Discussion Thread: Fat Tax

[Content Note: Fat hatred; discrimination.]

Earlier today, I published a quote about insurance companies' strategies to deny healthcare coverage to fat people. Among these strategies is making insurance prohibitively expensive via fines if people don't meet a specific BMI or achieve certain movement goals or participate in a diet program.

Fat people are essentially fined for being fat, irrespective of why they are fat or whether it is possible for them to be not-fat without actually making themselves less healthy.

There are all kinds of "fat taxes" that fat people have to pay, whether it's our clothes costing unreasonably more, or being charged for a second airplane seat, or being paid less. Fat taxes are openly advocated by economists and corporate shills and anti-fat crusaders.

One of the most interesting "fat taxes" I have observed is the disproportionately higher cost of exercise equipment that accommodates higher weights. It is possible to find a basic treadmill with a 300lb weight limit for $200. The cheapest treadmill I saw with a 400lb weight limit is this otherwise very basic model, costing $500.

Those may not be precisely the cheapest versions of each weight limit on the entirety of the internets, but they are a fair representation of average prices for very basic models. If someone wants a 400lb weight limit on a treadmill with lots of bells and whistles, get ready to spend a minimum of two grand.

I don't guess I need to note the irony of fat taxes on exercise equipment, when everyone from here to the White House is shouting at fatties to get moving.

And of course I understand that reinforcing equipment for greater weight capacity means some additional cost. The issue is the disproportionate additional cost. In exercise equipment. In plus-size clothes. In everything that is made specifically for fat folks.

Anyway. There are lots of examples of fat taxes that aren't necessarily evident to not-fat people. In the interest of educating allies, and perhaps opening some minds among antagonists, please share your experiences with hidden (or not-so-hidden) fat taxes in comments, my fellow fatties.