The Potential Effects on Design of Increased Prevalence of Obesity in US Children

The objective of this study is to identify potential consequences for design of the increased prevalence of obesity in children in the US. Data on stature and mass of children in the US have been collected since the 1960s. These data confirm an increased prevalence of obesity, particularly since the early 2000s. Many design tools and standards that inform the design process for this market are based on data collected in the 1970s. The design implications of these changes are examined in the context of a case study on vehicle safety (i.e., “booster”) seats. This study concludes that trends of increased prevalence of obesity in children can lead to higher than expected rates of disaccommodation on measures of breadth in some situations.