The third annual Bariatric Supply Survey, taken by medical equipment buyer Novation, indicated that 64% of hospitals have seen an increase in the number of obese patients, and 56% have increased spending on equipment and treatment procedures for these patients, including larger gurneys, wheelchairs and reinforced hospital beds. However, American marketing being what it is, there are also opportunities to provide for these consumers while they're healthy: "Freedom Paradise," a new resort near Canc·n, Mexico, caters exclusively to "large-size" clientele, and the April 2006 issue of Pediatrics reported on a dangerous shortage of plus-sized car seats for U.S. toddlers.
