Richie Trezise emigrated to New Zealand when he got a job there, so naturally he wanted his wife Rowan to come over. But the New Zealand immigration department rejected her request because she was too fat! (They were afraid that she'd be a burden to the country's healthcare system):
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."
The first comment about race is just stupid.
We WERE going to visit New Zealand...my attitude now? Hope the stupid country sinks.
That introduction being said: NZ is well within its rights as a country to be concerned about the tax burden of its citizens. If it feels fat people constitute an unwelcome burden, and since they ARE a parlimentary democracy, then that's the way it goes. Stop complaining and go pay your 40%+ tax rate.
Incidentally, I don't fool myself about how the way democracy works; if the majority want to do something, even if it's to HARM some one, group, or thing, then, majority rules. This is also why I prefer a constitutional Republic, like America used to have.
Finally, let's do get back to something Neat on Neatorama. Politics are easy to talk about, but are not properly categorized when placed on a site associated with Uncle John's Bathroom Reader and Mental_Floss.