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Obese people have higher risks for diabetes, heart disease, arthritis—and injuries in car accidents? Yes, in part because they’re far less likely to wear a seat belt. That’s the finding of a study out of the University of Buffalo that will be presented at an upcoming meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine in Chicago.
The researchers analyzed data in the national Fatality Analysis Reporting System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The study included a third-of-a-million drivers involved in fatal crashes. Two years ago, the research group found that morbidly obese people were 56 percent more likely to die in a car crash than normal-weight car occupants. The new study revealed that drivers of normal weight are 67 percent more likely to wear a seat belt than are obese drivers—which could account for at least part of the increased death risk.
The researchers hypothesize that overweight people find belts uncomfortable and difficult to buckle. A weight-loss program can address the problem in the long run. An inexpensive seat belt extension can solve it today.
—Steve Mirsky
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
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4 Comments
Add CommentUniversity AT Buffalo, not of
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen I was little we had a 1986 Chevrolet Cavalier and we used to give a friend of ours rides because they were too big to walk anywhere and our town was too small to have public transportation. I always remember thinking that our car would tip over whenever they got it because they're that big.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnyway, I bring this up since because of their size they were unable to put on their seatbelts. It Would not fit around their waist. So it's not just a comfort thing, obese people not wearing their seatbelts. Some of them are physically unable to put them on.
Last time I saw them, about two years ago, they had lost a lot of weight and hopefully they're now wearing their seatbelts because seatbelts are awesome.
It's not comfort, at least not any more than anyone else is bothered by wearing a belt. It's fit. Obese people can't even see the buckle, it's down there buried, out of sight, by their hip.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThen as another reply stated, the belt may not reach the buckle. I always insist passengers wear belts but it wasn't until a particularly large friend demonstrated that the belts are not long enough that I knew what the problem was:
It's DESIGN.
There are extensions to allow the belt to fit, but ... have you seen one in a store anywhere? Nope. They're not easily or commonly available, you have to specifically seek them out.
And they DO create a comfort issue. Have you SEEN how they work? Ouch.
I know you cannot force people to exercise or to loose weight, especially if there is no means in the area where they live to encourage physical activity or healthy eating, but maybe you can instill an image into their mind that will encourage them to reverse their mindset and become interested in exercise and loosing some weight. Advertising healthy food on TVs and then lowering the price of the healthy food below the level of junk food would be a good start, but until we get rid of some greedy politicians and know nothing and do nothing politicians, that may not happen.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI live in a very small town, where eventually you hear what everyone else in saying. I heard and then read on a social web site, that most people in my town who has a computer, eventually access for local information, gossip and news; a very rude person express their view of the people in my town. It was not a pretty view and I wish I could get that image out of my mind, but I believe it is going to be there for a while because it had a funny twist to it. The person said, "You people look like hogs walking down the street on its hind legs." At first, that comment really pissed me off, and then I couldn't stop laughing. I weigh 187 pounds and I am 5'11" and I have always exercised and tried to eat the right foods that I could afford and I've never considered myself fat or obese, but I ran straight to the mirror and looked...I increased by walking by two miles twice a day now and its been almost a year and I am maintaining my weight at 187. There must had been a lot of other people read that comment because where I walk the human population has almost tripled. The people are walking and knocking off some pounds and they look really great. I didn't know there was that many good looking people in the town where I live, but I'm going to keep walking in hopes of seeing some more of those good looking people, and I have yet to see a hog walking down the street on its hind legs though...maybe some day.