Health experts urge PUV drivers to be considerate to plus-size passengers

Drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) should show consideration before charging higher fares for plus-size individuals or people living with obesity, as such acts only reinforce stigma, according to health experts.

“We could acknowledge the need or their point of wanting to charge extra…but then, that kind of action would reinforce the stigma that individuals, even those with obesity, are already experiencing,” Dr. Maria Corazon G. Del Mundo, a psychiatrist and mental health advocate, said on Tuesday during a campaign event by Novo Nordisk, a Denmark-based global healthcare company.

Ms. Del Mundo said that obesity is not just a product of lifestyle choices, but a disease driven by various factors such as genetics, environmental conditions, and hormones.

“Since this person has a medical condition, it needs to be taken into consideration. In the same way that we give consideration to senior citizens or persons with disabilities, we should recognize that being obese isn’t their choice,” she said in both mixed English and Filipino.

Ms. Del Mundo’s statement came in response to a question referencing an earlier pronouncement by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) last month.

The LTFRB had warned drivers and operators following complaints that plus-size passengers were being charged higher fares.

In a Facebook post, LTFRB Chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III said that such practices are both unlawful and discriminatory, adding that those found guilty would face appropriate sanctions.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cyrus Pasamba, Senior Medical Manager at Novo Nordisk Philippines, told BusinessWorld that individuals with obesity should not be shamed, as lifestyle changes alone do not guarantee weight loss.

Mr. Pasamba cited the weight set point theory, where the body naturally regulates and defends a certain weight range, making it difficult to sustain weight loss over time.

“Each and every time you lose weight, your body thinks it’s starving. Even if you’re overweight or have excess fat and simply want to lose it, your body still believes it’s starving. And once it does, it will try everything and anything to make you gain all that weight back,” Mr. Pasamba said.

Given the body’s natural response, Mr. Pasamba added that individuals with obesity should not be blamed solely for their condition. – Edg Adrian A. Eva