BlogIssues

Technorati tags: obesity, immigration, overweight, new zealand, health, health care

Just end up going back to weight issues: Somehow I do understand their point but how rude is that being told you’re too fat for a country and you can’t live there.

That’s what happened to a couple who wanted to emigrate to New Zealand. Richie Trezise got a job there and when his wife wanted to join him, she got rejected by the immigration department for being too fat!

Robyn Toomath, a spokesman for Fight the Obesity Epidemic and an endocrinologist, said the BMI limit was valid in the vast majority of people.

She said she was opposed to obese people being stigmatised.

“However, the immigration department’s focus is different,” she said. “It cannot afford to import people into the country 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.”

I honestly can see their point. Taking on overweight/obese people would in the long run affect their system and would mean lower general quality of health care for everyone. Being overweight or even obese is not solely based on genetics and I am a firm believer that with just a little bit of self discipline and healthy eating it wouldn’t be a problem to maintain a healthy weight, whatever that may be nowadays… opinions seem to change daily. Actually I don’t think she should have been rejected, she should have been allowed residence provided she would consult a doctor, follow a healthy lifestyle and get to a somewhat “normal” weight.

Link [Telegraph]