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Power Wheelchairs and Obesity – is Your Chair Strong Enough?

America is getting fat. There is no way around it. The National Center for Health Statistics has been studying obesity in the United States for the past 40 years and their latest studies show that over 63% of all Americans are overweight. And 47% of those overweight Americans are termed clinically obese. With statistics like these it is no wonder that there has been increased demand for power wheelchairs that can support larger weights and individuals.

Most people don’t know it, but the average power wheelchair is only designed to hold someone who weighs a maximum of 250-300 pounds. There are over 3.8 million Americans who weigh more than that and growing. The majority of those weighing 300+ pounds need or will need a power wheelchair, which is no easy task when standard power wheelchairs are not up to the task.

When looking for a power wheelchair that can support someone who is overweight consumers need to look for the term “heavy duty†in the model or description. Heavy duty power wheelchairs can hold overweight or large individuals up to 500 pounds. The bad news is that heavy duty models cost more than standard models. The price increases quite a bit, especially if the standard heavy duty models are not enough.

Heavy duty power wheelchair’s need to have all of the same design characteristics of a standard power chair, but everything needs to be reinforced. The frame, axe, suspension, wheels, engine and battery all need to be strengthened. It is important that obese consumers only work with high quality power wheelchair manufacturers as a low-end product will either not be strong enough or will fail very quickly. The most common failure in heavy duty power wheelchairs is the motor. The motor in heavy duty power wheelchairs operates under so much more strain due to the added weight of the individual and the stronger wheelchair that it fails much more often than standard chairs.

One of the #1 choices for heavy duty power wheelchair users is the Jazzy line. Jazzy has two heavy duty options – the Jazzy 614HD for individuals up to 450 pounds and the Jazzy 1170 XL Plus Power for individuals up to 500 pounds. The Jazzy line is manufacturer by Pride Mobility which has seven separate wheelchair lines, so that they can provide a wheelchair tailored to each user’s needs. The alternative choice is Invacare’s Pronto M94 which is rated for up to 500 pounds as well. Invacare has been making medical products since 1885 and has an impeccable reputation within the mobility industry.

About the Author

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Lauren Hill has over 20 years experience in the medical consumer industry. She is now the PR Director of WheelchairForMe.com. Lauren is sharing her knowledge about power wheelchairs with great articles, blog posts and a heavy visited Twitter account.

To learn more about some of the products discussed in this article please contact a WheelchairForMe.com Mobility Specialist by filling out this prequalification form or calling 877-359-2922.

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