Expanding waistlines are coming at a cost to our emergency services.
They are scrambling to bring in new equipment for obese people.
Police have just upgraded their handcuffs to fit larger wrists, at an initial cost of $18,521.
Tens of thousands more will be spent as the old handcuffs are gradually replaced.
Tear-resistant gowns and blankets used in police cells are also being considered for change, as wrap-around gowns are needed to accommodate larger offenders, according to information released under the Official Information Act.
St John recently spent $8.6 million on 43 new vehicles with electric stretchers.
The stretchers mean staff do not have to physically lift overweight patients into the back of the van.
St John records an average of eight to 10 injuries a month from lifting and handling patients.
Police Association president Chris Cahill said it was a relief to see new equipment, as handcuffs were one of the most important tools to keep police staff safe.
"If you can get a handcuff on someone, you can control them.''
Police operations manager Inspector Paris Razos said the new handcuffs were more expensive. There was a per unit cost of $73.79, compared with the previous per unit cost of $57.17.
"Many sections of the community are getting physically bigger, and therefore we have to be at the sharp end of that to make sure we're prepared.''
Massey University demographer Prof Paul Spoonley said the changes were just the first signs of adjustments that would be needed.
"The police are at the cutting edge of some of the negative social changes, because they often work with people with low socioeconomic status.
"We're also seeing impacts in schools, on public transport where they have to cater for larger people, and [in] the healthcare system ...''
Prof Spoonley warned a growing number of obese people would soon struggle to access core public services.
"Either they can't get there, or the services themselves don't provide for them.''
