Curved Shower Bars - Obesity Accommodation?

I think these were invented for the obese.  I sure know that when I'm staying at an Old School hotel that has straight bars, I sure don't like it.  At first when the Westin or the Hilton started upgrading their bathroom and putting in the curved bars, I though it was just cool and part of the new modern upgrade.  Even the Courtyard Marriott and Fairfield Inn have them.  Then I realized they may be part of the Obesity Accommodation Boom.

What else have you noticed out in the world that may be driven by our ever increasing obesity issues?  How do normal sized or people with no weight issues see these accommodations?  I'm curious.

 

Even normal sized people don't like it when a shower curtain moves in and touches them, do they?

I found out that the water flow in a shower creates negative pressure and causes the shower curtain to sway in a little.  I had always thought it was because the heat or A/C came on and blew it.  But no, it's the water!

So those curved shower bars make it so that when the water from the shower creates negative pressure or whatever and the shower curtain is sucked in a little, it still won't touch you.

I especially appreciate these in hotel showers.

I haven't experienced that (quite the contrary, which I'll explain) but I think you're right.  I've noticed recently that newer restaurants don't put in lunch counters, and that the cheap buffet places have wide, padded, rolling chairs rather than regular dining chairs.

Showers/bathtubs: I think an incident last year in Malaga helped me hit bottom with the weight; the hotel's bathtub was very nice and deep, but extremely narrow, such that I could not even slide down to immerse my hair in the water.  I was afraid of getting stuck, and ended up not really even taking a bath there.

But I don't think businesses should be forced to make renovations that destroy their charm and authenticity.

I always saw it as something along the lines that it was a way to make the bathroom/shower seem larger and hence more luxurious without them having to put in a large bathtub. 

I just thought they were more practical -- ditto everything nomo said.

I am with the original poster here: in some places, glass shower doors had to be replaced by curtains to allow larger sized persons to shower.

Regardless of why some hotels installed them, I like it.  I'm not obese, but I really like the extra room.  So what's the big deal?

As for other accomodations, I have noticed that some restaurants have started configuring booth seating so that there's more room between the table and bench.  I don't see it as a big deal, really.  I don't think businesses are actually being forced to cater to bigger people - they're choosing to do so to create a more comfortable environment for more customers, and increase their business. 

irrelevant, but nomo, it's the heat.  the heat from the shower warms the air in there, so the air rises quickly, and the shower curtain gets sucked in with the cooler air at the bottom.  my old house had a forced-air furnace, and if i showered in the morning immediately after turning up the thermostat, the hot air in the room would negate the effect.

yeah, i hate it when the shower curtain touches me - even when it's mine, and i know where it's been and that it's clean.

oh i hate when a shower curtain touches me.  especially one that isn't mine :-p

actually the heat does create a little bit of a pressure difference but nomo is right about the flow of the water too.  it's bernoulli's principle.  same reason as to why planes fly.  there's a difference in air flow speed between the top of the airfoil and the bottom which creates a pressure difference and thus creates lift

i'll stop being a nerd now :-)

EDIT:  when i first read the thread title i thought we were talking about soap bars and got a little confused  :-)  yeah, i'm not always smart :-D

oh thanks, pg! my daughter had explained it to me when she had physical science and just like when I took science classes, I didn't fully absorb the details.

:D

::giggles::

oh, thanks lily! my daughter had explained it to me when she had physical science - I will let her know that water flow is only half the story!

:D

::giggles::

(like I'm gonna be able to remember that!)

i think it's more than half the story actually.  cuz even with a cold water shower it will do that.  the heat can be a factor too but it's really the fluid flow.  though...i'll leave it open to the possibility of me being wrong :-)

In a free market companies do what makes more money.

I'm thankful for the curved bars. Slick cold curtain sticking to my legs grosses me out.

My cousin loved them so much she put one in her home (and she and her husband are thin).

What I don't understand, is that, in a country where 66% of the population is overweight, why aren't clothing designers marketing to big people? They are missing out on a large chunk of the available demographic!

clearly lily knows more about this than me...airfoils and such.  i have an english degree and 3/4 of an MSW.  i can tell you about the social implications of hot & cold running water, but i dunno nothin' 'bout airfoils.

sorry pgeorgian, wasn't trying to outsmart you or anything :-)  just sort of an instant reaction when i see science talk :-)  i'm sure it's the same with someone with an english degree seeing my butchering of the english language.  my writting would probably drive you insane :-D

heather, the fashion industry fuels the diet industry and vice-versa.  yes, i'm a conspiracy theorist.  but how many overweight people have shiny new clothes in their closets that they've never worn because they've never fit?

Ah, yes, PG, but people buy and wear more clothes than they buy just for a vanity goal.

That's one of the strangest conspiracies I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of them... The Earth is flat... Alien Shape-shifting Lizards are running our world... the Amero... But I've never heard the dieting/fashion one.

It doesn't make sense. Coporations want to make as much money as possible. They do make it seem like wearing the same clothes every day is an atrocity, and that you absolutely must change wardrobes four times a year, every year, but really....what would be the benefit for them colluding with the diet industry? Are they also colluding with food companies to make us fat so that the diet industry gets more income? I can at least see the correlation between those two. 

most fashion designers charge outrageous markup on their clothing because of its cache or branding... meaning that it's exclusive, for the upper classes, the 'in' group

the in group in recent years has been: thin, rich, wealthy, attractive in that mostly standard way

until recently, almost none of them wanted to have their names on a (pardon me) great big ass

I don't really follow fashion, but I have changed sizes many times, and so i've done my share of shopping for clothes to fit.

There have been changes in clothing availability because of the change in the population's weight.  A number of designers now have plus size lines of clothes - they are even more expensive than the normal sizes. Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger come to mind.

It's a tricky proposition for them because they don't want to diminish their brand, even though they want to increase their market share.  They still want to maintain their profit margin.

I really like the concept of Bitten, Sarah Jessica Parker's line of clothes.  Her philosophy is that fashion is not a luxury.  It's a no sweatshop line - clothes are made all over the world, including in the U.S. and people are paid a living wage. No article of clothing is priced over $19.95.  And to do this, the CEO accepts a modest profit instead of a huge one.  I think it's called social capitalism and I hope it catches on.  I think their clothes come in sizes up to 22? Not sure.

 

I heart social capitalism.

Now let's all go vote with our dollars!

I kind of like those curved bars, fat or not.  Alex and I are both considered to be average sized and having the curved bar makes the shower a little more accommodating for the two of us. 

During our stay in Point Place we were crammed into a little shower boxy thingy, where the tub had sliding doors around it, and we came home with bruised elbows and ribs from bumping into it.  Even when we showered solo we came out of the shower with a new bruise.

Having a curved shower bar gives you more arm room to do things without worrying about the shower curtain sticking to your wet body, pulling open, and then getting the floor wet.

Maybe it is an obesity accommodation, but it's one that I'm happy to have around.

After seeing the movie "Psycho" in my youth, I get pretty jumpy when anything touches me in the shower .... clammy shower curtain or otherwise.

EEEEEEEEEEEK!

=^..^= MOLLY