By Jane Han
NEW YORK ― A few weeks ago, I went to an eyeglass store in town and noticed something other than glasses ― chairs. They were typical commercial chairs as you see at random public places, but wider. Not wide enough to fit two people, but definitely too wide for one person with an average physique.
I thought it was just a special arrangement made by the store, but I recently saw the same size chair at the hospital. Also at the bank. And the bookstore.
So, it turns out, this is a new furniture trend.
Not a trend born for style, but out of necessity. America really is getting big.
Larger waistlines call for larger chairs, so that's what furniture companies are starting to introduce. And chairs aren't the only things that are getting supersized in the U.S.
Here are some other new accommodations being made for the up and coming obese generation.
Transit companies nationwide are expanding the size of bus and train seats per passenger for a more comfortable commute. School bus companies are introducing wider front doors so plumper kids won't get stuck in an awkward situation. Seats at movie theaters and amusement parks are getting upgraded to please pudgy people.
Most scales used to go up to a max of 300 pounds, but now many easily go up to 400 to 500 pounds. Revolving doors have widened from 10 feet to 12 feet in recent years. Even caskets are getting wider to make sure that the obese can rest in peace.
These are just a few of the many obesity-inspired modifications happening in America. It's easy to see that all these changes say one thing: Overweight is quickly becoming the new normal.
True, we have people like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who continues to fight hard against obesity by rolling out a series of bold and controversial food bans. U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is also front and center on the issue with her anti-obesity campaign.
But the numbers are only getting worse. Almost 70 percent of Americans are now considered overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With this many hefty people, special accommodations are bound to become necessary at one point, but is America perhaps already too convenient to live large?
Food portions are huge, clothes easily come in extra large and extra, extra large, and now, all these other new arrangements. Is there not enough reason and motivation to shed the extra pounds?
Take Korea, for example. Clothes are small. Way small. Even a slightly bigger-than-average person has trouble finding a size that fits. Subway and bus seats, again, aren't largely spacious. Basically, obese people can expect to find little or no special accommodations to help carry their weight.
In fact, I'd say there's more discrimination than accommodation. By no means is this kind of attitude and perception healthy or ideal, but the social pressure does work to force people into diets.
Time and time again, we hear from successful testimonies that having to deal with everyday inconvenience is a determining factor that pushes people through tough diets.
So should we encourage more fat-shaming in America as a new anti-obesity strategy?
Of course not. That would probably lead to all kinds of discrimination charges all over the country.
But people could at least slow down in rushing to provide adaptations for the overweight. As these supersized fixtures become more and more common place, the obesity epidemic may end up taking permanent residence as America's biggest health problem.
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
I thought it was just a special arrangement made by the store, but I recently saw the same size chair at the hospital. Also at the bank. And the bookstore.
So, it turns out, this is a new furniture trend.
Not a trend born for style, but out of necessity. America really is getting big.
Larger waistlines call for larger chairs, so that's what furniture companies are starting to introduce. And chairs aren't the only things that are getting supersized in the U.S.
Here are some other new accommodations being made for the up and coming obese generation.
Transit companies nationwide are expanding the size of bus and train seats per passenger for a more comfortable commute. School bus companies are introducing wider front doors so plumper kids won't get stuck in an awkward situation. Seats at movie theaters and amusement parks are getting upgraded to please pudgy people.
Most scales used to go up to a max of 300 pounds, but now many easily go up to 400 to 500 pounds. Revolving doors have widened from 10 feet to 12 feet in recent years. Even caskets are getting wider to make sure that the obese can rest in peace.
These are just a few of the many obesity-inspired modifications happening in America. It's easy to see that all these changes say one thing: Overweight is quickly becoming the new normal.
True, we have people like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who continues to fight hard against obesity by rolling out a series of bold and controversial food bans. U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama is also front and center on the issue with her anti-obesity campaign.
But the numbers are only getting worse. Almost 70 percent of Americans are now considered overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With this many hefty people, special accommodations are bound to become necessary at one point, but is America perhaps already too convenient to live large?
Food portions are huge, clothes easily come in extra large and extra, extra large, and now, all these other new arrangements. Is there not enough reason and motivation to shed the extra pounds?
Take Korea, for example. Clothes are small. Way small. Even a slightly bigger-than-average person has trouble finding a size that fits. Subway and bus seats, again, aren't largely spacious. Basically, obese people can expect to find little or no special accommodations to help carry their weight.
In fact, I'd say there's more discrimination than accommodation. By no means is this kind of attitude and perception healthy or ideal, but the social pressure does work to force people into diets.
Time and time again, we hear from successful testimonies that having to deal with everyday inconvenience is a determining factor that pushes people through tough diets.
So should we encourage more fat-shaming in America as a new anti-obesity strategy?
Of course not. That would probably lead to all kinds of discrimination charges all over the country.
But people could at least slow down in rushing to provide adaptations for the overweight. As these supersized fixtures become more and more common place, the obesity epidemic may end up taking permanent residence as America's biggest health problem.
![[INTERVIEW] Ecolab helps Korean partners profit from ESG management](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/7a924189dbb7426ab12275ba98702309.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[ANALYSIS] Has N. Korean leader's daughter been confirmed as heir apparent?](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/e65868a1b5834cc3aef853378637d1fd.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] 'Lifeline for migrant workers in Korea' - Rev. Kim fights for foreign employees' rights](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8fb4b5d381da49df90276394550f2889.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Korea to work with US, Japan to fight climate change](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/800d9054a14b4a0f9cc576366cc1b914.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[REVIEW] Preview gala sets stage for grand premiere of 'La Rose de Versailles' musical](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/c7528d2924cd43c8a469cd46e6f56127.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
