Obese People More Prone to Die in Car Accidents

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NEW YORK (GaeaTimes.com) — The rise in obesity is now a major concern across the world and its already an epidemic. Now already obesity is linked with causing many chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and gallbladder disease. Adding to this dilemma a team of medical experts have found that obese people are more likely to die in a car accident.

Researchers from the University at Buffalo and Erie County Medical Center found in their study that an obese person has a considerably higher risk of dying in a severe automobile accident than those with normal weight. The results revealed that those with a body mass index, or BMI, between 35 and 39 have a 21-percent increased risk of death during a severe car crash compared with normal-weight individuals. Morbidly obese individuals, those with a BMI of 40 and above, have a 56 percent increased risk of death from car crashes. BMI is a ratio of weight to height and is considered an indicator of body fatness.

It was also found that underweight individuals also have an increased risk of death during car accidents. The conclusion have come from the fact that a larger stomach puts an individual too close to the steering wheel, and therefore can boost the risk of mortality. Car manufacturers should consider redesigning their vehicles to protect the one-third of obese Americans from injury during car crashes.