True Life: I'm Obese

[Jewelsy]

I'm watching it right now. That poor woman. I still don't understand how she's as heavy as she is, when she says she eats sensibly.

[ConfusedONE]

I'm watching it right now. That poor woman. I still don't understand how she's as heavy as she is, when she says she eats sensibly.

some of it CAN be genetic, however there is a point when you surpass your biological programming and hit bigness. Unfortunately, a lot of these people have surpassed their genetics.

[geekgirl]

Amy isn't drawing a disability check, I don't think she ever did. I've been reading her blog for half the night, and she does computer work from home on the laptop that was shown. It's a pretty interesting read. (I don't know if it's allowed to post the link here?)

Corey disgusted me because he doesn't even TRY to cut back, not even a little bit. He ate more food at that buffet than I eat in a week. He ought to have enough sense to stay away from buffets & McDonalds. I just don't understand why he wouldn't want to at least TRY on his own a little & incorporate some exercise, who knows, if he did that he may find he doesn't NEED gastric bypass surgery.

It seems like many obese people are looking to the surgery option, a 'quick fix', now to solve all their weight issues, when I thought that gastric bypass was supposed to be an absolute LAST RESORT for people who are physically unable to shed the pounds.

Yeah Corey was being a real butt on the show, but there was a scene where he talked about how he'd tried diets and diet pills and "everything" in the past and nothing had worked. And Amy mentioned that she'd been fighting her weight all her life, and had lost 50+ pounds already, before she was diagnosed with the lymphedema. It seems to me that this was a last resort for those two, I think they had tried.

Amy's site says she's lost 105 pounds now. (I'm not even bothering to try to find Corey :phhht )

[Bearcata]

Food can be an addiction and the only trouble with it that you can't go cold turkey with food else you die. There have been studies done that indicate some people's brain chemistry does not recognize when the stomach it full and they over eat. Overeaters Anonymous was established for people like this and its does work. Another organization similar to this is Greysheets. Alot of the problem with overeating deals with sugar and over processed foods and how your body is not getting the required vitamins and other things it needs so your own body sends out cravings hoping that you will feed it with the proper foods.

My sister in law has lost the same 30 lbs over and over again until she went on the Greysheets program and she has lost 60 lbs and has maintained it. Her sister has lost 50 and her brother 130lbs. Now my brother has started it and he has lost over 30 lbs. It is not easy. You have to learn to measure your food and read labels and find all the hidden sugars in processed foods. As in all addictions each person must reach their own rock bottom before they will decide to turn around their lives. This is also a lifestyle change and that is one of the hardest things a person can do because you have to do it for the rest of your life and you have to do it for yourself.

Also depression and other emotional issues can lead to overeating. That sugar high can be a rush. Food does not hate you or criticize you. That comfort zone in your life might be your lifeline to surviving and many people don't want to give that up.

Also, in reference to the overweight teenager. Alot of today's obesity in kids is a result of very reduced activity, (aka too much TV and Nintendo ((today's kids do have great finger control)) cutting back gym class at school. I know people who had gym everyday. I had it 2 or 3 times a week in junior and senior high school.

Lets face it we super-size everything and people are eating more and exercising less and changing their habits is hard work, you have to actually think about and make an informed choice and most people don't want to do that. They would rather take a pill that will melt the fat off without them changing their eating habits. People took Ph-en Ph-en to lose weight, and there were indications that Ph-en Ph-en may cause heart damage but people were willing to risk it to loose weight, than they get upset when as a result they do get permanent heart damage.

Also surgery is a last resort. People can die from this surgery. We had a 29 year old guy here at work who weighted over 400 lbs. He had broken every chair in the operations room because he was so heavy. He had to have the surgery to save his life because he was in danger of having a heart attack. He did loose 90lbs very quickly but his coworkers indicated that he had not cut down on the amount of food he ate. It basically came and went out very quickly, undigested. UGH. He also may no attempt to change any of his habits. Such as eating healthier food and/or exercising. Some people have had their stomachs reduced to the size of a ping pong ball but with enough will power and food they have stretched the stomach back to a larger size and their weight loss has stopped or they gained some of it back.

There is no one answer and sometimes it is a combination of things but losing weight and maintaining it is a difficult process and my hat's off to anyone who achieves it.

[queenb]

Thanks geekgirl...folks who have never had a problem beyond a few 'vanity pounds' don't seem to understand how very hard this is. I'm just sad to see that so many people are "sickened", "disgusted", and so forth by looking at obese people. I agree, it is ugly, but it's not ruining anyone else's health. It's sort of like, to me, getting a tattoo or body piercing is not attractive, and the majority are even ugly to me, but I'm not going to get all up in arms or think any less of anyone for getting them, nor am I ashamed to be seen with my less conventional friends.
I do think people this heavy at such a young age are in definate need of some psychiatric care; I hope someone loves them enough to push them into it. Everyone can't control themselves enough to be slim, but hopefully they could at least avoid being crippled by their weight before age 50.

[Citizen Kaos]

Well, Sometimes people can't help it. Some people are just big-boned.

Well, Sometimes people need to workout and eat a little less than most people because they are prone to getting fat very easily. It's about knowing what it takes for one to eat to live, not vice versa.

I'm just talking about someone I know who has no regard for her well-being. I know she'll have a heart attack within the next couple of years-and she doesn't even care.

[Dogg]

He ought to have enough sense to stay away from buffets & McDonalds. I just don't understand why he wouldn't want to at least TRY on his own a little & incorporate some exercise, who knows, if he did that he may find he doesn't NEED gastric bypass surgery.

makes no sense to me why people are like this, plus he doesn't realize that that surgery causes you to not be able to eat alot of the crap he's inhaling now... he needs to at least try to kick the habit or he'll be vomiting alot

btw, jewelsy how blind are you?

[ping007]

Although I'm a huge fan of MTV True Life, I couldn't watch this for very long. It disgusts me that people can get this large. I coudn't live with myself.

[Dogg]

bathing someone with wet wipes while lifting flaps and folds of human meat can make you change the channel

[candor]

I'm just sad to see that so many people are "sickened", "disgusted", and so forth by looking at obese people.

Amen, queenb. Obesity always seems to bring out the self-righteousness in people. Public accommodations aside, WTF do we care if someone else is fat?
There are lots of reasons people have eating disorders -- which is really what we're talking about -- but at the root of all of them is pain.
Sometimes pain makes us starve ourselves, sometimes it makes us eat ourselves into a stupor, sometimes it makes us jump off a roof. As long as fat people aren't shooting up schools, I say let's ease up on the judgments.