As another example, I was returning from southwest Asia from an Air Force
deployment, and after many hours on planes, was waiting in the commuter
terminal in Dulles. I also had picked up a pretty significant GI bug, which
had given me fevers and chills along with a nasty case of diarrhea. However,
I also knew that this was the last leg on my way home, and was at least back
in the States.

However, the last leg was on an RJ, and there was an obese passenger waiting
to go on the plane on a scooter. In order to accomodate her needs the
airline needed to bring out a portable ramp, since there was no jetway up to
the plane. Unfortunately, due to the parking spot, the ramp wouldn't come up
to the hatch, so then they had to get a tug and move the plane back a few
feet, after moving all of the ground equipment as well that was next to the
plane.

Unfortunately, the ground crew miscalculated, and they didn't move the plane
back far enough, so after another twenty minutes of trying to fit the
portable ramp, it was clear that the plane needed to be moved again. Of
course, all of the pax were waiting and watching this keystone cops routine,
while I was there with chills and a fever, wondering whether I was going to
need to go out and run to the bathroom again before the flight.

After another attempt at fitting the ramp, the ground crew gave up, and the
passenger in question simply walked up the stairs and down the aisle without
a problem! While she wasn't exactly sprinting, she clearly had little
difficulty going up the four steps and walking down the aisle without
assistance. If we had been on a sailing ship I think all of the pax would
have voted to throw her out the door to the sharks.

Although the whole debacle took around an hour, it was an inconvenience to
everyone on the plane, as well as the ground crew. Obviously, I think most
people would have been understanding and compassionate to a person with
legitimate needs, but this was completely over the top.

I also recently had a patient in her early thirties who insisted that I
document that she had knee pain and needed a handicapped sticker so she
didn't have to walk so far from the parking lot. I offered her some physical
therapy as well as a short course of anti-inflammatory medications, but she
declined, telling me the only thing she needed was the handicapped permit!

Why is it that in American society we need the quick fix- gastroplasty and
other fat reducing surgery or diet pills rather than watching what we eat
and increasing our exercise? Why are our children the fattest in the world?
I am not one of those arrogant rail thin marathon runners by any stretch,
but I believe that obesity is a serious concern for our entire society.