A British couple wanted to move to New Zealand after their wedding. They ran into one small problem, or actually it was one large problem. New Zealand told them they are too fat to immigrate to their country.
Robyn Toomath, a spokesman for New Zealand's Fight the Obesity Epidemic, said, "The immigration department can't afford to import people who are going to be a significant drain on our health resources ... You can see the logic in assessing if there is a significant health cost associated with this individual and that would be a reason for them not coming in."
No, I can't see that logic. Because under that rationale you would also ban people who smoke and sky dive and have unprotected sex. Are they going to be checking to see if people are using condoms during intercourse before they let them move to New Zealand? And how would they do that check exactly?
In the case of weight, they actually use Body Mass Index that compares your weight to your height and sees if you are within the prescribed limits or not. So, they physically weigh these people and tell them if they're too fat to live in the country. That's sick.
Meddling in people's private lives started with messing with smokers. I worried at the time that it would spread to other areas of our private lives where we made decisions that our companies or governments or insurers disapproved of. And now it has. This is a terrible trend and we have to make sure it's contained. So, I propose banning New Zealanders from coming here and spreading their discriminatory policies to us.
Finally, there is good news and bad news from the British couple trying to move to New Zealand. The groom lost two inches off his waistline and he has passed the health requirements. But unfortunately, his wife still hasn't made it. So she is stuck in England, still dieting.
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New Zealand Bans Woman for Being Too Fat
Posted Nov 20th 2007 10:08AM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: World News, Young Turks, Strange
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Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 9)
31. Normanoel wrote a comment that we should all keep in mind the US's medical restrictions on people coming into the US and comments about Ellis Island.
No offense, but normanoel you got it wrong. You are talking American History, not our now political correct non-judgmental government processes. The US government makes no particular effort to screen immigrants or visitors for health issues. In fact even fatal and contagious diseases do not keep you out. Remember the tubercular lawyer? The media accurately reported that he was the first person in 43 years to have a stop at entry instruction put out on him. Most Customs or Immigration officers believe they do not have the legal authority to take a person into custody because they are sick. They are right, they do not have that authority.
So which country has its act together?
Jim Kaley at 9:06AM on Nov 21st 2007
32. Yeah, normanoel, I see your point. Like ban anyone that might be a drain on the economy, huh? Pretty soon they would ban say someone who is real bad at math, because they would never amount to anything and be a drain on the economy. Like Einstein, right? Your logic and New Zealands logic is grossly flawed. This fat woman might be the person who stumbles on some cancer cure, or feeds the poor. The idea being that no one can tell what someone will contribute to society or not contribute to society based on weight.
wes at 9:00AM on Nov 21st 2007
33. 'Why would anyone care about New Zealand? The only thing they ever gave the world was more sheep.'
Um, actually, New Zealanders did all of the following..
Split the atom first (Lord Ernest Rutherford)
Climbed the world's highest mountain first (Sir Edmund Hillary).
Invented the jet boat (Hamilton). Been on the water recently?
Helped get to the moon (Pickering at JPL) And remember it was a German (von Braun) that really got you there before the Ruskies.
First to give women the vote (Yes, they were).
Never had a racist discriminatory segregation law on the books (shame on you US).
One of the first comprehensive social welfare and health systems to people would have dignity and care regardless of age and status (can you say that).
Have addressed, at great cost, grievances with the indigenous people over 150 years after they happened (Native American reservations anyone?).
This sounds to me like there are more facts of this case that have not been made public. If your minds are that small, you won't fit in there anyway.
MP at 9:22AM on Nov 21st 2007
34. Cenk has a butt, too. Now that's funny!
dungal1 at 1:18PM on Nov 21st 2007
35. BAWAA, we agree! that's wierd.
Marc at 1:45PM on Nov 21st 2007
36. This is so unnecessary. There are fat people who are healthier than a large number of thin people. Sometimes being fat is more the result of a disease than the cause of it (for example, PCOS or thyroid problems). Everyone's thinking about fat is in the stone age, because we're programmed by the diet industry with the idea that it's purely a matter of calories. Unbiased research is showing that Atkins was heading in the right direction and most diet advice will not work for most people. (I recommend the book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes for more info.) Meanwhile we heap scorn on fat people for not being able to lose weight on flawed, unhealthy diets. What a mess!
Brenda Mobley at 10:27PM on Nov 23rd 2007
37. Socialized medicine and liberty will eventually be at odds with one another.
kevin h. at 5:04PM on Nov 21st 2007
38. Too all the Americans who are saying that nz has it all wrong with getting working visas, do you have any idea how hard it is to get a visa for the states. Its almost impossible unless you already have a job lined up.
And I'm pretty sure that NZ does screen quite a few health criteria. Why shouldn't they?
Its a fact that obese people have a higher risk of heart problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc. Why should tax payers have to pay for these people's medicine.
And to everyone saying that there are obese people who are healthier than skinny people, that is true. But the majority are not.
jon at 5:42PM on Nov 21st 2007
39. Well, why not? New Zealand can discriminate any way it wants. Why pay for useless feeders? The fat, the weak, the infirm, the mental, those with genes that predispose them to disease? Why indeed? Didn't the Nazis have a perfect, Final Solution to such mistakes of nature? They wanted to send them up the chimneys of the death camps, and did for twelve years, which is exactly where New Zealand's thinking leads in the matter. Beware.
! at 7:59PM on Nov 21st 2007
40. 'Why would anyone care about New Zealand? The only thing they ever gave the world was more sheep.'
Um, actually, New Zealanders did all of the following..
Split the atom first (Lord Ernest Rutherford)THIS IS GOOD NEWS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Climbed the world's highest mountain first (Sir Edmund Hillary) HIS SHERPA GUIDE GOT THERE FIRST.
Invented the jet boat (Hamilton). Been on the water recently? THIS IS NOT IMPRESSIVE. NOR NECESSARY.
Helped get to the moon (Pickering at JPL) And remember it was a German (von Braun) that really got you there before the Ruskies. WHY DRAG JPL INTO THIS? AGAIN, ONLY IMPRESSIVE IF YOU CARE ABOUT SELF CONGRATULATING WAR MONGERS AND THEIR CORPORATE WELFARE PROGRAM.
First to give women the vote (Yes, they were). TRY WYOMING IN 1864.
Never had a racist discriminatory segregation law on the books (shame on you US). BUT THE NEW ZEALANDERS TRIED AND FAILED TO KILL THE MAORIS, WHO KICKED THEIR BUTTS REPEATEDLY.
One of the first comprehensive social welfare and health systems to people would have dignity and care regardless of age and status (can you say that). READ THE BLOG AGAIN; ANY WOMAN WHO CANNOT GAIN ADMITTANCE TO YOUR COUNTRY CLUB HAS FOR ALLEGED HEALTH AND COST CONCERNS HAS NO STATUS.
Have addressed, at great cost, grievances with the indigenous people over 150 years after they happened (Native American reservations anyone?). MAORI INTRANSIGENCE AND REBELLION ANYONE? THEY KNOW WHAT NEW ZEALANDERS TASTE LIKE.
This sounds to me like there are more facts of this case that have not been made public. If your minds are that small, you won't fit in there anyway. LOOK IN THE MIRROR. YOU DON'T NEED A BIG ONE.
! at 8:10PM on Nov 21st 2007
41. LAST TIME I SAW A KIWI THE BIRD IT APPEARED OVERWEIGHT
DICK GUNDERSON at 9:01PM on Nov 21st 2007
42. the most exciting thing you can do in new zealand is watch pigeons s--t on a statue.
joe at 7:06AM on Nov 22nd 2007
43. I wonder if their notions that fat people cost more in health care over a life time take into account that when Fat people die from heart attacks that they usually dont linger for years like those skinny ones that reside for years in nursing homes until they succumb to Alzheimers. I wonder which really costs more. Boom your dead, or 10 years in a bed.
Heidi at 9:56AM on Nov 22nd 2007
44. Well there you have it, folks. This is where socialized medicine (single provider health care, universal health care, or whatever name you wish to give it) will lead a country. It is bankrupting every nation that invested in it, so they are all looking for ways to reduce health care costs. Most overweight people have made LIFESTYLE CHOICES that increase their risk of needing medical attention, so they have made themselves an easy target. Let this be a warning: Don't allow the very same people who make the laws also pay for health care since, when the going gets tough, they will make laws regarding WHO is eligible to receive health care.
John Vantuno at 12:53PM on Nov 22nd 2007
45. I think it's great. I'd like to move there because they, like Australia, make it's citizens behave and they don't have to play the politically correct game that the US does. Our country is being over run by mongrels. Fat ones, to boot, as well as those who don't have to learn English.
michelle at 2:21PM on Nov 22nd 2007