Recent articles in newspapers and on TV are telling us about
the worst kept secret in
are the most obese nation in the world.
We supersize our meals, buy XXXXXL
clothes and now there are plus size products coming our way that will have builders,
both residential and commercial rethinking product options. Here are just a few
of the newer ones:
A 2010 survey by Novation, a health-care group purchasing
company, found that nearly half the hospitals in the
obese patients now than they did two years ago.
As a result, hospitals need bigger, sturdier beds, walkers, and wheelchairs.
One company is filling the demand with a wheelchair that is 4 inches wider than standard models
and holds up to 700 pounds. This means that doorways will soon have to be 42″ wide to accommodate the width. Hallways will have to widen also.
Marketed to anyone who wants a more comfortable potty
experience, the Big John Toilet Seat is 3.5 inches wider than the
standard design.
Customers say the seat, which can withstand up to 1,200 pounds and fits on any
toilet, helps eliminate the fear of breaking the commode when nature calls.
Monitoring your weight is even more important if you are
obese, but most ordinary bathroom scales max out at about 350 pounds.
Although revolving and sliding doorways tend to be on the
wide side to begin with, they’re getting wider. This is for the commercial side of the modular construction industry.
Some door makers say they are expanding them by 1 or 2 feet to accommodate
larger people.
A Texas-based company regularly fills orders for revolving doors with
compartments that are 4 feet wide (up from 3 feet).
Doors with 9-feet-wide compartments are especially popular in
The name La-Z-Boy is synonymous with reclining chairs, and
the company is now leading the pack of plus-size furniture.
While the average recliner is around 36 inches wide, the Roland boasts an
immense 53-inch width. Retailers typically market supersize seaters as
“chairs-and-a-half” or “cuddle chairs.”
Along with the extra width, they offer more weight support thanks to features
like thicker foam and extra springs.
