Thousands of Brits Are too Fat to Work, Figures Reveal

It is exactly because of things like this that the world is slipping away. Tell me, how did this ever make sense: I'm morbidly obese and on the verge of death as a result, so I want to cut one more activity out of my day.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over?
I have a hint for all the fat, lazy people in the world: take the fork out of your face, and go hop on a treadmill, or run through the park. Heck, bring the whole family along! They could probably use the exercise, too!
Listen, you're asking for a downward spiral if you give 'life-support' to individuals such as these, or to anyone, for that matter. Now, I realize that everyone in the world likes to think that the man to the right and left of them is a good person, but let's be realistic for a moment. Now, if I was an obese person, and someone told me that, because I'm obese, I don't have to work anymore and I'm going to be given a monthly stipend to live on for doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, what do you think would happen?
First off, forget about those people losing weight. For every pound they get closer to health, they're a pound closer to losing unearned, undeserved cash. Yippee. *party noises*
Secondly, you can forget about having a decent work force, because those suckers are never going to go back to work, let alone leave their houses. You're paychecks that you EARNED by your own effort will be going to their sloth, paying for their medical bills and living expenses. And trust me, they're not about to get healthy anytime soon. Why should they?
What disgusts me more than anything else is that, somewhere out there, there are people who think this is acceptable behavior! That a man earns a living by his hardships and failures, not by his good works and success. That a person's most honorable virtues are his poverty and his ability to give charity to all who would beg for it, not his ability or his right to that which is his, his right to decide who is truly deserving of his money, if anyone. It's because of these people, these ludicrous lawmakers, that we are having any of these problems today.

If what you said was practically true, then we'd never give out these benefits.

A lot of people are in a position where they can't work. How does starving them because they have no money help? Sure, we dig our own holes, but when you are without the ability to earn your own pay check, what happens then? Starve? No electricity and water? And the incentives to get healthy are actually huge. And they know it. You can earn a better salary, live longer... even such a simple pleasure as being able to WALK into a normal clothes shop and buy something you like. It's very rare that someone wishes to stay that fat

Anja,
I could not agree with you more. When I had read this article, I at first thought that I had misunderstood something-to pay fat people for their devouring everything what can be deemed edible? Isn't it the End of Times?
People in the rich countries such as US and UK have all the opportunities to eat healthy food-vegetables, fruit, freshly-squeezed juices. And what? Do they do that? nope. They prefer devouring roasted meat with hormones and drinking pepsi, which dissolutes nails...
It is an ultimate cynicism and obscenity to mourn fat, lusty for food "people" when millions of children in Africa are dying every day of hunger. How can it be happening in such prudish and Christian countries as US, UK or Austarlia.
Wanna help obese people? OK! Come on, let them collect food products, money and go to the poor contries to help those who REALLY need help and simpathy. Even 20-30 years ago, it was unfamothable to imagine that lusty, gluttonous and hoggish creatures will be given a hand as ...victims of their own weak-willness and being self-focused.
People, wake up! Be human beings, not hogs!

So what about the people with hypothyroidism? Hypopituarism? Genetically predisposed to obesity?

And some people have real issues with obesity preventing work: my mum has a friend who is unable to walk more than 200 yards because of crippling arthritis. She gained a large amount of weight consequently. She eats a normal amount, and is completely unable to exercise. Does this sound like someone who's scrounging off the system?

Some people really do have issues, that incur costs, such as changing aspects of your house to be more suitable for mobility issues, getting a specially edited car... you even have to buy a wheelchair. Without the benefits or a job, people, deserving people like my mum's friend, would never have anything near a normal life.