HHS HealthBeat (February 29, 2008)

Snug but safe

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

The first thing many people do when they get in the car might be the last thing on some obese peoples’ minds.

A study found the larger people are, the less likely they will be to buckle up.

David Schlundt of Vanderbilt University tested this relationship by looking at peoples’ height and weight and how often they use seat belts.

He says extremely obese people always chose to click it only 70 percent of the time because the seat belts are too uncomfortable.

It might be tempting to pass on the seat belt, but Schlundt advises:

“Protect yourself, protect your family, protect your future.  And even if it is a little tight or a little uncomfortable, it’s worth reducing your risk.”  (7 seconds)

The study in the journal Obesity used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: February, 28 2008