I agree with you,
Morthoron, that both Lalia and Bombur could be considered, by the standards of their respective races, as obese. I keep thinking about certain TV shows about very fat people, and that this hobbit and this dwarf might be very suitable candidates.
You made a very good point earlier,
Mithalwen:
Yes but as we all know it is easier to push something on wheels rather than to carry it which is why airports are thick with wheelycases and the mini trolleys so popular at supermarkets. Odd as a side note that the hobbits had wheelchairs at their disposal while dwarves who I would have thought were relatively technically advanced seem to have moved Bombur on a litter. Also events seem to indicate that one young, female hobbit was not up to the task. Nevertheless for reasons previously stated I concur that Bombur was likely bigger.
It appears, according to Tolkien's Middle-earth, that the hobbits of the Shire are the
most technically advanced people, having discovered the aneroid barometer, something we in this time line only did in the mid 19th century.
Even if dwarves were able to construct a wheelchair for Bombur, would it have been capable of operation by one dwarf, or more than one? If the latter case, then Bombur was certainly larger.
In terms of whether one young female hobbit was up to moving Lalia about, the circumstances of the latter's fatal accident do not indicate that there was any particular underlying problem. Indeed, I suggested (tongue in cheek) that the circumstances
could indicate that Lalia was deliberately murdered.
