From the article:
The country's growing obesity epidemic is taking a toll on state ferries, and the Coast Guard is now forcing some of the boats to 'lighten up."
The Coast Guard recently announced it had changed the capacity on several vessels because passengers now weigh more.
Coast Guard Lt. Kirk Beckman said the old test weights assumed an average rider weighed 140-160 pounds, but now that the average American weighs 185 pounds, those figures had to be recalculated.
For example, the Yakima used to be allowed 2,000 passengers, but will now only be able to carry 1,783 passengers.