What an airplane crash teaches us about our health | Opinion
K. John Lee
Guest columnist
Aug. 29, 2026, 5:25 a.m. CT
In January 2003, a commuter airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Charlotte, North Carolina. The tragedy claimed 21 lives and triggered an exhaustive investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board
Investigators ultimately determined that the crash was caused by improper maintenance. But in the process, they uncovered something else: Airlines were still relying on passenger-weight assumptions that no longer reflected reality
For decades, the average passenger weight used for flight planning was roughly 175 pounds. That figure averaged men, women, and children and added an allowance for carry-on baggage
The problem was that Americans had grown heavier. When the FAA updated its assumptions, the per passenger weight factor increased to 195 pounds. Again, this includes an allowance for carry-ons, but it also averages in, children
Think about that
The federal government wasn’t conducting a public health study. It wasn’t trying to make a political statement. It was trying to understand why an airplane crashed
Yet in the process, investigators documented an uncomfortable reality: America’s weight had changed, but the assumptions had not
More than two decades later, that trend has continued. Today, the FAA’s average passenger weight allowance is closer to 200 pounds. Some fear that it’s a trend. Not a stopping point
Seat belt extenders are now a routine part of commercial a into a single seat to purchase a second ticket
The evidence extends well beyond airports
Hospitals have larger wheelchairs, reinforced imaging equipment, and specialized beds designed to accommodate heavier patients. Clothing companies offer expanded sizing. Stadiums, theaters, and amusement parks have all adapted to a heavier population
There is nothing wrong with those accommodations. They are compassionate, practical and often necessary
But accommodation is not the same thing as prevention
When someone needs a seat belt extender, what is the real solution?
A longer seat belt?
A second airline seat?
Or helping that person achieve better health?
That is not a judgment. It is a public health question. And here in Oklahoma, it is one we can no longer avoid
According to national health statistics, Oklahoma consistently ranks among the states with the highest rates of obesity in the nation. Excess weight increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, joint disease, certain cancers, and many other chronic illnesses
Those illnesses affect not only the individual, but also families, employers, health care systems and even taxpayers
Public health problems don’t improve until we’re willing to face reality and have the difficult conversations
If a friend develops high blood pressure, we encourage treatment. If a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, we rally around them
Obesity deserves the same compassion and the same honesty
The lesson from Charlotte isn’t that obesity causes airplane crashes
It doesn’t
The investigation uncovered two failures. One involved maintenance. The other involved assumptions that no longer matched reality
Both had been ignored for too long
Our own health reflects those same lessons
Our bodies require maintenance. We change the oil in our cars. We replace worn brakes. We rotate the tires. We inspect airplanes because small problems become large ones if they’re ignored
Yet many of us postpone maintaining the one machine we can never replace – our own bodies
The warning signs are already here
Higher obesity rates resulting in more diabetes, more heart disease, more sleep apnea, and more chronic illness
Instruments don’t lie. The warning lights are flashing red
The question isn’t whether we’re off course. We are
The question is whether we’ll make a course correction toward a healthier destination
After 38 years in Los Angeles, K. John Lee recently boomeranged back to his Oklahoma roots. He credits his knowledge of diet and nutrition to his mother, who was a registered dietician. He practices Taekwondo and is a self-professed gym rat who takes a practical, show-up but don’t burn-out, approach toward exercise
