Obesity is undertakers' fresh burden

The obesity crisis is lengthening the final journey of larger Britons. Undertakers say they are having to transport an increasing number of stouter clients hundreds of miles before they can be cremated because only a handful of Britain's 250 crematoriums can take bodies heavier than 25 stone.

'It is becoming a problem,' said Alan Slater, chief executive of the National Association of Funeral Directors. 'We are seeing more of these exceptional cases.'

Anticipating the phenomenon, Lewisham council ordered a larger-than- average furnace - a 'cremator' - from America. Measuring 44ins wide, 29ins high and 109ins long, it can accommodate even the largest coffin.

'Although Lewisham does not have a particular problem with obesity, we considered the national trend and bought one that would take the largest coffins,' said deputy mayor Heidi Alexander. 'As a result, we have requests from around the country to take coffins when local services cannot accommodate. '

Lewisham's crematorium has taken coffins from as far away as the West Midlands and Gloucester. Transporting the corpse can add up to £500 to a funeral bill, an unexpected extra expense that has upset bereaved families.

'The death of a loved one is a very difficult time for people and having to make special arrangements for cremation can only add to the ordeal,' Alexander said. 'The issues surrounding obesity have been in the headlines a lot recently but the problem has been gradually worsening over a number of years.'

Nearly three-quarters of Britons opt for a cremation when they die. Around 430,000 choose to be cremated in Britain each year. Duncan McCallum, secretary of the Federation of British Crematorium Authorities said: 'Over the next few years a significant number of crematoria are having to replace their cremators and we expect many will consider at least one large version.'