Health experts urge PUV drivers to be considerate with large-sized passengers
According to health experts, drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) should therefore be considered before charging higher fares to obese individuals or obese patients.
“We can acknowledge the need for extra charges or what they mean…but this action will strengthen the stigma that individuals have already experienced, that is, that individuals, even those who are obese, are experiencing it,” said Dr. Maria Corazon G. Del Mundo of Novo Novo Novo Novo Novo Knodisk Global Clobal Company, a global global medical company in Novo Novo Novo Novo Novo Novo Novo Novo Knodisk Global Clobal Company.
Ms. Del Mundo said obesity is not only a product of lifestyle choices, but also a disease driven by various factors such as genetics, environmental conditions and hormones.
She said in a mixed English and Filipino: “Because this person has a medical condition, it needs to be considered. Just like what we consider for older people or people with disabilities, we should recognize that obesity is not their choice.”
Ms. Del Mundo’s statement was to answer a question referring to an earlier statement from the Land Transport Franchise and Regulatory Commission (LTFRB) last month.
LTFRB warned drivers and operators after complaining that larger passengers were sued for higher fares.
LTFRB Chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III said in a Facebook post that the practices are illegal and discriminatory, adding that those convicted will face appropriate sanctions.
Meanwhile, Dr. Cyrus Pasamba, senior medical manager at Novo Nordisk in the Philippines, told BusinessWorld Obese people should not feel ashamed, because lifestyle changes alone cannot guarantee weight loss.
Mr. Pasamba cites the weight set point theory, which naturally regulates and defends a certain weight range, so it is difficult to maintain weight over time.
“Every time you lose weight, the body thinks it’s hungry. Even if you’re overweight or overweight fat and just want to lose weight, your body still believes it’s hungry. Once it does, it will try everything and anything to get you weight.”
Given the natural response of the body, Mr. Pasamba added that obese patients should not blame their own condition alone. – EDG Adrian A. Eva
