I was in a new section of our hospital recently. While I was waiting, I noticed that the chair across from me was a strange size. It wasn’t like the regular sized chair I was sitting on and it wasn’t a traditional bench size that would easily fit two average sized adults. No, it looked like this. I took this with my phone.
I turned to John and said, “Hey, look at that weird sized chair. You don’t think that’s because so many people are overweight and they can’t fit into these chairs comfortably do you?” He looked at it and agreed with me. It was most likely for our new SuperSized Americans. There wasn’t just one of those chairs – they were interspersed among the waiting room.
Honestly, I don’t know what I think about this. Is this a sign that our hospitals are being more accomodating of us in general, or is it a sign that even hospitals have kind of “given up” on fighting the trend of our country’s growing girth?
Looking at those bigger than normal chairs brought up some sad feelings I had about myself when I was morbidly obese. I remember giving up on myself in terms of my clothing choices, my appearance and my food intake. I just quit trying and quit reaching for that seemingly elusive goal of getting to a healthy weight. I tried to give up on myself and it wasn’t a good feeling.
It wasn’t a good feeling to see those chairs and think that parts of our society may be giving up and just accepting obesity as part of life. I know there is a difference between accommodating and giving up! I agree that airline seats are too small for most people, even people of an average weight. BUT, the hospital chair I was sitting in would have accommodated me at 300 pounds. It would have been tight but I could have fit.
And sitting in that tight chair in a hospital would have made me think again about my weight and that might have been a good thing. I know that every time I sat in a tight chair during my 10 year fight with obesity I thought about the fact that I really needed to do something about my weight. I’d look around and compare my fit in the chair with someone smaller and notice that their stomach didn’t stick out above the arms of the chair and that they had room around them.
I never felt that the chairs should have been bigger. I felt I should have been smaller.
So where do you stand on this issue? Should hospitals add chairs big enough for one and a half people when they remodel? By the way, John and I tried to sit in that chair-thing together and we fit, but barely.
Yes, to accommodating chairs in a hospital, or just stick with the regular sized chairs and benches? Diane
I was recently in an exam room at my local urgent care and there was one of these ‘over-sized’ chairs in the room. I looked at it for awhile and thought “oh, that is nice that they are accommodating ‘larger’ people” but then I thought about the fact that the issue of obesity must be so large (no pun intended) that they actually needed to make these chairs. I have mixed feelings. Maybe I am not as horrified seeing seats like this in a doctors office (it’s fairly expected given health issues related to obesity) but I have also seen them at movie theaters… the jury is out for my on whether I am happy/sad to see them. In the end – there is no denying that we definitely have a weight problem in the United States.
I’m totally shocked, never seen this before…
Wow ~ I am lost for words to be honest.
It makes me feel sad as well as its a way of saying its OK to be overweight where as its not as being overweight means you not healthy.
I wonder where this is going to take us.
In general I think places should stick to regular chairs. However, I imagine that at least some proportion of people in the hospital are obese for health or medical reasons…and if you can’t feel a little better in the hospital, where can you? Also, folks in the hospital may need a little more room, not necessarily for their bodies but maybe for things like casts, canes, oxygen, etc. Maybe I’m stretching it a little bit, but I think the last place we should change would be the hospital. Everywhere else, absolutely. Let’s start with airplanes and actually increase their size!
Hi Diane,
It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to visit and as always, you’ve given me something to ponder. Still not sure how I feel about the chairs.
When I started working at our hospital here some 20 years ago they had a SMOKING section IN THE HOSPITAL.Yes, I swear they did. And I clearly remember going to an office Christmas party down the hall in Cardiology where everyone was smoking like crazy!! Thank goodness that is one habit I never acquired…
I work in a hospital. The simple reality is a significant number of patients and visitors are obese. Hospitals have been forced to spend large amounts of $$$ to have bariatric (code word for BIG) wheel chairs, chairs, beds and lifts for obese patients. Sadly, These items are necessary for patient and staff safety. (Don’t even get me started on the injuries to staff from caring for and moving obese patients around….). If a hospital does not provide bariatric equipment it will only hurt their staff–I seriously doubt a morbidly obese person would find the lack of proper sized equipment to be adeqate motivation to lose weight.
I don’t know how I feel about this other than shocked. I know it is reality, but it sure doesn’t seem as if it should be.
I’ve never seen this, but I think it’s sad. I understand it, since I’m sure the hospital gets complaints about the chair sizes, but it’s sad that our super-sized nation is now super-sizing furniture to accommodate us. Then again, I’ve never been unable to fit in a regular chair so I don’t know if it’s humiliating enough to make me want my own sized chairs.
.-= Tracey @ I’m Not Superhuman´s last blog ..Fit and Clean. Or Clean and Fit. =-.
It is sad but sadly it is needed. Imagine being morbidly obese and getting stuck in a normal sized chair. Then imagine the normal sized nurse/orderly/volunteer that had to help pry them out.
My birth father was obese when he had his cerebral hemorrhage and only expanded as time went by. He needed the extra wide everything and a lift to get him in and out of his bed. Even WITH the help of the bariatrics the staff often had issues moving him around.
absolutely this is enabling
if you went to my orthopedic office – there are regular chairs, fat chairs, and tall chairs (people with hip or knee problems).
there are no tall/fat chairs.
I am very careful when we are in different waiting rooms NOT to use the fat chairs. To save them for someone that needs them
Before using these very obvious chairs, many places used loveseats for the same purpose. And I was always very careful not to use those either.
If you have not looked at the different size wheelchairs available in hospitals – take a look the next time you are there. The wide ones are REALLY wide.
.-= vickie´s last blog ..Done things =-.
and there are hospitals with McDonalds IN them
.-= vickie´s last blog ..Done things =-.
In a hospital, I think it is needed. If you come in very ill and you are obese, the last thing you want to be thinking about is whether your butt is going to fit in a chair while you are waiting for aid. It’s up to the doctor to talk to you about losing weight.
.-= Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Warning – deep thoughts ahead. =-.
Well, if there’s one place where an obese person may spend a lot of time, it would be in a hospital. I bet there are a lot of patients coming and going in there who need the larger chairs. I say this, because obviously, being that size is a health issue. I agree though that we should not be re-designing things to accommodate this unhealthy lifestyle. I know there are a lot of emotions attached to it, but I would hate to think that we’re in some way helping people kill themselves
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Homemade Scones and an Awkward Flashback =-.
Great Post – and very timely. I went to my Son’s HS graduation Sunday and was very uncomfortable in the seats. It was held at a College Basketball Arena, so the seats are small to pack in more people. It was motivating in that I have another son who will be graduating in a few years, and will need to fit in the seat again!
This blog is great, because you usually have the words I need to hear that day – because most days I feel like giving up and giving in, and your blog has something to remind me why I need to keep fighting.
That’s a new one for me! Maybe the airlines need to take notice.
The last time I had a physical, I was amazed at the size of the scale they asked me to step on.
.-= Dr. J´s last blog ..Lab Notes: Mountain Bike Riding Increases Spinal Injuries; Circumcision Can Prevent Sex-Related Injuries =-.
There are other purposes for these wide sized chairs that many people are not aware of. There has been a rise in Autisim , which is basically living with the volume of life turned up to stun. Normal tactile sensations become very traumatic ( different smells, textures, temperatures) , and one of the best ways a parent can help a child cope with these traumatic experiences is through a lot of physical contact ( it helps them to find their center and not go into a pattern of stimming- head banging, biting themselves and other things)Same thing with the wider seats in theaters, While going to the movies seems like such a normal thing, for an autistic child it can be a total sensory overload and close contact with a parent can help them to center and eventually focus on the movie. As a parent of an autistic child, and one who has shared the struggle with other parents of similarly abled children, I can safely say that it is a good thing they exist. it is similar to the Family Bathroom facilities , and one thing that makes life for the differently abled easier.
.-= Diane´s last blog ..Walk in the woods and plans =-.
I think I just feel sad that this is what it has come too. Yes, we need to accommodate people but with scales getting huge & all the other things that are having to be done… I know it is a hard thing but we so need to have preventative measures to stop this obesity crisis.. so sad….
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Can You Define Yourself? =-.
WOW, I just didn’t look at it that way. I thought oh they would have been nice to have that when my two little ones were younger. Hospitals are scary and it was hard to juggle two small scared kids in just one of those chairs.
I looked at the chair and thought WOW the kids could have just spread out. They could have laid in that chair and colored or read their book and wouldn’t have been bothering other visitors or they would have sacked out. or I could have sat with both of them and read and distracted them from the scary hospital walls.
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Here in Canada I haven’t seen anything like that yet. It makes me sad to think that we are also headed that way. But at the same time I feel bad for those overweight people. I know the struggles I have had with food, and it must be much worse for them.
.-= Carla´s last blog ..Pack your bags, we’re going on a guilt trip =-.
If we are taking about airplanes, theater seats, restaurant seating, sports venues…all becoming this accomodating, then I would be up in arms with worry about the message, but since we are talking about a hospital….
I guess I kind of look at it as people that large would have a better chance of being in a hospital setting, and with the waits being hours upon hours, if they are too big to sit anywhere else, it could make for an amazingly miserable wait.
Granted, I see where you are coming from, and it is a sad thing to have to come to, but at least in a setting like this, I suppose its a good thing for them to have.
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Projects Update…Maybe I Need One More…. =-.
I’m not shocked at all. One of the companies my boss owns is an ambulance service. A couple of years ago we invested thousands and thousands of dollars into a Bariatric Ambulance. It is equipped to handle people who weigh more than 400 pounds. We had to get one because there was a REGULAR NEED for one. It’s all quite sad.
.-= Helen´s last blog ..Tuesday Ten =-.
we’re not going to cure the world of obesity overnight. It’s a stark reality. I don’t think oversized chairs is enabling. Do you think that an obese person looks at an oversized chair and thinks “oh good, they made a chair that fits me, therefore it’s ok for me to be this size”?
I say ‘kudos’ to the hospital, it knows the needs of it’s patients.. I have been in waiting rooms and stood because there was no chair that I would fit in. Some waiting rooms have really small chairs. While I do still fit (barely) in an airplane seat, and no longer need an extender belt.. I would have been very thankful for the larger chair or seat.
Obese people carry around enough shame and guilt.. alot. Shaming them (us) further by saying there is nowhere here for you to sit doesn’t help.
YES it is horribly sad that we have to make this consideration, but by not providing for the obvious problem that we have by making bigger seating, bariatrics..etc we are not helping ourselves, the staff, we’re only hurting ourselves.
great question, Diane. I haven’t seen these yet in Canada.. I wish we did.
This is a big deal. I can’t really decide. It shows that obese people ARE in the hospitals. They are paying for their obesity. I disagree much more vehemently with the mcdonalds in the childrens’ hospital.
To me it just shows that it is becoming more and more of a reality. I’ve waited four hours or more with Chickadee for tests. I wouldn’t wish sitting in too small seats on anyone. Even if they should fit in a smaller seat. I should too, even if I am much healthier.
.-= JourneyBeyondSurvival´s last blog ..Flaunting Traditions =-.
I wouldn’t call an over-sized chair in a hospital waiting room an enabler. Fact of the matter is, Morbidly obese people deserve some sense of self respect. They already spend most of the day beating themselves up only to find there are judgments, biases, and hardships due to their weight coming from everyone and everywhere. A tight or enlarged chair in a hospital will not be the muse that pushes them over the edge to order a large pizza or to start their diet.I feel every overweight person has an AHA! moment but until every person in the world is of healthy weight, why should we discriminate, and not accommodate everyone. What should we do, have a glowing sign in the corner flashing FAT PEOPLE STAND HERE. Unfortunately for skinny people who are offended by fatness, there are not skinny hospitals and fat hospitals. Also,I have known so many people who were well below obese who had many health problems. As I know many “clinically” morbid obese people who are NOT visiting the doctor or hospital. Some obese people haven’t been able to find their inner strength to change for the better, that still does not mean they are not a person.
I have never seen ‘larger’ chairs before…I just hope that soceity doesn’t make this ‘normal’. Very sad indeed.
.-= sian-girlgetstrong´s last blog ..Playgrounds: Not just for Kids! =-.
Good post, thoughtful comments. I’m of two minds. Yes, this is “enabling” and maybe we don’t want to do that. However, if I was at a size where I couldn’t fit into the ‘regular’ chairs at the doctor’s office, that might be just one more reason why I’d avoid doctors appointments and that’s not good. Maybe having chairs sized appropriately for XXL patients will help them seek the care and advice they so desperately need.
Wow, I’m definitely a little torn on this one. I think that the larger chairs in a hospital is necessary, because larger people have health problems too, and it’s not necessary to make them suffer while they wait for treatment.
On the flip side, I hope that this trend doesn’t continue OUTSIDE of the hospitals/clinics/any place that deals with health issues. I think that making airplane seats, restaurant chairs, office chairs bigger is not good, and it is slightly enabling.
Above all, I think it’s sad.
Hope
I don’t know if I would have even the noticed the different chair; great eye.
I think many agencies or adjusting, including paramedics who report that they have to have larger equipment to get people out of their homes.
For the hospital, it might be a liability issue???
Also, for some people, I think it will take more that chair discomfort to get them on a healthier path…
.-= ‘Drea´s last blog ..Are You A Hustler? =-.
I’ve seen these chairs when I was at the hospital near me as well, even in the pediatrics area. I think they are neat cause my daughter can sit next to me in a chair but looking at the underlying reason for installing them it makes me both angry that we’re giving into the overweight battle and happy that people aren’t uncomfortable at the hospital when they’re likely already in pain. It’s a double edge sword and I doubt a chair is really going to convince anyone that they need to get healthy.
.-= Sean (Learn Fitness)´s last blog ..Today IS Yesterdays Tomorrow =-.
WOW those are a big difference! I think in anywhere but a hospital, chairs should stick to normal sizes. But in a hospital, since it may be health-related, maybe a few larger chairs. Hmmmm – interesting though!
.-= fittingbackin´s last blog ..Marathon Cooking, New Appetizer Recipe, Drop Dead Diva =-.
Sticking with my fledgling “compassion first” campaign, I’m in favor of comfortable seating for all, especially in a hospital or medical setting. (Not sure I would agree for football stadiums or other public forums.)
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..What Are You Proud Of? =-.
you know, I have never looked closely at the size of chairs in waiting rooms/hospitals before (We are in hospitals/ERs/doc offices too often with my disabled son), but I’m sure they are there as well. I’m not sure how I think of it. One one hand it’s sad that they are ‘giving up’ on the obese people and it is enabling (it might be just the right motivation for someone to make a change when they can’t fit in the chair)…
But for someone on the road to becoming healthier, it might help them ‘fit in’ and give them confidence if they are at the begining of their journey.
I will be looking more closely now when I’m in the waiting room! My biggest challenge is getting my sons wheelchair around all the seating areas so I don’t think I will like it if they start adding more bigger chairs and fewer smaller ones (which might become the next trend)
.-= Brenda´s last blog ..strawberry spinach salad =-.
I have such mixed emotions about this. WHile I agree that people should be allowed to feel comfortable especially at a hospital where they are there to be treated medically if we accommodate everything there is no need for change even at such unhealthy weights to need larger chairs. It brings back strange emotions for me and I don’t really know how to feel.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..The Naughty List + Goals =-.
I doubt if that kind of a chair is there in SA, where I come from. I think its great as I think people like Ruby at her heaviest would never fit in a normal chair. But then again, she wouldn’t fit in that slightly bigger size.
I give up.
.-= Mbini´s last blog ..Fitness Journal Day13 =-.
One other thing to consider is that this type of accommodation (with the exception of the hospital, I think) might only be a marketing ploy and not an enabling ploy…
.-= KCLAnderson (Karen)´s last blog ..A Double Whammy: Part 1 =-.
I think having to sit in the big chair would have been embarrassing for me. It reminds me of a time that I went to a party. I was sitting in a plastic patio chair and a woman asked me to move to the big recliner. I know she was afraid that I would break the patio chair. I was so humiliated to have to move to that big chair in front of everyone. Not as humiliated as I would have been to have the patio chair break in front of everyone, but still humiliated.
I like the idea of benches.
.-= Sandi´s last blog .. =-.
I can’t believe this, never seen it before.
I’m divided. I’d say you should provide people with overweight chairs that fit too but on the other hand: it’s in a hospital where they should motivate and tell you about the dangers of overweight, this looks like it’s okay.
We were at oral surgery this morning – so I checked out the chairs – and these were all triangle shaped – narrower in back and VERY wide in the front.
If I had not just read your post – I am not sure the subtle styling would have caught my attention. The blatent ones – like in your pictures -I always notice.
At the oral surgeon, the man across from me was in the 350-400lb catagory and fit in easily with the triangle styling.
I also noticed in the nursing homes – they have chairs with strong, broad arms so the residents can use them to push themselves up out of the chair.
I just witnessed a conversation about enabling with a woman (and her therapist). And the therapist could NOT make the woman see that each thing was done to accomodate her huge size, WAS enabling. Woman saw it as kindness.
.-= vickie´s last blog ..Done things =-.
You know, I think it is a real kindness to have those there. I do believe that we should all be at a healthy weight to fit in normal, roomy chairs without feeling like sardines, but at a hospital you WILL get more morbidly obese people there and not having em worry about not fitting, just for awhile, may be more kind than anything else. If course I want everyone to lose weight, but in the meantime, when they’re stuck in a morbidly obese body, it just seems like a nice gesture.
.-= Taryl´s last blog ..*blush* =-.
I am on the fence, too. (And probably endangering its stability by sitting on it, hehe.)
A hospital should provide good service to people, period, and as has been mentioned in comments, these seats can serve a variety of needs well. For me, the turning point originally came when I saw that I could continue as I was and gain more weight, that it would be possible and not make me a “bad person” but I realised that in the end, that was not what I wanted, for myself, not connected to any outside enabling or nudges. But I think that is different for different people and perhaps not fitting into seats could serve someone as a good reminder? Except that I feel it might make weightloss efforts seem like punishment and that does not seem like a healthy development or a long-lasting one, either.
I saw chairs like this when I went with my friend to post-op meetings at the bariatric clinic and was also amazed. I remember thinking that it must be nice for the obese people to be able to fit comfortably, because the ones I was seeing where there for gastric bypass surgery and were in the process to take care of their obesity. They had so many issues of self-hatred I was glad they at least had chairs to fit comfortably into.
However, I’ve not seen those at non-bariatric departments and like you it makes me a bit sad. I like how you said, “sitting in that tight chair in a hospital would have made me think again about my weight and that might have been a good thing”.
I think hospitals should stick with regular sized chairs/benches for that very reason. When I went with my friend to her post-bariatric surgery meetings I remember feeling VERY thin because at 190 pounds I was so much smaller than the morbidly obese people in that room. However, I was still unhealthy and needed change. A large chair though wouldn’t have made me feel the need to change.
BTW – my friend reached her weight loss goal after having gastric bypass surgery and has maintained it for about 4 years already. She’s tall like you, but she no longer needs those large seats!
.-= Leah´s last blog ..All In Good Time =-.
I feel sad that the obesity crisis has come to this in America. I don’t remember seeing any chairs like this when I was in the hospital last fall. I guess hospitals have to have these chairs to accomodate everyone.
I was also thinking it might just be that might be for parents and children to be able to sit together but yeah, it’s likely to be because of weight. I’m torn, because my aha moment was realizing that I was at the LAST size a regular store carried in their plus size department, but also could have just as easily been a seat belt not fitting or not fitting in a chair. However, it is the hospital and the doctors SHOULD be accomidating, right? It’s sad. I mean, I like feeling positively stick-like in some situations, but it’s just reflective of how abnormal it is to be a normal healthy weight…
.-= Quix´s last blog ..Critical Mass =-.
Whether or not people * should * be that big, doesn’t change the fact that some people are. Giving obese people no where to sit just marginalizes them more. I don’t think any fat person doesn’t *want* to be smaller, having to stand in a waiting room won’t change it. Plus, there is still the shame of needing one of the large chairs. But you can’t shame anyone skinny, my mom tried that approach with me for 30 years and it still hasn’t worked.
.-= Beth @fatbustermack´s last blog ..‘shrooms =-.
One of the best parts about being a nurse is that we are not in the business of judging people, we just provide the care. I’ve taken care of shackled prisoners with HIV and young alcoholics. We just do our jobs and leave the judging to the legal system. I’m glad the hospital provides the chairs. They can be used by anybody and they work for the bariatric population.
=-.
.-= Larkspur´s last blog ..
I am on the fence with this one. I think obese people should be just as comfortable in a hospital setting. After all, you don’t want them not going to the hospital to get their medical stuff taken care of.
But at the same time it is a little sad the reality of our society. Yesterday when I was waiting for a light, a group of people walked by on the sidewalk. It is obvious they are from the same family. The ages range from 40+ (mom) to 12 (youngest daughter). All of them are overweight (20+ pounds). I just cannot help staring at the 12 year old, thinking she looks 3 months pregnant. I feel so sad for her because her life has barely even started and yet she already has to battle with her weight.
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I work for architects and I can say that these over-sized chairs are quite popular, not just in hospitals, but all kinds of environments, such as doctors offices, private businesses, university lounges, municipal buildings, and a variety of other places. These are a hot choice for clients for two main reasons: (1) they are comfortable for people of ANY size, and (2) they are cost effective. If an overweight person sits and breaks a smaller chair, the client now has to buy a SECOND chair. To purchase an over-sized chair cuts down on the chances of flimsier chairs to break.
Where I see them most frequently is at the bariatric center, which is not a real surprise. The first time I sat in one I was pleased because it was quite comfortable, whereas traditional seats were not comfortable to me and were too tight. Now I love to sit in them because they are SO ROOMY. They remind me of how much weight I’ve lost.
I’m a little dismayed to read all the negative comments on here. Overweight people are not disgusting or dregs of society that should avoid being in public because of their weight. Furthermore, not all overweight people are overweight because they are “lazy” or “eat poorly.” In fact, a huge amount of overweight people have weight issues because of underlying medical issues. You wouldn’t expect a handicapped person to sit on the floor, stand in the corner, or climb a flight of stairs, would you? Why would you deny an overweight person the ability to be comfortable? I think perhaps more people should be compassionate towards other people — even overweight people!! — and be considerate of their needs. It’s the nice thing to do.
Your comment about giving up reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry scolded George for wearing sweat pants in public “You’ve just given up, George, plain and simple.”!
There are other unhealthy lifestyles we as a culture accommodate. Smokers are provided with public ash trays or specified areas are set aside to practice their habit. Intravenous drug users are provided with clean needles. We even have comfortable and attractive donut shops where you can get your favorite flavor of sugar high! Sedentary lifestyles are accommodated with more and more comfy (and larger) couches and recliners, and some make a buying decision about such items by whether or not they’d be nap-worthy.
We live in a free country where we have the choice how we want to live, and with choices comes any manner of results. Obesity is a very serious problem, but failing to accommodate people with a problem has never been an appropriate response.
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Success Is In Your DNA =-.
I love your blog, so I always try to comment, but I am staying out of this one. Great post though.
.-= Joe´s last blog ..Foods For Runners And Fitness Folks =-.
Hi, Diane. I think there is a happy medium. Don’t put extra large chairs in the waiting room necessarily, but have some on hand (say in a storage area) on each floor of a hospital so that if there is someone who doesn’t fit regular chairs who needs one, they can be requested. Or if an autistic person or someone else with specific requirements needs one…. Or put some of the two-person loveseats in there. But I think the idea of just putting a lot of extra large chairs in a hospital is tacit endorsement of an unhealthy lifestyle. I know there are people who have this “Health at Every Size” HAES body size acceptance thing going–and I do agree that people shouldn’t hate themselves for an extra bit of hip, thigh or tummy–but not every size is healthy!
I just bought a new digital bathroom scale because my ancient one without replaceable batteries was getting pale/hard to read. When I was comparison shopping online, I noticed that the scales all had capacity to 400 pounds. When I was a kid in the 70s, the scales all had a capacity of 300 pounds–I know, because a lot of them had a dial going all the way around and a spring, and you could see what the maximum was. While I am totally in agreement that people between 300 and 400 pounds would find it useful to find out what they weigh, it appalled me that the new “norm” for capacity is 400. I didn’t see a single digital scale that said capacity was 300 pounds.
“Normal” shouldn’t be what everyone is. “Normal” should be a range of what’s healthy. Neither models who are scary-skinny nor resigning ourselves to being large because “average weight” creeps upward is ideal. I am reminded of the classic parental response to “but everyone else is!”–if everyone else were jumping off a bridge, would you?
Blessings,
Sue
The reality is that there are a lot of obese people and I applaud the fact that the hospital is making seating available for them. It’s not a moral issue… People need to sit! They are already worried about loved ones in the hospital.
Not having a comfortable seat available most probably would not compel someone to lose weight.
I think if we start calling this “enabling” we should look again at Plus Size clothing. Isn’t that also enabling?
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