Can you bury an obese person?

Most caskets are generally a standard size and cannot accommodate a person who is significantly overweight, therefore an “oversize” casket is required. The standard size casket has already increased from 24 inches to 27 inches.

How are morbidly obese people buried?

Morbidly obese corpses often can't fit into mortuary refrigerators or crematory furnaces. Traditional coffins were once tapered and widest at the shoulders, but to accommodate a general increase in body-weight, most present day coffins are cigar-shaped, wide throughout.

Can a 500 pound person be cremated?

The simple answer is that yes an obese person can be cremated. However, it can prove more complex and costly to cremate someone who is larger than average in size. Cremating an overweight body does require a larger cremation chamber or retort, and this can be one of the first obstacles that a family may face.

Do they make coffins for obese people?

Two decades ago the standard coffin was 175cm long, and 46cm wide, said Mr Robbins of Key Industries. Today the standard is now 183cm long by 51cm wide, he said. Most manufacturers make extra-large sizes and do custom orders for the morbidly obese.

How fat is too fat for cremation?

Body size (weight) and levels of body fat have considerable effects on the operation of your cremation equipment. A body weighing more than 300 pounds should be treated with caution.

Dying Fat: Your Funeral Options

What happens when a morbidly obese person dies?

What happens when a morbidly obese person dies? Morbidly obese corpses often can't fit into mortuary refrigerators or crematory furnaces. Traditional coffins were once tapered and widest at the shoulders, but to accommodate a general increase in body-weight, most present day coffins are cigar-shaped, wide throughout.

How much is a coffin for an obese person?

Obese individuals may require an oversize casket, which measures anywhere between 28 and 51 inches wide. Because of their larger size, these models are more expensive than their smaller counterparts, costing an average of $1,550 to $4,150.

How long can a body weight to be buried?

In fact, you can even choose to purchase a family plot, so you and other family members can be buried together. When properly stored and cooled, a body can be kept for up to six weeks at the funeral home, so you'll have plenty of flexibility when planning your memorial service.

How long can a body weight to be embalmed?

Embalming techniques will preserve a body for about a week. In cases where the family needs at least one day to notify all the relatives, embalming should be the first priority. It is important to note is that this process does not stop the decomposition, rather just slows it down.

Do obese bodies decompose faster?

Increased rates of decomposition

This means that the process of decomposition, including both autolysis and putrefaction, is enhanced in the obese, as higher core temperatures are maintained for longer periods of time.

What is the average age an obese person dies?

In men aged 40 years, multiadjusted life expectancy for those who were obese participants was 41.4 years (95% CI 38.28 to 44.70), which was 1.7 years non-significantly shorter than that for normal weight participants (p=0.3184).

How long does it take to cremate a 300 pound person?

Directors of that crematorium explained to WTVR that an average-sized body takes about two hours to cremate, while a body more than 300 pounds takes around four or five hours. Continuous heat on a body for that long adds to the fire risk.

How much does a 200 lb person weigh after cremation?

A man's ashes will weight in the 4 lb to 9 lb (1.8 to 4 kg) range. Cremation ashes for a 175 lbs man weighs about 4.5 lbs or ~2 kg. Cremation ashes for a 200 lbs man weighs about 7 lbs or ~3.1 kg.

How much does a 300 pound person weigh after cremation?

As a general rule, ashes following cremation will weigh between 4 to 6 pounds, or around 3.5% of the person's original weight.

How long does it take to cremate a 250 lb body?

Directors of that crematorium explained to WTVR that an average-sized body takes about two hours to cremate, while a body more than 300 pounds takes around four or five hours. Continuous heat on a body for that long adds to the fire risk.

What is the maximum size of a coffin?

The experts think that around 10% of the population (give or take) will not perfectly fit in a standard casket. However, the category of oversized caskets is there for help. A typical oversize casket can go as long as 90 in, 36in wide, and 30in tall.

Why do they put coffins 6 feet under?

Gravesites reaching six feet helped prevent farmers from accidentally plowing up bodies. And you had the “rule of thumb,” origin unknown, that said graves should be as deep as the dead person is tall. Today, individual states set the depth of a grave.

Are humans cremated with clothes on?

Cremation of a body can be done with or without clothing. Typically, if there has been a traditional funeral (with the body) present, the deceased will be cremated in whatever clothing they were wearing.

Does it hurt being cremated?

The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation.

At what weight can you not be cremated?

There is not a weight limit for cremation, though cremating larger bodies can be more complex and costly. Some providers charge additional fees for persons weighing more than 300 pounds for this reason.

Why do obese people decompose faster?

A larger body mass and more fat will decompose more rapidly. This is because after death, fats will liquify, accounting for a large portion of decomposition. People with a lower fat percentage will decompose more slowly. This includes smaller adults and especially children.

Can you be buried face down?

The practice occurs in single graves, double graves, and burials with multiple individuals. In double graves, both the individuals could be buried face down, but it is equally common for one body to be prone and the other supine (face up).

Is the brain removed during embalming?

Do they remove organs when you are embalmed? One of the most common questions people have about embalming is whether or not organs are removed. The answer is no; all of the organs remain in the body during the embalming process.

What happens when a body Cannot be embalmed?

Where a family has chosen to not embalm, any visits to see the deceased would usually take place within a few days. In this case the body is kept in a temperature-controlled environment to slow down the natural changes that happen after death takes place.

When can a body not be embalmed?

Why NOT embalm? The thing about draining a corpse of all its blood and replacing that blood with chemicals is…well, it's unnecessary. Most states don't require embalming unless a body hasn't been buried more than 10 days after death (which, if you're pre-planning your funeral, would not be the case for you).