Obese Men Suffer Greater Injuries in Car Accidents

Sometimes it takes me a while to catch up on the stack of reading that teeters on the corner of my desk. I ran across a March 29, 2010 item in the Los Angeles Times that caught my eye.

Scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Injury Research Center studied data compiled on 11,000 drivers involved in crashes between 2001 and 2005, and added data from their own computer models and simulated crashes using test dummies. They found that obese men are far more likely to suffer a serious upper body injury than normal weight men – particularly injuries to the head, face, chest and spine.

Obesity is described as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. BMI is a ratio calculated by looking at weight and height. The researchers found that body shape and center of gravity and where fat was located on the body were some of the factors in the injuries. The study looked at the differences in injuries between obese men and regular weight men, as well as between men and women in coming to their conclusions.

I have to admit this is the first time I’ve thought about this aspect of personal injuries people suffer in car accidents. The study notes that body weight is a factor that should be considered when safety features are being designed for cars – which probably makes sense in light of the obesity and overweight problem in the country.

I don’t know about all the factors the scientists considered in their study, but at least I’ll take some comfort from the lack of a connection they found for women...