sorry, you're too fat to live here...

Options
2

Replies

  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    Options
    People get pissed but their healthcare will benefit because people will actually try and maintain healthy lifestyles!
  • DashDeV
    DashDeV Posts: 545 Member
    Options
    That's what you get!
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
    Options
    The article mentions that NZ is the country with the third highest rate of obesity in the world, so I can somewhat understand their requirement for immigrants to have less than 35 BMI especially since they have universal healthcare. Every country has its own health requirement for immigrants, the U.S. included. By law you can't immigrate to USA if you have tuberculosis, among other things.

    Albert had 6 years to study the regulation and improve his condition. He's currently 286 lbs and he needs to be 244 to meet the requirement. I have seen many people here on MFP losing 42 lbs in just a year.

    Yeah, yeah, I can see people flocking here saying "but being fat is not necessarily unhealthy" and all that. It's true that not every obese person is unhealthy, just like not every teenager drives irresponsibly, but on average obese people have higher health risk just like teenage drivers have higher auto accident rate.

    This is very well put and exactly what I was thinking. It may not be fair, but the law is the law. The US has laws as well, some of which are unfair, but hey - this guy had 6 years to lose 42 pounds. That's averaging 7 pounds a year. Not unreasonable.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
    Options
    I think it depends. If he is working (which it sounded like he was) and paying his own health costs, then no, it is not fair. If he has applied for some kind of health assistance, then the government has the right to deny him assistance, but forcing him to leave the country seems extreme.

    Are they going to go round up all the obese immigrants and deport them?
  • SirBonerFart
    SirBonerFart Posts: 1,185 Member
    Options
    He should sneak in the country then get amnesty
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
    Options
    Every country has its own health requirement for immigrants, the U.S. included. By law you can't immigrate to USA if you have tuberculosis, among other things.

    Yeah, but that requirement is to avoid the spread of disease, not to keep a global statistic low.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    Options
    I think it depends. If he is working (which it sounded like he was) and paying his own health costs, then no, it is not fair. If he has applied for some kind of health assistance, then the government has the right to deny him assistance, but forcing him to leave the country seems extreme.

    Are they going to go round up all the obese immigrants and deport them?

    But he could go use the healthcare provided by the state, I wish Canada would do something like this!
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
    Options
    I think it depends. If he is working (which it sounded like he was) and paying his own health costs, then no, it is not fair. If he has applied for some kind of health assistance, then the government has the right to deny him assistance, but forcing him to leave the country seems extreme.

    Are they going to go round up all the obese immigrants and deport them?

    But he could go use the healthcare provided by the state, I wish Canada would do something like this!

    Yeah, I didn't realize we were talking about national health care at the time I posted that comment. But it seems to me, he could still be denied and referred to privatized health care. Or does private health care not exist in a nationalized health care system?
  • chunkydunk714
    chunkydunk714 Posts: 784 Member
    Options
    Could you imagine how many less immigrants our country would have if we had that law? Dang.
  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
    Options
    Basically if you're at risk of HIV,hepatitis B and C,most cancers, will need major transplants,progressive renal disorders,
    osteoarthritis,motor neurone disease, epilepsy, cardiac disease or BMI over 35 the state doesn't want you registered.

    But you could just go private.
  • fhartog
    fhartog Posts: 10 Member
    Options

    Yeah, I didn't realize we were talking about national health care at the time I posted that comment. But it seems to me, he could still be denied and referred to privatized health care. Or does private health care not exist in a nationalized health care system?

    I do not know how it works in NZ, however in Canada there is little to no private health care. It is all public
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
    Options
    Basically if you're at risk of HIV,hepatitis B and C,most cancers, will need major transplants,progressive renal disorders,
    osteoarthritis,motor neurone disease, epilepsy, cardiac disease or BMI over 35 the state doesn't want you registered.

    But you could just go private.

    If this chef has the option of private health care available to him, then deporting him for his BMI is not fair.
  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
    Options
    Basically if you're at risk of HIV,hepatitis B and C,most cancers, will need major transplants,progressive renal disorders,
    osteoarthritis,motor neurone disease, epilepsy, cardiac disease or BMI over 35 the state doesn't want you registered.

    But you could just go private.

    If this chef has the option of private health care available to him, then deporting him for his BMI is not fair.

    But he isn't originally from there and has to abide by the health immigration laws, but I don't know how much time he was given to find an alternative.
  • dirty_dirty_eater
    dirty_dirty_eater Posts: 574 Member
    Options
    So, what if he were a gay man having unprotected sex?
    Would the government be right to deport him for being a potential medical expense?
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Options
    Perhaps they're afraid he'll sink their little island?

    Ha ha!
  • FearAnLoathingJ
    FearAnLoathingJ Posts: 337 Member
    Options
    So, what if he were a gay man having unprotected sex?
    Would the government be right to deport him for being a potential medical expense?

    or anyone having unprotected sex
  • dirty_dirty_eater
    dirty_dirty_eater Posts: 574 Member
    Options
    So, what if he were a gay man having unprotected sex?
    Would the government be right to deport him for being a potential medical expense?

    or anyone having unprotected sex

    Yes, the point being, how intrusive in to personal decisions can government be by "virtue" of providing your healthcare through tax dollars?
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    Options
    Perhaps they're afraid he'll sink their little island?

    That was my thought too...

    Islands can capsize.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    Options
    I don't think it's fair, but it's their laws. Life isn't fair. But I do find it interesting that he weighed 65 lbs more when he moved there than he does now. If it's such a big deal, why did they give him a work visa in the first place?
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Options
    Perhaps they're afraid he'll sink their little island?

    That was my thought too...

    Islands can capsize.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg

    There was a US senator (don't recall which one) that was opposed stationing marines on Guam because the additional weight of the people might capsize the island...

Categories