system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What type of differences would there be if an obese person was stabbed in the belly compared to a fit person being stabbed in the same place?

Would the obese person technically receive a less life threatening injury because of the fat?
gpt
Blood vessels that carry nutrients to the skin and wastes away from the skin (capillaries) are on the surface, thus on the outside of the fat. Therefore the surface damage and bleeding between the two people would be similar.

However, the internal organs and muscles of the obese person are under their fat deposits. Therefore, the knife would most likely not reach much of their vital organs or muscles, thus causing less internal damage and bleeding. This would also reduce the number of nerves stimulated by the wound (as there are no nerves in fat deposits), meaning the obese person would feel less (but still significant) pain.

The damage sustained by the obese person is much more easily and quickly healed, as it primarily requires skin healing. Whereas the fit person would require muscles and organs to heal, which can often be too slow and fatal.

In short, the obese person would be less severely harmed, as the fat (which serves no vital purpose) would act as a protective layer. Therefore preventing significant internal damage.

Note: On a side note, the healing capacity of the obese person is often impaired by their obesity, such as the reduced efficiency in their circulatory system to deliver clotting factors. Which could definitely play a role in their ability to heal their wounds and chance of survival.