As Americans get larger, companies are finding ways to adjust
and cater to bigger people
n by Christine Tognetti
Staff Writer
According to the American Heart Association, 63.1 million adults in the United States are obese, and as the country’s waistline continues to expand, hospitals, airlines and other industries are coming up with creative ways to accommodate clients.
The need for larger and stronger gurneys, wheelchairs and walkers – an industry known as bariatrics – has mirrored the obesity trend in society, said Suzanne Bish, a marketing manager for Indiana-based Hill-Rom, a global company that distributes hospital supplies. The company provides Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy with its bariatrics equipment.
“Obesity has had a rippling effect,” Bish said. “And unfortunately, I see this trend continuing on. When you take a look at the percentage of people who are obese today – which is 30 percent of our population – and the fact that it can go as high as 40 percent by 2010, the bottom line is these challenges aren’t going to go away.”
Hill-Rom began making the special-sized beds and chairs more than a decade ago. Along with larger wheel chairs, blood pressure cuffs and walkers, Bish said the company provides the hospital with larger shower commode chairs which can hold 600-plus pounds.
The company also provides wider, stronger pressure-release beds, which are designed to treat pressure ulcers. Saint Louise also has a special lift which can pull someone up into bed. The larger products cost more, Bish said, because of the added materials needed to make them, as well as the product-testing the company has to go through.
Vivian Smith, spokeswoman for Saint Louise, said most patients weighing 300 pounds or less can use the standard-size equipment at the hospital, and specialized equipment is only needed in special circumstances.
“If we have someone come in who is in need of a larger bed, we have a company who is contracted to bring one in,” Smith said. “Within hours, the bed is here for their use.”
Because obesity can lead to a number of other health concerns, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, patients often come in periodically. However, Kim Flaten, a registered nurse at Saint Louise, said she hasn’t seen a jump in the number of larger patients.
“I don’t think there are more obese patients now. I think people are just starting to look outside the box,” she said. “People have learned that assuming everyone is going to fit comfortably into the standard equipment is a prejudice way of thinking.”
Although the hospital might be prepared to admit a patient who is 300-plus pounds, the California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR) can’t always handle the extra weight. Mary Foster, a nurse and spokeswoman for CALSTAR, said airlifting an obese patient to the hospital depends on how much fuel is in the helicopter and how many crew members are on board.
“We have had cases where we can’t lift someone, and then we call the fire department to help,” she said. “We certainly do try to accommodate everyone, though, and we have seen an increase in larger patients.”
Hospitals aren’t the only place where accommodating the growing population has become an issue. During the past two years, several airlines, including Southwest, have made it clear that obese passengers must purchase an extra plane ticket if they cannot fit comfortably into their seat. The company states on its Web site that it has become more vigilant about its rules because of increased complaints from other passengers who have felt encroached upon by larger passengers.
