This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I’d like to get this topic back to where it started: with a “weight limit” rule at an Arbnb.
Regardless of how or why people become overweight, obese, or morbidly obese, they are people. They don’t deserve name-calling or discriminatory rules, and more than anyone else does.
I can imagine some very special Airbnbs that might have justification for a total guest weight limit, such as a treehouse or maybe a tent that hangs from the face of a cliff.
For the rest of us with more usual accommodations, we must plan for people of any size. If that means buying sturdier furniture when something breaks, then that’s what we should do.
I did my own research of course; that’s when I asked for your research, because what you said is not true.
It’s so important to say true things and not just repeat things that appear to be acceptable within your frame of vision.
When you’re asked to back up your specific claim, this is something you have to provide. Around here, sometimes we get people who say “Google it for yourself”, or “everybody knows”. But that’s not proof, and it’s sort of insulting to respond to a request for back up with this kind of comment.
Making a wild claim and then telling everybody else to research it for you is not acceptable. This forum deserves better. You’re not providing anything to prove your point… and Eugenics was disproved many years ago.
There is a ton of research and info that connect carb cravings, insulin effect, hormonal and mood reactions, etc. A quick Google search confirms it, and from proper sources.
I expect that you simply desire to be overly picky about his statement tying a behavior of a high carb diet when one is young to having a lasting impact into adulthood. It is entirely reasonable for anyone to say “habits formed when one is young often have a lasting impression into adulthood”, regardless of being diet-related or pretty much anything else in life.
There will be plenty of info out there to back up anything along these lines. You are not looking for anyone to change your mind or having proof provided.
Oh and just for the record, he never mentioned anything about Eugenics or selective breeding. That is all you. Unrelated info does not validate your position - it hurts it. The forum deserves better … wouldn’t you agree?
For the record, although Rolf doesn’t post often I have always found him to be thoughtful and reasonable. He’ll even admit when he’s wrong which seems to be impossible for some people.
This is one of those posts that I knew would go sideways as soon as John posted. We’ve done the obesity topic before. It’s great to see that so many of our members here are thoughtful and empathetic about this topic.
For those of you being snide and judgemental (just a couple) can I just point out that there are many reasons for people being overweight, and one major one is Lipoedema which affects an estimated 11% of women and a small number of men, it is genetic and triggered by female hormones - it can vary from thickening legs to a small degree to huge swelling of many parts of the body, causing lack of mobility, pain, difficulty in many aspects of life. The adipose tissue is affected and giant fat cells develop, also often causing lymph blockage, causing even more swelling. It can be life destroying and stigmatising and sufferers are almost always blamed for over eating and lack of exercise. Diet and exercise are ineffective for losing this fat, the only cure is surgery which is not often funded. Just to let you know, as your careless comments are offensive to people like me. Thanks to those of you who are more understanding - we are not all the same.
Are you referring to people traveling with pets? Or how about smokers??
Then we should also all buy dog blankets and pooper scoopers as well as air purifiers and ashtrays.
And if you really have a concern of being entirely inclusive, we should also all have wheelchair lifts and roll-in shower stalls. Oh, and, of course, playpens and bottle warmers too.
I am merely making a point. The thing that concerns about the obesity epidemic is that there is so much effort to resist seeing it as exactly that…an epidemic and a national health crisis.
Yes, there are hormonal or other health reasons that some people are overweight or obese, but that doesn’t explain why 75% of Americans are overweight or obese (and that’s 18% of children 6-11). And it’s not helping anyone to normalize it. I have a close friend who is morbidly obese who is also a healthcare provider and so very much understands the health issues. She says nothing is worse than when people say, “you should love yourself the way you are”. Her response is, “would you tell me that if I was shooting smack?”. Admittedly, she can be a bit harsh, but you get the point.
There is no other health crisis that we treat with kid gloves like this because of sensitivities. If someone is an alcoholic we expect that they get help. We have interventions with them! And we know that the first step is admitting you need help. It’s okay if you just don’t want to get help, but we can’t all pretend that there’s not a problem.
I really don’t think that anything here is meant as an insult. It’s just truly hard to understand if you’re someone who works hard at not gaining too much weight. It’s really no different than non-smokers who don’t understand why some people smoke. I feel confident that no one on here is being insulting. If you don’t smoke and you know it’s bad for you, it doesn’t make any sense but you’re still greatly concerned, that’s all.
Just to give a little counterpoint here, what we really should be saying, and I think it’s what most of us mean, is that people should strive to be a healthy weight. I have the opposite problem of obesity- I’m much too thin. I’m one of those people who can eat everything and not gain weight, but I lost about 12 pounds twelve years ago over the course of 2 years when I was building my house, both because of the stress, and because I don’t like to cook, and putting a meal together sort of bores me, so don’t really eat enough. I’m healthy, but I look way better with about 10-15 more pounds on me, which was my normal weight for most of my life. I wish I weighed more. But when I say to people that I’m too skinny, they just think I’m bragging about being thin, which isn’t the case at all.
And sorry, but all this political correctness about how talking about obesity being problematic is offensive and insulting- one thing I like about living in Mexico is the lack of political correctness. If you’re fat, they call you gordo (fatty), if you’re thin, they call you flaco (skinny), if you’re bald, they call you pelon (baldy). It’s said affectionately and no one takes offense. No one pretends not to notice that someone is 80 pounds overweight.
I’m really getting weary of how sensitive everyone has gotten about their feelings.
Everyone knows there are medical reasons why some people become obese and can’t lose weight. But the fact is that those are a small percentage of the cases.
I wasn’t but the question is valid. I would be happy hosting pets because our rentals are separate apartments therefore no allergy problems that in-home hosts may have. However they are not permitted by the HOA. Before that rule came into force I did provide dog blanket poop bags, dog bowls, dog treats etc.
I’m am ex-smoker and although I don’t let guests smoke inside guests who smoke are fine with smoking outside - as they do at home. I’ve only once found a pack of cigarettes in one of the apartments but no evidence of smoking inside.
However, for pets and smokers, my place is set up for them more or less accidentally. Tiled floors (no rugs), blinds not curtains, leather sofas etc. means that pet accidents or the occasional indoor cigarette are annoying but okay.
But as I said, that wasn’t what I was thinking about. I was referring more to high-street businesses such as restaurants or shoe stores or pubs and how people would be up in arms if they decided to ban people who are overweight.
Well, of course, but your response was to Rebecca’s suggestion that Airbnb hosts should buy special furniture so that wasn’t clear.
It’s a bizarre idea to ban people who are overweight or obese anywhere and there was no suggestion of that. Though I’m sure that many many businesses are only designing with standard measurements and not taking into account larger measurements. And I myself feel insecure in those flimsy aluminum bistro chairs.
This post started out about a listing with a wholly inappropriate house rule but the discussion took another route. I don’t think anyone thinks the house rule is okay. It is obvious that it’s not okay and there’s no real discusssion to be had. It is intentionally offensive as it mentions “eating disorders”. (Which should then also require a low weight that is unacceptable as well ,)
But the discussion about obesity as an epidemic is worthwhile. It’s unfortunate that there are so many emotions involved in it that isn’t discussed more. It’s the only major health problem that is skirted about. It’s the only one that is rejected as a health crisis. It’s the only one that we try to normalize instead of address. And it’s the only one where children are involved and is also a huge cost to the economy that is too offensive to talk about. If 2/3 of Americans had any other type of disease, there’d be activism to do something about it, to provide treatment and support. It wouldn’t be about shame or defensiveness, it would be about finding some solutions. I can’t imagine any other issue that would effect the majority of Americans that wouldn’t cause an outrage or an uprising. And if you’re reading this and consider yourself in one of those groups, please don’t waste time being offended. Please demand that your health condition is fully covered by health insurers, addressed by public health officials and that schools teach preventative measures. You deserve that and it is what would be expected for any other epidemic.
Frankly, it is very disappointing when someone chooses to be offended by “a mere discussion”. The world has lots of problems. If we can’t talk about them, how are we ever to work together to fix them!
We have 3 sailboats and a houseboat listed on Airbnb and have had some awkward moments when guests arrive who can’t make it inside the boat due to their size. If anyone knows of a non discriminatory way to let guests know they must be physically fit to board a 31ft sailboat let us know. Our listing has very good pictures of the steps and a description of how to enter. We have had damage from larger guests and not asked for compensation because there isn’t any way to screen guests for size even when our properties clearly cannot sustain larger guests. We can’t ask ages either which has forced us to shut down a few under age keg parties. I wish Airbnb would do that screening for us. Its the law, not discrimination.
Can you list the measurements where bigger people have a problem and ask them to confirm they won’t have an issue?
“ in order to access below deck, the access point is X by Y. To ensure that you will not be disappointed with your stay, please confirm that this small entry will not be an issue for you”
Perhaps some images of the steps with tape measure?
Perhaps also to add stuff when you msg each guest after their booking to make sure they understand the access, etc?
As to ages - of course you can ask. It is your listing. It is not discrimination. We request Full Names, Ages and Current Addresses for every guest (as required by insurance). No one has ever pushed back on this. If they did, it would be a major red flag for us. Air can not ask for our policy and it’s none of their business. Do what you need to do. It isn’t discrimination.
Did you see my favorite Retired basketball player Shaq during shark week on a yacht? He tried to fit in the head—didn’t work. He also couldn’t stand up straight in the berth. He did a lot of doorway ducking too.
He didn’t like the sharks …
I love that he will good naturedly put himself in uncomfortable situations to do “the job”.
You could be humorous and take a photo of some ‘too large’ friend or family member stuck in the doorway with a caption saying “Here’s my dear uncle trying to get into the boat. Took two of us to extract him. You really don’t want to end up like this.”
It’s great to see that so many of our members here are thoughtful and empathetic about this topic.
…