UK seaside donkey ride company insists on weighing children, sparking obesity debate

There is debate about the ethics of weighing children for a UK donkey ride.

A tourism operator has been accused of fat-shaming children after demanding they be weighed before participating in donkey rides.

John Nuttall, 61, has run donkey rides to children in the English towns of Skegness and Cleethorpes for more than 40 years, the BBC reported. However, Nuttall has recently been criticised for imposing a new restriction that demands visitors be weighed before riding.

Nuttall reportedly set up scales beside his paddock, which can be moved around towns. A sign next to the scales states the conditions for riding; children must be shorter than 137cm, under 10 years old and, most controversially, weigh less than 38kg.

Children who meet all requirements can take a short ride for £4 ($17).

According to Heath New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, a 10-year-old who is 137cm tall and 39kg is considered a “slightly unhealthy weight for age” with a BMI of 20.8, which is in the 93.4th percentile. Similarly, in the UK, NHS’s BMI tool states this height and weight suggest the child is “overweight”.

Nuttall told the BBC they introduced the scales after noticing children getting heavier and said parents often oblige without being asked and have no issue with it.

“You can actually see the parents checking their own kids,” he said.

“But if the odd one or two come through, we do just say ‘Can we check you please?’, with our guidance, and if they’re too heavy, they’re too heavy and that’s it.”

Nuttall reportedly said his licence permitted riders aged up to 15 years old or 50kg but said he made the rules stricter to “protect” the donkeys.

Nuttall was sorry for anyone upset by the rules but said he would not budge as it was a matter of care and safety for animals and riders.

The approach has been condemned by the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of organisations that advocate for policies to address obesity and improve health.

Katharine Jenner, the organisation’s director told the BBC it was “completely unacceptable to weigh a child in public and then say they can’t go on a ride”.

Instead of shaming children for their weight, people should focus on the factors that contribute to high obesity levels, she added.

Nutall added that those who were too heavy to ride were welcome to interact with the donkeys and give them a pat.

The welfare of animals in tourism isn’t always so well considered.

In Rome, horse carriage rides have been a contested topic as people claim it’s animal abuse, with horses occasionally collapsing after being forced to carry heavy carriages in intense heat with inadequate breaks or water.

Meanwhile, camels in Qatar have reportedly endured strenuous conditions to give tourists a fun experience.

The Donkey Sanctuary, a UK company that specialises in “donkey welfare” said donkeys and mules in tourist hotspots are often forced to carry “overweight passengers” and denied access to water, rest and shade for hours.

As a result, seaside towns have introduced regulations that cover a donkey’s working hours and the right to a day off.

“They also stipulate the maximum age and weight of the riders,” the website states.