Rise in obesity forces mortuaries to order more oversized fridges

MORTUARIES are being forced to buy extra large fridges because bodies are too fat to fit in the standard models, according to Freedom of Information data obtained by the BBC.

The number of “oversized” body fridge spaces installed in London’s mortuaries has jumped from 126 to 165 since 2013, with the trend replicated across the country, according to one top mortuary salesman.

The largest mortuary fridges sold by manufacturers are 35in (90cm) wide and are becoming more popular with health trusts, while the smallest “space saver” fridges, 22in (56cm) wide, are going out of fashion.

St George’s Health Trust in Wandsworth, south London, added the most oversized fridge spaces, increasing the number from five to 15, according to the latest data.

Barts Health Trust in east London, which has added three new spaces, said they will have to install even more in the future because bodies are getting bigger. Trevor Russ, sales manager for LEEC, one of the country’s largest manufacturers of mortuary equipment, said he has noticed a “definite trend” in recent years of mortuaries demanding ever-larger spaces. Demand for the small “space saver” fridges has plummeted, he said.

When Mr Russ first started selling the equipment in the early 2000s, his company typically sold body fridges measuring 22in (56cm) wide, and rarely sold anything wider than (26in) 66cm. The company has recently been forced to introduce a new “bariatric” body trolley capable of withstanding a 65st load.

“It’s gradually creeping up and up,” he said, adding that the heavier bodies are taking a toll on mortuary staff.

According to the latest NHS figures, 26 per cent of adults in the UK are classed as obese, up from 15 per cent in 1993.

NHS England said the Government’s new sugar tax, as well as its own Type 2 diabetes prevention programme, are needed for a “concerted effort to address obesity”.