Should plus-size travellers be asked to take weight-loss drugs for flights? It’s plane crazy

A new report analysing the business benefits of weight-loss ‘wonder drugs’ like Ozempic crows that carriers could save millions of dollars a year if obese passengers slim down. Rose Stokes, who has experienced the trauma of flying as a plus-size traveller, explains why framing the issue in economic terms is hugely damaging — as well as misleading

Ozempic has become the ‘wonder drug’ of choice for those looking to lose weight quickly (iStock/Reuters)

There is not one thing I dread more as a plus-size person than flying. It has nothing to do with a fear of flights and absolutely everything to do with the fact that aeroplanes are not built with bigger-bodied people in mind.

The idea of getting on a plane provokes in me a sort of low-level dread from the moment I book the tickets until I step off the aircraft having arrived at my destination. If there’s a return trip involved, it will be on my mind throughout the entire duration of my holiday. Will I fit in the seat? Will the belt be big enough? Will I be comfortable? Will the person next to me groan as I sit down?

Thankfully, in my case, none of these worries are based on any actual experiences, and have never come to pass. But I’ve seen enough viral videos and photos online taken by – presumably naturally slim – people on planes and trains seeking to mock or complain about their larger co-passengers to feel my fears are at least somewhat legitimate.