Fat Enough?



I know as a society we are...in a word..."fat."  Just spend a day at the beach or the pool and you will unfortunately see evidence of that.  Did you know that Disney gave "It's A Small World" a face lift?  Yeah, I thought it was to change things in the ride.  Adding to the countries and such.  Nope.  It has been retrofitted. Retrofitted for our ever spreading fannies.  Apparently the ride was getting stuck because the boats were being weighed down.  They made lighter and wider boats, and increased the depth of the water in the areas where the ride was having "problems."  Disney does not directly admit that is reason for the changes.  But you can go here, and make up your own mind.

Disney is not the only one with problems with wide loads.  The new Harry Potter adventure in Orlando, has a ride that will not fit someone who weighs 265 pounds and over.  I know, crazy right.  The real crazy thing is, that person insists that most HP fans are that size.  Really?  Let me go look in the mirror. ... Nope.  Unless I have a fun house mirror.  Let me go weigh myself just to be sure. ...Nope.  And I promise, both feet were on the scale and I wasn't holding on to anything!  This person says that they should design the rides accordingly.  Okay, yes one third of our children and adults are obese, but if they make the ride according their size and proportions that means the other 2/3 of the population will not be able to ride the rides, because they would not be safe.  And don't even get me started on airline seats.

Are we getting too fat?  Is it right and logical to make those kind of changes?  What do yo think?

Harry Potter Ride (beware, there is an ad on the right with naked backsides)
Overweight and Obesity in Children
Welcome to Obesity in America

Comments

Richard said…
I love (hate) how overweight people think society must adjust to THEM instead of taking responsibility for themselves. I don't blame society for my ills, it is ultimately my fault. Society doesn't determine what goes in my belly and how much time I DON'T spend excercising. Stop blaming ME for YOU! Geez, I have enough stress as it is.
Linda Medrano said…
I think we as a country are getting very unhealthy because of weight. Kids who used to "play" outside are now sitting playing computer games. Fast food is not our friend, but it's so much easier than cooking. In Europe, most people do a lot more walking, and that seems to help. Plus, they don't really cherish the fast food franchises there. In Paris, the people drink wine and smoke, but they eat so much better and they do get exercise. And they outlive Americans.
Laura said…
The honest answer...YES, Americans are getting WAY too fat! There really isn't any way to sugar coat it either and it's sad that so many things/people feel like we do. It's a huge problem and people are passing it on to their kids without a second thought. It's sad.
See Mom Smile said…
Bravo! It is a big (teehee) problem. Not a disease. My hubby tells his patients, that say they have tried "everything" to watch the Biggest Loser and get back to him.
Emmy said…
Eric doesn't even weigh that much and he is 6'8". And you know I think a lot of Harry Potter fans are kids and I have never seen a kid that big, but maybe that is just me.

Though I know Eric would happily have some rides changed, like Space Mountain as he pretty much had to break the bar to get out since he is so tall.
Laura Lynn said…
Yes, we are.

It's a much deeper issue than just food though.
If you look at statistics, the fattest regions are the less educated areas. With less education comes poverty and with poverty comes stocking up on cheap, unhealthy and fast foods.

And with that, the mind-set is passed on to the kids. It's a vicious cycle.

And for different reasons, no I don't think businesses should change to accomodate those with weight issues. The cost of that is always passed on to the consumer.

Whew- long response but thanks!
Shelley said…
Ohhh boy...don't even get me started!!
mormonhermitmom said…
Businesses typically cater to the average person (since there are more of them). If obesity becomes the average, businesses will be forced to adapt.

I think the obesity in America is the result of a complex set of variables. I don't think our food generally is as healthy as it used to be. Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles play a big role. How many of us would be willing to manually farm a few acres to provide ourselves with organic produce? I mean hoeing, plowing, weeding, harvesting, preserving all by hand? What housewife wants to go back to scrubbing laundry on a washboard? Haul water from a stream or well? Dig ditches? Walk miles a day to herd animals?

And what about the folks where it's obvious that family heredity plays a major role? Would you tell someone who was born without legs to "quit whining and do something about it"?
Christine said…
I don't even know what to say. I'm just glad this isn't something I have to worry about :S
Vanessamae said…
We're fat. A lot of Americans are. Its the sad truth. But instead of complaining the rides weren't built for FAT people eat an apple and go for a walk. The whole sad me doesn't do it for me if they aren't trying to better themselves.

That may sound mean but hey I'm working hard and so are you!

Vanessamae
Joy@TPMG said…
That is shocking. The problem is if we start changing things to accomodate an unhealthy lifestyle, it is just going to compound the problem by saying it is okay. I know some people may be larger due to hereditary, medical conditions, etc. but overall, our culture is obsessed with unhealthy food and a sedentary lifestyle.
Kellie said…
I don't think there should be special exceptions/privileges made for obese people (or any minority), but I feel really bad that in a sense, they are the 'lepers' of our society. When judging someone for being fat, don't think for a second that they don't judge themselves for it every day. I don't know a fat person who feels good about their body, and to me it's sad. I also don't think it's fair for an overweight person to have to buy 2 seats on an airplane- if that's the case, they should be giving discounts for the very thin, and kids. Really.
Liz Mays said…
Geez, how do you make that call? We need to realize that we're overweight and do something about it, but yet we can't be discriminated against for our size. What a tricky situation.

It's a sad fact that it's so common and widespread (no pun intended) that things need to be adjusted for our growing waistlines.
Tracie said…
In a word - YES! We are getting too fat and by 'we' I mainly mean ME. *sigh*
KK said…
Ugh, I agree.
Holly Lefevre said…
The reasons these companies give is crap. Yes, there is a problem with weight. I am a big believer that we are all afforded rights and should be allowed to participate but at a certain point here has to be a limit - Does the Harry Potter ride need to be changed to accommodate a 600 lbs? Does that mean no one should be able to ride a ride because the 600 lbs man cannot ride it. I totally get accepting people, but sometimes we have to take responsibility for our "problems."

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