Pay What You Weigh

Imagine if you had to step on a scale at the box office and pay extra for a seat at the movies, a ball game or the theater. It's possible that if being fat led directly to being poor--or worse, embarrassed in public by having your weight announced aloud--obesity would be avoided at all costs, no pun intended.

According to an article in today's Wall Street Journal, many of the natives of the tiny Pacific Island of Samoa are obese. That fact has recently prompted Samoa Air to base its passenger's fares on their weight. I think that's a great idea, and long overdue. After all, our capitalist society is based on making money, having money and spending money, so why not use that driver to fuel a more healthful society?  Of course most people would freak out at this, citing personal freedoms, the right to choose, etc., instead of admitting it's because pizza and cookies and ice cream are irresistible.

Certainly nobody chooses to be fat, it's just that it's so hard to not be unless you really work at it, and most people, especially fat ones, don't want to work that hard. I count myself among those very people--I'm still trying to lose the same flabby ten pounds I've been toting for the last five years, or is it the same five pounds for the last ten years. I do okay until there's Key Lime Pie on the dessert menu. Lately, it's been very popular in area restaurants.