CDC reports the following:
- there's a 1.1 % increase in the self-reported prevalence of obesity between 2007 and 2009 (reportedly this equates to 2.4 million people) - reliable information, no doubt
- the number of states with an obesity rate over 30 percent has tripled to nine states - guess we're not using the 'clinical' definition
Public health concerns aside, the rise in medical costs associated with the rise in obesity is bigger'n Dallas, but one of the other impacts of this weighty affliction I hadn't considered is that obesity causes more people to buy larger vehicles - d'uh I know. This in turn increases our gasoline consumption since
Another discernible gem from their report - there's an increase risk of crashes due to the fact that obese drivers are less likely to 'buckle up' because seats don't fit them - wouldn't this just make them more likely to be injured in a crash as opposed to increasing their risk of a crash?!
Their recommendation? Car makers need to look at the design of their belts to better fit larger people - naturally nanny.
