Fords for Fatties

An article by Dilpreet    1 Comment

With the UK facing an obesity epidemic, car manufacturers think they have found the answer to the worrying problem – SUPERSIZE cars. Yes, you read correctly. There I was thinking we needed to promote healthier eating and exercise, but no, the response has been to accommodate to growing waistlines with growing motors. Figures show that since the 1950s, an average family car like a Ford Prefect has increased in width by over a foot and are almost double the weight.

Well, let’s start with the advantages of this change. First and foremost, this is a positive change as it may prevent many obese individuals from feeling trapped, unsafe or uncomfortable while driving. Being of a larger size means that they may not be able to use some of the functions in smaller cars effectively, making it potentially unsafe to be on the road in these vehicles. Whereas more spacious vehicles can prevent this and may also save any embarrassment along the way.

It may come as a relief to those suffering from obesity that they are not being overlooked and their specific needs are being catered to. The size of obese individuals should not stop them from living their everyday lives and therefore by addressing this issue and responding to consumer demands, car manufacturers are making their lives easier by making their cars larger.

Now, there’s the other side to the argument. Despite the relief and benefits of constructing larger cars, is this really a responsible or long-term solution to obesity? Should people be trying to take the easy way out with such a serious problem? By doing so, this is simply allowing people to ignore the root of their problems. Whilst it may be catering to an individual’s physical outer appearance, what’s going on inside their body is far more worrying.

Car manufacturers are not solely to blame as they are just meeting consumer demands and needs to keep their customers happy and more importantly, to deliver them ‘fat’ profits. But this could be a costly move for the obese, as they are accommodating their health issues as opposed to addressing and alleviating them.

SUPERSIZE my car: The average family car like a Ford has increased in width by over a foot since the 1950s

German manufacturer BMW have begun a study with 800 volunteers to examine the problems obese drivers face so BMW’s ergonomics team can make cars that are more usable by a ‘wider’ range of people. Perhaps they could call it the O(bese) Series? Other car manufacturers who are looking to ‘help’ this target market with mobility are Mercedes, Honda and Porsche. Anyone for a Massive Mercedes? Huge Honda? Or a Podgy Porsche?

Along with morality, the practicality of this increase in size must also be considered. Bigger cars mean the need for larger roads, larger parking spaces and larger driveways. Should all this money be spent to adapt to obesity or could it be used in a more beneficial way to help obese people towards a fitter future. Surely the demands by obese individuals for help and positive direction should be met instead.

As the change towards a fitter future is not going to happen overnight, obese men and women require spacious cars that they can comfortably drive around in while they diet and exercise. These requirements will change as the body goes through changes. Instead of buying an expensive car that meets your current shape, a solution to this problem is Car Leasing. There are many choices from all manufacturers and models, so there will always be something to suit your needs. From Audi Leasing to Ford Leasing, there are many stylish models available. You can set yourself weight-loss goals and set your sights on a new motor that you can lease next when you achieve that goal. As the pounds decrease, vehicle options increase and you can even think about a British classic with Mini Leasing.

By attempting to alter the next generation of cars for obesity, we are hindering future generations and sending out the wrong message to society. Do we want to be a nation full of fatties who look for an easy way out by supersizing everything around us? There are many obese people who might give up on their quest for a healthier future as instead of shedding the pounds; they are given the option to buy a bigger car, a bigger bed or a bigger sofa. The vital question is if obesity continues to grow (and with solutions like this, it inevitably will), will car manufacturers continue to increase the size of cars or is there a limit? How big is too big?

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