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
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Reader Comments ( Page 6 of 9)
76. For all the idiots out there who proclaim discrimination, blah, blah, blah, let me remind you that citizenship is a privilege, not a right.
When I started the process of becoming a legal resident and then a U.S. Citizen, I was told this several times. Any country, including New Zealand, has a right to deny citizenship to a foreigner,
especially one that might drain the healthcare system. People in the U.S. don't accept responsibility for their actions, sit on their
butt parroting rascism and discrimination because they feel they are entitled to something for nothing and feel the world must follow
them. So to all the idiots on this board: Why don't you use your God given brains to do some research and check out the # of reasons why
we, in the U.S., don't grant citizenship to every Tom, Dick and Harry ??
Hope at 9:14AM on Nov 24th 2007
77. Smoking is a far more significant factor..should be added to the restrictions ahead of being fat.
More obnoxious, more health damaging, and an indicator of lower education and of being a low-life in general.
So, cull out chimneys and fatties
dan k at 9:13AM on Nov 24th 2007
78. Where do you find more smokers?
1) Wal-mart or 2) Nieman-Marcus
1)NASCAR and WWF or 2)Tennis and polo matches
It's 1), where the low-lifes, losers, and near-morons reside
dan k at 9:19AM on Nov 24th 2007
79. Why shouldn't NZ, a country with socializes medicine, choose to exclude people who are likely to be more of a drain on health resources? When I immigrated to America from the UK I had to go through extensive health testing (including AIDS, syphilis, diabetes, drug and alcohol use and various cancers) and some of those were enough to get my application rejected. And that in a country where you're expected to pay ALL your health care costs yourself out of pocket! I think any country has the right to refuse someone it feels wouldn't be a positive addition - she may be just one person but imagine a few hundred thousand the same per year moving in and going straight into the free healthcare system.
Kay at 9:32AM on Nov 24th 2007
80. Liquid Dynamite, I don't know what Bible you're reading but I don't recall ever reading or being taught in church that God hates anyone.
Gina at 11:45AM on Nov 24th 2007
81. People have the right to be free in America, and it's worked out pretty similarly in NZ and Britain, too, now. But you still have to pay the consequences...unless OTHER people are paying them with and for you. Like obese people in a nationalized healthcare system. OR HERE in the US where they drive up healthcare costs. Same goes for smokers. Whether or not to let them immigrate is one thing, but providing preventive med (counseling, nicotine patches, etc.) from national or private health insurers at a discount but then charge 50-300% higher for at-risk people who choose not to use or make progress on unhealthy habits. Face it: you're free to choose in the society, but suck it up and pay the consequences. Preventive med discounts show we're here to help you, but you have to choose to help yourself, not have me pay for your problems because you now have heart dz and diabetes because you're fat and smoke.
Scott at 1:07PM on Nov 24th 2007
82. "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?"
This is not comparable considering the much larger amount of people that die from cancers and more notably heart disease. It's the biggest killer in many countries like the US where obesity is the worse. I'm sorry, but it's NOT the same. Listen, people really need to start losing weight. You can blame McDonald's and ban trans fats, blame your genes or whatever you want, but a diet coke with your Big Mac is not going to help your health any. People need to get off the couch and try to do at least a half hour of exercise a day, even if it's walking. And cut the fast food. It's not hard. I lost a ton of weight by just by not drinking soda anymore, so I don't believe anyone who says it's that hard. It really isn't. I used to be pretty damn fat myself. I was fat most my life, in fact. People get lazy about this, but come on. I think it's just fine to discriminate against obese people in this case and for example, charging 2 plane tickets for a larger person. I'm not even a smoker, but I think they get a bad wrap for something that is bad, but seriously not anywhere near the health problem obesity is. Mind you smoking can contribute to heart disease, but it's a "bigger" problem than that. In a literal sense there...
akumaxyz at 1:30PM on Nov 24th 2007
83. Dear Dawn: Good for you. It always infuriates me to hear and read this kind of statement. I have been angry about this all of my live. These people should be educated about the history of our Country. Unless you belong to one of our great Indian peoples, you should keep your lousy opinions to yourself.
alba keus at 8:01PM on Nov 24th 2007
84. #77..Dan K..You are so offensive that I don't even know where to start. So now smokers are lowlifes?.. "Wal-Mart, where the low-lifes,
losers, and near-morons reside." I only HOPE you are joking, but you're probably not. I agree that it is a terrible habit, and should be banned in PUBLIC establishments...but it is just that...a habit! It is a also a habit that cuts across racial,
economic, and cultural lines as well. Rich and poor alike. I know a man worth appx 70 million dollars, extremely well educated who smokes, and I'm willing to bet he doesn't spend too much time in Mal-Mart. You sound like an elitist with a lot of hostility. I'm sure you have no bad habits that annoy people.
April at 3:44PM on Nov 24th 2007
85. No one has a right to emigrate and cost the host country $100,000's more in health costs than they could possibly pay in taxes. At 33 years of age, she could easily steal millions in health costs with hip replacements, heart surgery, back surgery, and assorted joint problems. With current and future medical advances, she could easily live another fifty years. That would be fifty years of mooching off of other taxpayers.
Will it kill her to spend a couple of months in England exercising and eating right? She is NOT permanently banned. Two months of treadmills and weights along with eating right (less and healthier) would probably take care of her. They were supposedly going to move to New Zealand in order to get in better shape. If she was going to get in shape anyway, why the bitch and moan session over having to start early on a healthier lifestyle? Anyone that says they will start living better with a change of scenery is full of fertilizer. You can start living healthier NOW.
This is the real reason Cenk is pissed off. She can choose to remedy the situation in a relatively short period of time, but doesn't want to. If she won't get in better shape in England, she won't get in better shape in New Zealand. Cenk can fix his obesity with the same diet and exercise that the British 'victim' needs to use. However, he doesn't want to do anything serious about his weight. He wants to become enraged at anyone that causes him to realize that being fat carries a host health problems. He is really angry at himself and projects the anger at New Zealand for trying to get the young lady to fix herself.
Tom Stoneburner at 4:23PM on Nov 24th 2007
86. Considering that 75 cents of every dollar goes to type 2 diabetes, as my friend who is CEO of a large HMO calls it, the uforkit disease, seems like they will keep down there health costs. I don't have any fat friends or family members so it wouldn't effect me personal. It would however effect me in the pocket book which is very tired of paying for other people not taking care of their temple. How can people believe in Gods role in our Universe and be so destructive as to disrespect the very temple God gave us. By the way, if you don't get it, the uforkit disease is shoveling in the food.
ricknwood at 4:46PM on Nov 24th 2007
87. Must be nice to be an island nation and to be able to so closely scrutinize who attempts to come in. Meanwhile, we here in the states are subject to an endless onslaught of unauthorized mexicans who bring untreatable varieties of TB and steal jobs while reducing wages for everybody in the blue collar sectors. Then they make wages without paying taxes, then because of their untracable income, are able to go on welfare and foodstamps while earning much as 20 dollars per hour because taxes are not withheld.
Some mexicans make so much money, I know one in my apartment complex that drives a Hummer H1!!!
They bring their crime too. Where I work, I saw one mexican vomiting in the hand sink instead of the toilet in the men's bathroom. Apparently they lack manners to boot!!!
Mark at 5:54PM on Nov 24th 2007
88. New Zealand can make up any immigration rules they want to.
pboyfloyd at 6:13PM on Nov 24th 2007
89. Re#77, dan k...........UhhhhhhhhhhhDan, Smokers are lowlifes? Says who? You? Einstein smoked, FDR smoked, Churchill smoked. Uhhhhhhhhh, dan, most cops and service men and women smoke. Are they lowlifes too? You know what dan, I think guys like you are lowlifes and wannabes.
IRONBLUEEYES at 7:32PM on Nov 24th 2007
90. I so agree with New Zelanders. In fact I applaud to them. Why new burden ought be pressed upon them by over weight person. She must prove that she has skills important and beneficial to the people and economy of New Zeland. Otherwise she will go on welfare and drain it as a personal milk cow. I live in New York. I am immigrant. I am a Veteran. I see Welfare students draining system out of thousands of $$$. They should be ashamed, and try to find work. You do not see young Poles or Belorus on a welfare, but plenty of blacks and latinos apply for welfare as soon as they can barely sign.
manunia at 7:33PM on Nov 24th 2007