Overweight thrill-seekers have been banned from top rides at the Midlands premier theme park. Bosses at Alton Towers have introduced strict weight restrictions on four of their biggest attractions as a safety measure. And the theme park has revealed that the obesity crisis in Britain means it is considering a re-design of rollercoaster seats to accommodate the overweight. One special fat seat for larger passengers has already been installed on the £12 million Oblivion. But the 70mph ride bars those with a chest size of 52 inches or more - around 20 stone. Heavyweight passengers with similarly large chests have also been banned from the popular Nemesis and Ripsaw rides. And restrictions are even tighter on the £12 million roll-ercoaster Air. Anyone with a chest size of 50 inches or more - around18st- is banned from the 50mph ride. Embarrassingly, those suspected of being over the weight limit can even try out a seat before they join the queue for Air to see if they fit in. But the chest restrictions have been described as a crude estimation of weight by a leading Midland obesity expert. Dr Ian Campbell, chairman of the Nottingham-based National Obesity Forum, said that over-weight teens as well as adults could be discriminated against by the new policy. Bosses at the park admit that the weight restrictions have prompted complaints from visitors to the park, which charges £27 for an adult ticket and £21 for kids. But they insisted that the chest size restrictions were vital for health and safety reasons. An Alton Towers spokesman said: Nemesis, Ripsaw and Oblivion all have a chest restriction of 52 inches while Air has a limit of 50 inches. If the harness will not lock, people are not permitted to ride for safety reasons. We have had some complaints, but not many. We were forced to introduce these measures to ensure the rides were safe for passengers. She added: People are getting bigger and bigger and it may be the case that we will have to look at getting bigger seating to accommodate them in the future. We have already allotted a large seat for larger visitors on Oblivion and there is a specially designed seat which guests can try out before going on Air. But Dr Ian Campbell, who has a 44-inch chest, said: Obesity is a serious medical issue and as it is becoming more widespread its impact is being felt in all areas of life. A number of overweight people already suffer from prejudice and exclusion, which can affect their self-esteem, he added. Someone who has a 50 or 52-inch chest is definitely al arge size. But this is a crude estimation of how heavy they really are. A recent report revealed that one-in-four Birmingham children is overweight and one in eight is classed as obese. The Childrens Nutrition and Obesity study by the city council showed that obesity rates have trebled in schools during the past decade. The council has now introduced a Fat Controller, and one of his tasks will be to study whether healthy free school breakfasts could tackle the problem. | 
