Too Fat to eat in public?

[Patrick Long]

Next they will want to stop selling low calorie food to skinny people because they may be anorexic.

aaaahahahahahaha

[Entropy]

My aunt is actually morbidly obese. She has no eating disorders, has been active (she competes in equine endurance races) and eaten healthy all of her life, she eats fast food maybe two or three times a year. She has thyroid issues and is on medication for it, her blood pressure, and cholestoral are great. Why is she morbidly obese? Even her doctor doesn't know.

My sister is also obese. She has always been this way. Once again, she eats fast food a few times a year if that. She's active ( a live in nanny and also trains horses) also has thyroid issues and is careful with her diet.

I have to say going out with them and seeing how people respond and what they whisper... it's easy to say 'oh that person is fat because they are a pig and never stop eating' but it's not always the case. It's easy to believe the stereotypes and what you see on tv, people stuffing their faces and eating like no tomorrow but the reality is usually much much different. You're pretty much damned if you do and damed if you don't. If you buy 'normal' food they say you eat too much of it. If you buy 'diet' food they say that you're only eating that in public and in reality you stuff yourself at home.... Heard it all.

[Earl]

My aunt is actually morbidly obese. She has no eating disorders, has been active (she competes in equine endurance races) and eaten healthy all of her life, she eats fast food maybe two or three times a year. She has thyroid issues and is on medication for it, her blood pressure, and cholestoral are great. Why is she morbidly obese? Even her doctor doesn't know.

My sister is also obese. She has always been this way. Once again, she eats fast food a few times a year if that. She's active ( a live in nanny and also trains horses) also has thyroid issues and is careful with her diet.

I have to say going out with them and seeing how people respond and what they whisper... it's easy to say 'oh that person is fat because they are a pig and never stop eating' but it's not always the case. It's easy to believe the stereotypes and what you see on tv, people stuffing their faces and eating like no tomorrow but the reality is usually much much different. You're pretty much damned if you do and damed if you don't. If you buy 'normal' food they say you eat too much of it. If you buy 'diet' food they say that you're only eating that in public and in reality you stuff yourself at home.... Heard it all.

So where does the weight come from?

I have alot of fat people in my family and they all swear they are "active". When I see them at the family parties they always tell you about the next great diet they are going on while they stuff their face with everything put in front of them.

How is it that we have so many huge people in this country who are so "active" and eat so "healthy"?

[greenmonkey51]

Theres a difference between being active and exercising. At work I'm constantly active but don't work up a sweat really or have to catch my breath. For exercise you have to get your heart rate up.

[tigerlily]

Yes, there are medical conditions that make it extremely difficult to lose weight. I have hypothyroidism as well. I decided to try and lose that last bit of weight (inspired by all you wonderful people on the weightloss thread) and joined a gym. I work out 5 days a week for 1.5 hours a day. (in fact when I missed going this past week while I had the flu, they called to check up on me) I usually do 30 minutes cardio, followed by a class that rotates weight lifting, yoga, pilates, and cardio. I have not lost a single pound in 6 months. So yes, weight loss is not all about food and exercise for some.

I find it very hard to judge someone without knowing what they've tried or what they've been through. Not to say that it's not easy to make that sweeping judgement at first glance, but I try not to.

[McAdry]

welcome to the rise of socialism the new american liberlism. They believe that they know what is right for everyone and that we are all a bunch of stupid little people who need to be told how to do everything.It started with the smoking bans the roadside manatory checkpoints for sobrity checks,and unless it get's stopped soon it will continue.They are also pushing making it mandatory for resturants to have to use only one type of oil to fry foods in because it's better for everyone. Crime is on the rise and it's not the criminal's fault society made them do it.Ohh and don't think it's not the agenda of both polictial parties they want total contoll of us,Because they know whats best for us.America it's time to wake up this is really just the begging of the end have you read what the patriot act really allows the government to do to us citiziens.I persoanlly believe this country needs a major change in direction and leadership.I would suggest anyone intrested in helpling america return to the ideas of the founding fathers check out the ideas behind the Tri states manifesto.Secondly We the working middle class and the working poor need to look at our intrests and start advocating for canadiates from our social and economic backgrounds the rich arn't looking after our intrest's they are looking after theres. If you don't want to see more laws like this it's time to wake up and become active. There is a statement from the rise of Hitler or about the rise of hilter that goes somthing like this. They asked a Citizen why didn't you step up when they came to take away the jews. He said they wern't like me so I didn't think it was my problem. They asked him why didn't you step up when they came for the Catholics, He again answerd they arn't like me so I didn't think it was my problem. When they came for him he looked around and there was no one to speak up for him. It is rapidly becoming that time hear in the US. So what if someone wants to eat at a fast food joint and is 300 pounds it's their right. A business owner wants to allow smoking in his resutrant then how is it any of our right to tell him what he can or cant do in his establishment, he's put up the capital to run it, it will succed or fail on it's own without gov't interfernce.If you don't like eating in a resturant that has smoking don't eat there your choice. Don't like drinking don't go to a bar there are other places for you to do as you wish but your right to do as you wish ends when it interferes with somone else wish to do as they wish.Yes we need some basic set of laws based on common sense but what america needs to return to is the personal sense of responsiblity that made this country the greatest on the face of the earth. Now it seems that it's never anyone's fault Well where will you be when they come for you.

[monk90222]

If obese people don't recognize that they can't look down and see the tops of their feet, and continue to eat fast food, let them...its only themselves that they are hurting in the end.

Brad- I agree, I thank God daily that I have big feet so I can still see my toes.
Also, it is not only me who I am hurting...Its me and whoever I fall on..........

I think that these people need help - but turning them away at the fast-food counter isn't the way to go about it, they will find a way to get their food.

Food is literally like a drug addiction for some of these people...taking the dealers off the street doesn't curb the demand...

You don't understand, There is no stronger feeling than a Mac Attack.


In this country, it is more socially acceptable to be a herion junky than a food addict.

[recycling goddess]

Yes, there are medical conditions that make it extremely difficult to lose weight. I have hypothyroidism as well. I decided to try and lose that last bit of weight (inspired by all you wonderful people on the weightloss thread) and joined a gym. I work out 5 days a week for 1.5 hours a day. (in fact when I missed going this past week while I had the flu, they called to check up on me) I usually do 30 minutes cardio, followed by a class that rotates weight lifting, yoga, pilates, and cardio. I have not lost a single pound in 6 months. So yes, weight loss is not all about food and exercise for some.

I find it very hard to judge someone without knowing what they've tried or what they've been through. Not to say that it's not easy to make that sweeping judgement at first glance, but I try not to.

i agree with you christie. i tried so many different things to release excess weight in the last 9 years. nothing worked. i went to the gym and worked out 6 days a week for three months... didn't release a pound but did tone up a bit.

it's not easy. when you are overweight your energy level goes way down... then depression and guilt kicks in and then the spiral begins! trust me, every overweight person would LOVE to be thinner. they don't want to be obese or overweight.

as a former obese person... i understand this so well. it took totally changing my life and going 100% raw for me to release the weight. now i go to the gym 6 days a week and haven't released a pound in 2 months... but i am loosing inches.

so please - the next time you see someone overweight, don't add to their guilt and depression by giving them that "look"... instead send out love-filled thoughts and wrap them in understanding and compassion.

because when i felt horrid about myself... a bag of chips or a chocolate bar became my best friend. at least it took away the sting for a little while (of course the guilt of eating it kicked in shortly after the wrapper was empty of its fix)

[NightLad]

How would they decide who is 'too fat'? A friend of mine has sever diabetes and can't help being overweight. It is doubly hard on him because prior to the decline of his health, he was a star athlete. Now some self-righteous politicians want to punish him further? Sheesh.

[AzureN1ght]

Just popping in to say that some of your friends/family who seem perfectly fine, active and health/food conscious may not be as okay as they appear. I have binge eating issues--I've had them since I was nine or so. I never got into illegal or prescription drugs or booze, but food was my drug of choice. I've been overweight since the age of 9 and at 14 (after being prescribed Prednisone to treat Ulcerative Colitis and gained a lot of weight fast), I was briefly considered "obese". There are many emotional issues tied into food. Those fortunate people who have never been picked on for being the "fat kid" or ever had to worry about food effecting their weight are often the ones being judgmental.

I got off on a bit of a tangent. What I was meaning to say is, binge eaters are good at hiding it. When I began my serious weight loss journey two years ago, I began digging at why I was fat. I began to talk to my family and friends about it--none of them had any idea that I was a binge eater. When I would binge, I would do it alone--most binge-eaters do. Had a bad day? Milk and an entire bag of oreos would help, or a whole pizza, or half a dozen doughnuts.

Well...it helped briefly, before the guilt and depression over what I'd done sank in. My family and friends never saw me that way, and I was good at hiding the evidence of my binges. No wrappers lying around, no powdered sugar on my clothes. So, while you might think your overweight or obese friends/family are mysteriously overweight, there may be no mystery about it. Binge eaters are guilt-ridden people. We will lie to those we love to hide our shame.

I've managed to lose 30 pounds, but it's taken two years of roller coastering to get there. It's been an emotional struggle, and I didn't have much to lose--50 pounds tops. Many overweight or obese people are facing the possibility of needing to lose 80, 100, 150, 200 pounds. It's frightening to stand where you are and imagine how hard it's going to be to do it. Your insurance company won't help you pay for a gym membership or a few sessions with a personal trainer and nutritionist...but they might pay for gastric bypass (this is a pet peeve of mine). Your insurance company might not even pay for therapy to help you figure out what the emotional causes of your binge-eating are. So even if you do manage to lose some weight, you're in danger of falling prey to the same traps and gaining it all back.

I still have a few pounds to lose to get into the shape I want, and it's still a struggle against my binge-eating tendencies. It isn't an easy thing. Obese and overweight people are often hurt people, depressed people...they need love and maybe some therapy. The last thing they need is a world full of adult people pointing and laughing at them because of their problem.