Writes guest blogger Dr. Summer Johnson: 
As described in the Newsweek article, “Should the Obese Pay More for Airline Tickets?”, one of the latest social disincentives created by the airline industry to penalize those obese persons choosing to fly the not-so-friendly skies is to charge a double fare to cover the extra fuel that it costs to fly overweight people who must sit in two seats.
However, it is hard to see how such policies invoked by airlines would do anything more but embarrass obese passengers, prevent economically disadvantaged passengers from flying in many cases, and focus attention on the harms of obesity in America rather than upon finding positive, constructive solutions to prevent or solve it. Such policies are clearly unethical and should be revoked by the airlines, even if they reduce the carbon footprint.
It is difficult to see how a bioethicist like Laurie Zoloth could justify such a policy on the grounds of “fairness to the person in the next seat” (Newsweek, July 7, 2008). What is the concern here? Physical discomfort in the air en route from JFK to O’Hare? If that were a concern, then no one would ever fly coach class ever again. That one person’s carbon footprint is bigger than another’s? If that were the argument, then everyone should be required to drive a Prius regardless of how much they weigh. Perhaps what Dr. Zoloth really means is her argument that she believes that obese persons should pay higher health insurance premiums than other persons of average weight. Yet, we know that weight does not always correlate to health and wellness and that persons of average weight can suffer from as severe coronary heart disease or diabetes just as much as an obese person can, often without showing any signs or symptoms of disease.
I think that the discrimination of obese persons as a distinct category of persons is unjustifiable and unwarranted and ought to be discouraged on every level and in every institution. While every effort should be made by companies to promote healthy weight and good nutrition, this differs significantly from overt discrimination via policies regarding booking double airline seats, job discrimination, and other cases that have been reported. Until we have a society that is structured in such a way to promote healthy lifestyles with physical activities and good nutrition that make obesity a significantly less likely problem, we must acknowledge that this health epidemic is largely one of our own making and not discriminate against those who suffer from the consequences of our own society.