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This trend could lead to more injuries for nurses

On Behalf of | Jun 23, 2022 | Workers' Compensation

Much has been made over the years about the obesity epidemic in the United States. It’s a problem because those who reach this level could run into serious health complications. It’s also a problem because the average person’s weight just keeps trending up.

For instance, in 1990, the average American reported that they weighed 161 pounds. This came from reports of 180 lbs for men and 142 lbs for women. Fast forward to 2020, and the average weight for women had reached 162 lb. This was more than the average for any American back in the 90s.

As you can imagine, the average weight of an American man also went up, reaching all the way to 200 lbs. This put the overall average around 181 pounds. Overall, Americans reported that they had gained about 20 lbs over that time frame.

Why is this a problem for nurses?

This will affect nurses in many ways, but the thing to keep in mind is that a lot of nursing injuries happen when small nurses have to try to lift or move large patients. The fact that the average American is getting heavier every year is going to mean that there are more and more situations in which a nurse could be injured in this way.

It’s also important to keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. People may have reported that they weighed less than they actually do. It could also be that nurses are more likely to see patients who are above the average weight, seeing as how that can often lead to health issues and hospital stays.

For workers who are simply trying to help those in need and get injured on the job, it’s important for them to know about their legal right to compensation