Fat people and tables

Don't know if you're handy with woodworking, but if so, think about the type of slides they use on tables. You know, where you can expand a table to add a leaf to make it bigger. You can buy these slides from many sources (get the wooden ones rather than metal - they're easier to work with), then mount one part to the bottom of the table and the other set to the pedestal (or other table support - this is where you many have to get creative). You can then leave the table centered, or slide it to the side, depending on what you need. This may sound complicated, but its pretty easy to do. The only downside is that the table will be a couple inches higher (by the thickness of the slide), but you can cut down the table support or add a little more cushioning to the seats to compensate. Did this for a friend once, and it wasn't hard, but worked out very well. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos.