From super-size coffins to super-reinforced beds to resorts for those afraid to be seen in bathing suits, the number of products and services for America’s obese is growing rapidly.
AP:
Obesity Finds Niche in American Marketing
By DEBORAH HASTINGS, AP National WriterSun Apr 16, 6:15 PM ET
From the cradle to the grave and most points between, obesity has found its niche in American marketing. Make that a wide berth.
Baby seats, doorways and caskets are but a few examples from a long list of life’s accouterments that are getting much bigger to accommodate much bigger people. There are also vacation resorts for those embarrassed to be seen in a bathing suit.
At Freedom Paradise on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, the chairs are wider and without arms, to prevent getting stuck; the beds are king-sized and reinforced, to prevent collapsing; and the beach is private and secluded, to prevent gawking and staring.
“You should not be embarrassed by how big you are,” said William Fabrey, whose online business Amplestuff offers larger versions of everyday things from umbrellas to footstools. “You can’t just yell at someone and tell them to lose weight. You’re already dealing with people who think they have no worth.
“They still have to sit down on a chair that doesn’t collapse,” he said.
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By R. A. Earl, April 17, 2006 at 7:36 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I’ve fought my tendency to gain weight since childhood… I’ve been 250 and 150 and everything in between.
But when I see folk in such a state as the two women in the photo, I just feel so sorry for them. That woman on the right must be near suicide 24/7 because she KNOWS her problem is so far out of control she’ll NEVER lose enough weight to make any significant difference.
I’m now well into my 60s and losing weight is much more difficult than it was in my 20s. I just can’t move as much as before, and my metabolism is far slower than in earlier years. But with a determination I didn’t know I had, I’ve been walking at least an hour a day every day since the beginning of the year to get my metabolism up, and I’ve been watching the AMOUNT I eat more than WHAT I eat to avoid setting myself up for failure by being “on a diet,” and I’m losing 5-6 lbs per month. So it will take me about a year to lose the 60lbs that is my goal. And that’s just fine with me!
But look at that lady. I’ll bet she needs to drop 350 lbs or more. And I’ll bet she can’t walk 100 yards before exhaustion sets in. If someone offered her a MILLION in CASH to drop to a “healthy” size within 5 years I bet she couldn’t do it.
Her friend on the left amuses me a bit in a sick sort of way. She’s dutifully and sensibly wearing good protection from UV so to avoid sun damage. But she also is so overweight she’ll never live long enough to develop skin cancer, so why worry?
Instead of super-sizing the built environment to accommodate the requirements of the morbidly obese, America needs to take a good hard look at the most deadly epidemic ever to hit the country. MAJOR education about nutrition and exercise needs to start in the first grade, and Federal LEGISLATION to regulate the content of “food” offered for sale by the fast food chains needs to be put in place NOW. KFC tastes great, I agree, but I wouldn’t eat it any more than I would snort cocaine, which, they tell me, feels great! I’m sorry, Colonel Sanders, but your chicken has KILLED more people in the USA than automobiles!
I know… in America, the Land of the Free, you can’t tell people what to sell or what to eat. Well, America… face up to the fact that International Terrorism is an INSIGNIFICANT problem compared to your National Epidemic - Obesity. If the legislators can do away with people’s rights in order to fight a mostly imaginary foe (terrorism) (how many have died since 9/11 from “terrorism,") they can damn well legislate the fat and empty calories out of fast food which is KILLING MILLIONS right under their noses!
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