Stronger Toilet Seats Needed

The Australian body that regulates design rules and guidelines is probably going to change the strength recommendations for toilet seats due to the increasing obesity of the nation. They are of the opinion that at present toilet seats are not able to accomodate the growing weight of Australia and that they to be made stronger and more durable. The new regulations are likely to be set so that the seats will accomodate a person of 150kilos.

The percentage of males in Australia who are overweight or obese has increased to sixty two percent from fifty two percent over the last 10 years and the figure for overweight or obese females has risen from thirty seven percent to forty five percent according to the Australian Statistics Bureau.

A board member of the reviewing committee said that at present toilet seats had to be able to manage 45kilos and that this figure needed to be revised upwards to bring it into line with changing average weight Australians and to ensure that the seats were safe to use.

A senior economist said that estimates noted that the obesity crisis in Australia was costing the nation about 11 billion Australian Dollars annually. Obesity is a big problem in healthy economies and is more noticable in richer countries. However the expansion of fast food chains into poorer countries is causing health problems in these areas too.