also use the same argument, as they're "not allowed to 'marry'"

Let's say you hire someone to clean your 2500 square foot house. You tell your friend how awesome the service was and that they only charged you 150 bucks.

Your friend has a 15,000 square-foot mansion. He complains when the cleaning service asks for $1200.

Is it discrimination? Sure...you treat the bigger house differently. Why? Because it takes more time, energy, effort, supplies, and manpower.

Obviously there's a difference between the legal definition of discrimination and the dictionary definition.

Obviously... but I would disagree that your scenario is discrimination... it's purely paying for a certain type of services and supplies. However, had said friend had a house the same as her friend, then if said service charged higher, then yes, there may be an argument, but not discrimination, but the "fair" way of doing business. However, if said friend was told she would be charged $250 versus $150 on a like and similar house, then said friend only has to say, no, I don't think I need your service, and look elsewhere.

That's when it gets super sticky... no company, whether it's a house cleaning company, or an ambulance service, or a bank should be told what to charge for their services. Once someone agrees to the cost of those services/products, that's it. Kind of like all the idiots that got houses they couldn't afford, they signed the dotted line.

If someone signs up for a credit card, and it plainly states, if your balance goes above $1,000, you'll be charged 30% APR, and you sign the dotted line... don't whine when your bill comes in.

In that case, its OK to charge black people more when you have to go into unsafe neighborhoods to clean their house.

From dictionary.com:
treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit

Webster's or Dictionary.com has nothing whatsoever to do with the LEGAL definition of discrimination, nor the cases upholding or dismissing same...

You knew that was coming, didn't you, Colmes? LOL!

BTW, you're making the argument that a lot of other people do who feel they're "discriminated" against...

The lawyer definition was not what was originally asked...no matter how much lawyers try to change the definition, BY DEFINITION, any treatment given that is different based on the criteria above is discrimination....this is discrimination by DEFINITION....




You are reading too much into my statements...just like a lawyer.....I haven't taken sides in this debate...I can tell from your posts, however, that YOU are working under the assumption that discrimination is always an evil or bad thing.....an assumption that the powers that be WANT you to make so that they can keep us divided.......I am not working under that assumption...I discriminate all the time......

Well, ookkkayyyy...LOL! I can't think of anything else to say, but I'm sure it'll come to me later... LOL! Except to say... no, it's not discrimination!

By "your" definition then.

Treatment of obese, does not pertain. They're not treating them, they're getting them from X to Y.

Consideration of, does not pertain.... they're not considering them, they're offering a service. Service requires that of only which you pay "decide" to pay for.

Distinction in favor of or against, does not pertain. Not making any type of distinction, except how do we get him/her from X to Y.

A person or thing, based on the group, class, or category to which a person belongs, rather than on individual merit, does not pertain either. Not classing them either... just a service of how to get from X to Y.

This is one of those, meet in the middle, and I'll buy the first cup of coffee, you buy the second one...LOL!

I don't drink coffee....it could lead to weight gain and I don't want to be discriminated against because I don't fit someones definition of how I should be......

LOL! First, coffee doesn't make you fat; the sugar and heavy cream you put in it may add a few pounds... that is, if you drink it almost non-stop. Of course, a discriminator would say that coffee makes you fat... it doesn't...

It's been fun, Colmes! LOL!

Now that's just a plain ignorant statement, and it's discrimination.