According to SBS news Australia, seats in the U.S have gotten bigger during the last century to accommodate the expanding size of members of the audience.

A report by the Theatre Projects Consultants said that in the last 20 years the width of seats have increased from 19 to 21 inches.

John Coyne, author of the report and U.S director of the company says that people have gotten taller and wider over the last 30 years. The Center for Disease Control has also said that between 1960 and 2000, the average American adult weight has increased by 24 pounds, or 15 percent.

Even though larger seats are mainly a U.S trend, Coyne said the company is seeing similar issues in theaters and auditoriums overseas. He also goes on to say that it is less about accommodating larger sizes and expectations but rather following trends in the U.S.