January 20, 2007
Linda McAvoy
Special to the Star

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the world today.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion adults in the world are overweight, with at least 300 million of those considered clinically obese.

Thirty per cent of American adults 20 years of age and older, more than 60 million people, are obese, while 16 per cent of children aged 6 to 19 are considered overweight.

Canadian statistics aren't much better with 23 per cent of adult Canadians, and 8 per cent of children aged 2 to 17 – that's 500,000 children classified as obese.

And now obesity is also being blamed for increased fuel consumption by car owners.

According to researchers at the University of Illinois and Virginia Commonwealth University, as American waistlines have expanded, so too has the consumption of gasoline. Each extra pound of body weight in all of today's vehicles results in the need for more than 39 million U.S. gallons of extra gasoline each year in the U.S.

Sheldon Jacobson, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and co-author of the study, concedes that the amount of fuel consumed as a result of the increasing obesity problem may seem small compared to the increase in fuel use caused by other factors. But he adds, "It still represents a large amount of fuel and will become even more significant as the rate of obesity increases."

With all that "junk in their trunk," overweight Americans are paying dearly at the gas pumps, agrees Robert Parker, author of the ebook 57 Ways to Save Money on the High Cost of Fuel in Your Car or Truck (www.SaveFuelMoneyNow.com).

"An overweight family may be losing 10 per cent of every gallon of gas they buy," estimates Parker. "They could spend an additional $100, $200 or even $400 per year for driving exactly the same miles as the thin family in the next lane."

While increased gas costs are troubling, a more alarming concern for heavier occupants of cars is the fact that several studies have concluded obese people involved in motor vehicle crashes face an increased risk of suffering severe injuries and death.

In a study at Washington's Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, researchers found people with a body mass index of 35 to 39 were more than twice as likely to die in a crash than people with BMIs of about 20.

BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. Adults with a BMI of 25 or more are deemed overweight, while those with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese, and a BMI of 40 or more is classified as morbidly obese.

The same formula is used for calculating BMI for children and adolescents, though classifications of "overweight" and "obese" vary depending on the age and sex of the child.

Other research, published in the Journal of Trauma, concluded that not only is there is an increased mortality with obesity for car occupants, but that the severity of lower extremities injuries also increases with a higher BMI.




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BUCKLING UP NOT EASY


For many drivers and passengers, their body shape does not allow them to be safely and legally seated in their vehicles.

While the availability of telescoping steering wheels, adjustable pedals and seats in modern cars has helped, many drivers still find themselves sitting closer to the airbag module in the steering wheel than the minimum 26 cm away that's recommended. And while wearing seatbelts saves lives, many obese drivers and passengers are not able to buckle up simply because standard seatbelts do not fit them.

According to Canada's Motor Safety Vehicle Act, a driver's seatbelt must be adjustable to fit an occupant whose dimensions range from what's known as a fifth percentile adult female to a 95th percentile adult male, which essentially covers a range of body size from 5 feet and 110 lbs. to 6-foot-2 and 223 lbs.

Other seats in the vehicle must have seatbelts adjustable to fit occupants whose dimensions range from a 50th percentile 6-year-old child 45 inches and 45 lbs. to those of a 95th percentile adult male. These dimensions are industry-wide standards, though it has been proposed that larger test dummies be used in standard automotive design and testing.

Also of use are computer-generated programs, such as the Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometry Resource, an international private-public project that provides digital 3D images of adult body types well beyond the average.

For the safety of drivers or passengers who do not fall within the current industry-wide standards, aftermarket seatbelt extenders are available. Though many are advertised as meeting U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or other standard safety specifications, car owners should first consult their owner's manuals as well as the automobile manufacturer.

A check with car makers revealed that some, like Honda, do not sell seatbelt extenders, while others such as Ford offer them free to customers, as does GM Canada, which requires customers to sign a waiver. DaimlerChrysler charges a small fee for seatbelt extenders that are available from any Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep dealer.

Correct use of seatbelt extenders is essential, and an extender should never be left in place, as use by someone other than for whom it is intended could put other passengers at grave risk, as the modified seatbelt will not provide adequate protection.




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CHILDREN NOT SAFELY SEATED


But obese adults are not the only ones at risk – overweight children who are improperly restrained in cars are also in danger.

A study published last year in the journal Pediatrics found that, due to their weight, more than a quarter of a million U.S. children under the age of 7 would be unable to properly fit in a child safety seat. The vast majority of that number are 3-year-olds who weigh more than 40 lbs.

The study also found that there is a limited availability of child safety seat types for the ever-increasing number of obese young children.

While child obesity rates in Canada have not reached the alarming numbers they have in the U.S., Transport Canada has been investigating other car child-restraint options, including seats with five-point harnesses that could accommodate bodies weighing up to 65 lbs., advises Barbara Baines, a Transport Canada defect investigator with a specialty in children's restraint systems.

Baines, who runs car seat clinics across Canada, says she rarely sees a child for whom a car seat cannot be fitted.

But she also cautions that all car child-safety seats and booster seats must be certified to Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and bear the national safety mark – a white sticker with a red maple leaf and number specific to the manufacturer.

Owners of foreign-made, uncertified car seats could miss important recall notices, and insurance claims may be mitigated because a child safety seat is not legal in Canada.

"We do run a national training program," says Baines, who advises parents in need of assistance with proper car seat fitting and installation to contact their local St. John Ambulance, public health nurse, police or fire department.