| With the incidence of obesity rising in many nations, | | | | belt. Also keep in mind an ample girth equals more |
| the question for any underwater enthusiast who | | | | drag in the water, so more energy is required to |
| carries a few extra kilos is what impact does it have | | | | move the same distance as non-obese divers. The |
| on our diving experience and how does diving while | | | | increased weight and effort will translate into a higher |
| obese affect our health. | | | | requirement of air, so for a decent bottom time, a |
| We are born with fat, because as immobile bundles | | | | larger air tank will be required. |
| of joy we are not in control of regulating the | | | | The fully kitted diver is now really heavy and bulky. |
| temperature of our environment and we can't feed | | | | Not only will it be difficult to get in and out of the |
| ourselves. Fat is our ready source of energy and | | | | water, but should the diver get into trouble, they will |
| heat and as babies we store it with glee. The role of | | | | really get into trouble, because other divers will have |
| fat in the adult body is largely similar, although by | | | | difficulty assisting. |
| now we've gained a measure of control over our | | | | Then of course there's the question of |
| environment so we need less of it. | | | | Decompression Sickness (DCS) and whether or not |
| Are there any advantages? | | | | obese divers are at greater risk than others. When |
| Surprisingly, yes. Fat, as any whale, dugong or seal | | | | saturated, fat stores 5 times as much nitrogen as |
| could tell you, is a great insulator and thus keeps a | | | | water, which seems alarming at first glance, but |
| diver warm. However, for us humans not living in the | | | | luckily fat suffers poor blood circulation (or not so |
| freezing waters of the world's oceans, muscle | | | | lucky, it causes orange peel skin). Thus, on a |
| insulates just as well in a resting state and generates | | | | run-of-the-mill dive not too much nitrogen will make it |
| heat in an active state so, kilo for kilo, muscle is | | | | into the fat. However, if over several consecutive |
| better for you than fat. Next, fat people are strong. | | | | days multiple dives were undertaken, fatty tissue |
| Underneath the flabby exterior there are muscles | | | | might well absorb enough nitrogen to increase the |
| hard at work to move all that extra body weight. | | | | risk of DCS. This, however, is but a small slice of the |
| Also, the added pressure on the bones increases | | | | obese diver's risk pie. An obese diver is in fact more |
| bone density, which means stronger bones. Of | | | | likely to suffer DCS due to the extra nitrogen they |
| course, a few hours per week in the gym lifting | | | | absorb as a result of working so much harder under |
| weights would net you the same, but healthier, result. | | | | water. |
| Lastly, and perhaps it's not as much a benefit as | | | | Overheating is also a real danger, as are the other |
| much as it is a virtue of the sport, diving is excellent | | | | things the disclaimer form warns us against, including |
| for heavy individuals, as there's no impact on joints, | | | | increased risk of heart attack or stroke, higher |
| plus the water supports excess weight, creating an | | | | likelihood of diabetes and its associated blood sugar |
| illusion of light-footedness whilst underwater. | | | | issues, and frequent joint problems - all exaggerated |
| Unfortunately the disadvantages are many... | | | | by an overweight state and things that can turn a |
| To the obese, diving could quickly turn into an | | | | nice dive nasty. |
| exerting activity. To start with, fat is less dense than | | | | All said, obesity isn't healthy, whether you're wet or |
| water, so the obese person is already more buoyant | | | | dry. We know about the challenges and risks the |
| than the average diver. Add to that the larger | | | | obese face on land and it's clear that underwater, life |
| required wet suit, which if it's made of neoprene | | | | doesn't get that much easier. An obese diver is likely |
| means even more buoyancy. For the suited up obese | | | | to have a more strenuous and less enjoyable dive, |
| diver to achieve neutral buoyancy, a large amount of | | | | quite in contrast to what many like about diving. |
| lead is required, which means a pretty heavy weight | | | | So eat healthy, stay active and let's Dive The World! |