Research Highlights Elevator Weight Limits and Obesity Concerns
Lifts are increasingly inadequate to accommodate the UK’s growing population size, according to recent research.
A study examining the maximum weight capacities of elevators manufactured in the UK and mainland Europe between 1972 and 2024 has raised issues regarding safety and fairness in lift design relative to rising obesity levels.
The research, presented at a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, analyzed photographs of weight limit signage from 112 lifts produced in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Finland.
Methodology and Findings on Weight Allowances
Professor Nick Finer, president and chair of the International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation and lead author of the study, compared the average maximum weight allowance per person (calculated by dividing total weight allowance by maximum passenger capacity) with the average adult weight during the year each lift was manufactured.
The study revealed that although average adult weights have continued to rise, total lift weight limits have remained largely unchanged since approximately 2004. In the mid-1970s, the average British man weighed 75kg and the average woman 65kg; these figures have increased to 86kg and 73kg respectively.
Maximum weight allowances per person increased from about 62kg in 1972 to 75kg in 2002, roughly aligning with average body weight growth during that period. However, most lift manufacturers have since assumed an average weight of 75kg, which is 4kg less than the current average adult weight.
Design Shifts and Spatial Considerations
Professor Finer explained the shift in manufacturer assumptions regarding lift capacity:
“What seems to have happened is there was a shift to manufacturers calculating the amount of room you take up on the floor [rather than weight]. But they assume the shape of a person is an oval rather than a circle. They have completely failed to recognise that if obesity is increasing then so is the amount of room you take up.”
This change in design approach has led to lifts that may be too small, raising potential safety concerns due to flawed calculations.
Safety and Social Implications
Professor Finer noted that inadequate lift sizes could compromise safety and efficiency:
“The ability to transport people up floors in a speedy time is impacted if you can only get half the number of people in the lift that you designed them for.”
He also highlighted the risk of lifts shutting down if passenger weight exceeds limits, but emphasized the social consequences:
“But perhaps even more important than that is the stigma that [people with obesity] may experience on entering lifts – a form of everyday weight discrimination.”
Finer stressed the necessity of adapting infrastructure to accommodate larger body sizes:
“We need sadly, to super-size many of the things in life” to be suitable and safe for people living with obesity, as otherwise they would be excluded from society. “If we don’t recognise growing trends in obesity and body size then we’re really making it hard for those people to function in our society.”
Expert Responses and Calls for Change
Jane DeVille-Almond, president of the British Obesity Society, responded to the study’s findings:
“We need to accept that society is unlikely to revert to sizes from 50 years ago, and start developing facilities for the 21st century.”
Registered nutritionist Louise Payne added:
“It’s clear public spaces aren’t always designed with larger bodies in mind. This is not simply an issue of comfort, it’s about dignity, accessibility, and inclusion. Nobody should feel embarrassed, unsafe, or excluded when using public transport or accessing everyday services.”
