Americans Too Fat for X-Rays

from Reuters

More and more obese people are unable to get full medical care because they are either too big to fit into scanners, or their fat is too dense for X-rays or sound waves to penetrate. With 64 percent of the U.S. population either overweight or obese, the problem is worsening, but it represents a business opportunity for equipment makers and hospitals.

Radiologists have their own term for it when writing up reports: "These images are limited due to body habitus."

These scans are used to look for tumors, blood clots, broken limbs and other injuries and diseased organs.