CrashTestDanny,
Please understand that this is not about hating overweight/obese/out of shape people b/c of their condition. It's about not penalizing those around them for not being in the same condition.
From your posts, it sounds like the issue of weight has been a challenge for you and your daughter, and I don't doubt that it is challenging. I've know folks on both sides of that coin, some can't lose weight and are ridiculed for being fat, some can't gain weight and are ridiculed for being skinny. It is particularly unfortunate when there is a truly overwhelming medical condition that imposes an unwanted body composition. However, IMHO and in my experience, that VAST majority of folks that are not in the shape that they wish to be in are there b/c of the choices they have made. Are those choices influenced by marketing and peer pressure? Absolutely! But, nonetheless, ultimately, those choices are made by the individual, regardless of why.
In my own experience, I have never been in a given shape, good or bad, and not known exactly how I got there and exactly what I needed to do to get out it and into the shape that I wanted.
In my observations of EVERY single family member of mine, their shape has been determined 100% by their choices. Some have particular conditions that make their choices more difficult, but none have conditions that make getting into decent (not great, just decent, moderately healthy shape) markedly difficult IF they made it a priority to do so. Still, many have chosen to NOT make it a priority.
My observations of virtually EVERY friend and acquaintance has been the same. All have the ability, through choices, to achieve whatever shape/level of health that they wish, yet most choose to not make the effort.
Ironically, considering your comments of biggotry, those who do make the effort are often completely discredited by those who don't make the effort. The in shape folks often receive from out of shape folks such back-handed compliments as "Oh, you look great! I WISH I had your metabolism." or "You're one of the blessed folks that can eat anything they want and not gain an ounce.". Such statements are, of course, just as ludicrous as "If I eat a carrot, it goes straight to my hips.".
My point here is that 99% or more of us have the ability to direct our level of health through choice. Some folks have harder choices to make than others, no question, but we all have choices. I make good and bad choices all the time, but I lean towards good choices and when I make bad choices I know that I'm inviting the consequences of those choices. If I'm not prepared to suffer the consequences, I make a different choice.
Again, the idea here is not to penalize overweight folks. The agenda is to NOT penalize smaller folks for the choices of overweight folks who DO have a choice in their health and have chosen to make choices that result in their being overweight.
As others have mentioned, it takes more space and more fuel/energy to provide for a larger person.
Finally, I ask these questions:
1) Why shouldn't heavier folks pay more/lighter folks pay less to fly given the add'l fuel needed to move them?
2) Why should heavier folks be allowed to squeeze into the seat space of smaller folks? They paid for only their own space, not a portion of someone elses space.
3) Why should smaller folks not insist on having the use of their entire seat space. Again, they paid for that space, shouldn't they have every expectation of having full use?
With respect.