New Study: Obese Americans Forgo Wearing Seatbelts

Obese people skip wearing seat belts more than the rest of the population, according to research released this week.

Approximately 30 percent of the overweight or obese population reported not wearing seatbelts, compared to around 20 percent of those with a normal weight, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University and the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. David Schlundt and his colleagues studied survey data from the Centers for Disease control and found that as Body Mass Index (a ratio of weight to height used to measure obesity) increased, seatbelt use decreased. The research, published in the November 2007 issue of the journal Obesity, reported that 55 percent of those persons considered "extremely obese" said they didn't use a seat belt.

"We found that when weight goes up, seatbelt use goes down," Schlundt, associate professor of psychology and assistant professor of medicine, said in a release announcing the research results. "This is an additional public health problem associated with obesity that was not on the radar screen," he said.

Obesity is on the rise in the United States: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the overweight and obesity have jumped markedly over the past three decades. The prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States was 32.9 percent, according to the CDC, and continues to rise.

Nearly 60 percent of the survey respondents fell into the categories of overweight or obese, mirroring the nation: according to the Surgeon General, more than 60 percent of American adults are overweight.

About 300,000 deaths per year across the nation are associated with obesity and overweight, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, accounting for $117 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2000. Obesity and overweight are associated with a variety of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, stroke, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

"We know obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers," Schlundt said in the release. "We now know that increased risk of injury or death due to a car accident can be added to the list of risk associated with obesity."

Seat belts are a vital part of automotive safety: according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seatbelts reduce the risk of fatal injury in a passenger car by 45 percent. An estimated 15,434 lives were saved by seat belts in 2004, according to NHTSA, saving society $585 billion in medical care, lost productivity and other costs since 1975.

But seat belts can't help people who don't wear them. The authors of the Obesity study suggested that obese people shun seatbelts because they aren't comfortable.

"Efforts should be made to raise public awareness about seatbelt extender availability, and manufacturers not offering seatbelt extenders should be encouraged, or required, to make them available," according to the authors. Authors also said efforts should also be undertaken to make seatbelts more comfortable for obese and overweight people.

"Obesity linked to decreased seatbelt use." EurekAlert
"Obesity and Overweight." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
"Overweight and Obesity Threaten U.S. Health Gains." Office of the Surgeon General
"The Need to Promote Occupant Restraint Use for Children, Youth and Young Adults." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration