Man 'too fat' to live in New Zealand

[HomerJay]

Authorities in New Zealand have told a South African chef he is too fat to be allowed to live in the country.

Immigration officials said Albert Buitenhuis, who weighs 130kg (286 pounds), did not have "an acceptable standard of health".

He now faces expulsion despite shedding 30kg since he moved to the city of Christchurch six years ago.

New Zealand has one of the highest obesity rates in the developed world, with nearly 30% of people overweight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23475583

[Tyrannical]

Well, it is an island after all.

[cronus]

They've had one major earthquake recently. No point taking chances.

[Blind groper]

This is a common type of occurence world wide. When a person looks like he/she will be a burden on the taxpayer with major health issues, they do not get accepted as immigrants. In this case, it is morbid obesity. But it could be any number of a range of ills, and this happens in pretty much every country world wide.

[Hermit]

Authorities in New Zealand have told a South African chef he is too fat to be allowed to live in the country.

Immigration officials said Albert Buitenhuis, who weighs 130kg (286 pounds), did not have "an acceptable standard of health".

He now faces expulsion despite shedding 30kg since he moved to the city of Christchurch six years ago.

New Zealand has one of the highest obesity rates in the developed world, with nearly 30% of people overweight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23475583

If he is desperate to stay there, he will do what devogue did: loose the required amount of lard.

Before we were permitted to migrate to Australia in 1969, every member of the family had to undergo a comprehensive health check. I remember having to drop my undies and cough as part of the examination, to demonstrate that I didn't have a hernia.

[pErvinalia]

Ridiculous. I wonder when they'll be deporting all the Samoans and Tongans? If there's one group of people in the pacific who are extremely overweight, it's them.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Ridiculous. I wonder when they'll be deporting all the Samoans and Tongans? If there's one group of people in the pacific who are extremely overweight, it's them.

They're not fat, they're fluffy.

[mistermack]

It's a bit harsh, as he's been there a while, and has had no warning before this.
It would have been more sensible to tell him that he had to lose X amount by the next annual renewal, not just refuse to renew.
And/or to insist that he had full private health insurance to cover the next year, giving him chance to get the weight down.

Of course, maybe he WAS warned. You don't always get the full truth in these stories.

[Seth]

Welcome to socialized medicine. Next it won't be foreigners on visas, it'll be citizens, who will either be disenfranchised or forced to be "healthy" or kicked out of the country.

That's precisely what happens when you allow government to dictate who gets health care and who does not.

If they weren't complete fuckwits down there, even if he is a foreigner on a visa at worst they would require him to buy health insurance to cover any weight-related treatment he might require while in the country. Many countries do exactly that for foreign visitors.

Or, they could simply tell him that he's not covered under the state's medical care plan and that he's on his own if something happens and he'll have to pay the going commercial rate for services.

[Blind groper]

To Seth

Re socialised health care.

There was a recent article in New Scientist criticising the health care system in the USA. Health care per head costs twice as much per person in the USA as in countries like Britain, Australia, and NZ and overall is less effective. Heaps of people in the USA fall between the cracks and get pretty much zero health care at all.

Your "non socialised" system is a load of cobblers. Give me the efficiencies and greater care of our socialised system any day.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Authorities in New Zealand have told a South African chef he is too fat to be allowed to live in the country.

Immigration officials said Albert Buitenhuis, who weighs 130kg (286 pounds), did not have "an acceptable standard of health".

He now faces expulsion despite shedding 30kg since he moved to the city of Christchurch six years ago.

New Zealand has one of the highest obesity rates in the developed world, with nearly 30% of people overweight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23475583

Chefs can loose weight.

[Seth]

To Seth

Re socialised health care.

There was a recent article in New Scientist criticising the health care system in the USA. Health care per head costs twice as much per person in the USA as in countries like Britain, Australia, and NZ and overall is less effective.

Which is complete shit. The US has the finest most advanced health care on earth.

Heaps of people in the USA fall between the cracks and get pretty much zero health care at all.

Any person with an emergency condition can walk into any hospital ER and get service for free. That's federal law.

Your "non socialised" system is a load of cobblers. Give me the efficiencies and greater care of our socialised system any day.

Right up until the OPM runs out and you're denied care or your care is delayed by shortages and rationing, which is what's happening in every socialized medicine society on earth. TANSSAAFL.

[Warren Dew]

It's a bit harsh, as he's been there a while, and has had no warning before this.
It would have been more sensible to tell him that he had to lose X amount by the next annual renewal, not just refuse to renew.
And/or to insist that he had full private health insurance to cover the next year, giving him chance to get the weight down.

Of course, maybe he WAS warned. You don't always get the full truth in these stories.

Of course, maybe he did lose weight. 30kg so far, in fact.

[rainbow]

Ridiculous. I wonder when they'll be deporting all the Samoans and Tongans? If there's one group of people in the pacific who are extremely overweight, it's them.

They probably just don't like South Africans.


Who does?

[pErvinalia]

I like the non-racist ones. Except my ex-wife.