Fat Charge Unfair

Would this 2008 Miss England finalist face a surcharge?

d-up with expensive chairs getting broken, Natural Nails salon owner Kim Tran has implemented a $5 surcharge to those who are overweight. Why? Because the charge will help pay for chairs broken by overweight customers.

MSNBC reports:

"...Her pedicure chairs have a weight limit of 200 pounds and cost $2,500 to fix.

"...While it’s debatable whether obesity is a disability protected by the law (it is in health-related cases), on the face of it, there’s not a chance Tran would have been able to know the reason for Fonville’s being overweight. And without that knowledge, any kind of discrimination is a problem and potentially legally actionable."

The best way to lose business, in my opinion, is to make your customers feel bad about themselves. While I can sympathize with the salon owner, and like people to take good care of my things, the owner should have planned to serve all her clients. It's not like its a surprise that Americans are overweight. Just look at the statistics from the CDC:

• Percent of adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 34% (2007-2008)
• Percent of adults age 20 years and over who are overweight (and not obese): 34% (2007-2008)
• Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are obese: 18% (2007-2008)

These figures show that 68% of adults and 18% of teens are overweight. 

So, if you are really concerned about your chairs, don't single-out 68% of your potential clientele. Irregardless, get better chairs or raise the price of your services so everyone pays a buck or two extra.