Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm slender. My family is all active and fit. Still--there are lots of diseases and conditions that can make people pack on a bunch of weight, so I think some of you are being unreasonable and obnoxiously judgmental--that's no surprise here. I have a child with celiac disease. One of his symptoms before diagnosis was that he was rapidly losing weight (among other things) but more celiacs actually pack on the pounds because their body can't absorb many nutrients, so the body is tricked into believing that it needs to convert every calorie it can take in to fat because it believes you're starving, plus they eat more because their body is telling them that they're nutrient deficient. That disease impacts one out of every hundred people now. I've known women going through menopause who had rapid weight gain due to hormonal changes and a slowed metabolism, the same with people with thyroid conditions, and certainly people taking medications like prednisone to treat a host of very, very serious illnesses, including cancer and autoimmune disorders.
I think we're eventually going to find legitimate medical reasons why many people gain massive amounts of weight, and why some people can eat like there's no tomorrow and don't gain a pound--and before you say it, it's NOT all about exercise, or a lack of self control. Until then, the rest of you are just showing your colors as the hateful people that some of you are. I know some of you find it fun to kick people when they're down because your lives are so pathetic that it makes you feel better about yourself, but I'm more interested understanding WHY it happens, so something can be done about it to help people.
I am also very interested in why it happens. I believe its hormones declining as we age. However the science is interesting.
My best friend is fat. He eats like there is no tomorrow, snacks when he gets a chance, never takes stairs, doesn't like to move, has never seen the inside of a gym, gets out of breath quickly, and he keeps on growing. He is five years younger than I am, has high cholesterol, heart problems, swollen joints, and a doctor who keeps warning him to change his lifestyle or risk dying rather soon. If he keeps going, it is only a matter of time before he is handicapped
I am slender and muscular. I eat a healthy diet rich in veggies and fruit, I snack occasionally but only small portions, I always take stairs when it's possible and reasonable, I don't really like to move, I go to the gym four to five times a week, I ride my bike roughly 15 miles just about every single day (weather permitting), I go swimming pretty much every day in the summer and once or twice a week in the winter. I only get out of breath when I suffer from seasonal allergies.
I am five years older than he, have absolutely no health problems (other than the allergies that seem to be locally confined) and my friend is my biggest inspiration for keeping fit and healthy.
He is making poor choices - I hope mine are better. I certainly notice that it is MUCH easier for me to do things (play with the kids, hike, climb, go camping, play any sports, etc.) than it is for him.
His choices contribute to him becoming handicapped (or disabled). It's very sad but he simply lacks the motivation to change anything in his life. He'll eat "healthy" for a week and then revert to his old ways. He'll try to ride his bike, but finds it too tedious. He's been like this for ten to fifteen years and for now, he keeps being on this downhill slide.
For him (as for me), obesity is a choice. At my age, most people can't just sit around and expect to remain skinny - we have to work at it. Sometimes, I take a break from exercise and immediately notice how I grow belly fat. Thus, I work out; He doesn't.
I quit drugs at age 28, I kept for years friends that were still alcholics and addicts. I hung on to them for inspiration, until I realized there was something still wrong w/ me. Think hard about why you are best freinds w/ this person. Its to feed your own issues. Your hungry too but in a different way.
I do not judge overweight people with disability tags, wheelchairs, etc. It just may be that the person IS suffering from a disability that has made them more sedentary and gain weight.
The other day I was on a bus and a fat guy got on...when I say "fat" I mean "HEY HEY HEEEEYYY!" This man needed three mirrors to see if his shoes weren't tied. Anyway he got on the bus and moved to the front seats, all of which were full. He motioned to a young man, listening to his music. The young man took out his headphones and asked him what he needed. The fat man said "can I sit here?" The young man said "why?" The fat man pointed to his massive gut and said "because I'm disabled."
The young man looked at him like he was crazy and said, and I quote, "man you ain't disabled, you fat!"
Many people on the bus, myself included, laughed but tried to muffle the laughter. Someone else got up and let the fat man sit down so he could have two seats behind the front seats to himself. As he left someone said something to the young man and he said "man, if it was a old dude with a cane I'd have gotten up or a pregnant lady or somethin, but not him."
You know what? I AGREE 100%
Being a chunky monkey is NOT a disability. It can be DISABLING, but it is not in and of itself a DISABILITY. Being drunk is also disabling...should drunk people get special seats?
And the worst part is, these heffers get disability checks, handicap parking, government services and all kinds of things for something that IS THEIR OWN DOING. I have yet to meet a wheel chair bound person who just couldn't say "no" to screwing up their spinal cord the way round people couldn't say "no" to bon bons. I have yet to meet a blind person who lost their vision thanks to being lazy. You make your bed, you lay in it (if we can find a bed big enough for you...)
And spare me, SPARE ME the old "maybe it's their genes" argument. The only thing their weight has to do with their jeans is that they can barely fit in them. Want proof? Millions of emaciated, starving people in third world counties. Have you ever seen ONE random fat one who had those same "get fat no matter what" genes?
And yes, I have seen some disabled people who become overweight as a result of their disability, and that's different. If someone who ran every day is in a car accident and is wheelchair bound and moving less all of a sudden, I could see them putting on weight. But there is a difference between a disability CAUSING weight gain and trying to say weight gain IS A DISABILITY.
I knew a kid in school who was blind in one eye (birth defect) and had trouble as a result. All the dieting on Earth would not give him that eye back. All the push ups and jogging he could do would not give him 20/20 vision. In short, anything that can be changed simply by not stepping foot in a McDonald's and steaming some vegis instead is NOT a disability.
And the worst part is, I am a little round and the doctor says it would be good for me to lose ten pounds or so. I am not so big the back of my neck looks like a pack of hotdogs, but I am getting there. And you know who I blame? MYSELF. But no issue. I'll get that "Insanity" work out and cook from now on and lose it. It's called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
We as a society should cut off these chunky monkeys and instead worry about people with real disabilities. No more enabling the lady with more "Chins" than the Hong Kong census to blame the world for not liking her. Not more free rides for the guy whose girth is so wide he uses laptop for a smart phone.
Can't find a seat on the bus that will fit? WALK! The exercise will do you some good anyway.
Imagine the big man sitting on you, and then the young man shooting you with his pistol (now that's funny.)
The other day I was on a bus and a fat guy got on...when I say "fat" I mean "HEY HEY HEEEEYYY!" This man needed three mirrors to see if his shoes weren't tied. Anyway he got on the bus and moved to the front seats, all of which were full. He motioned to a young man, listening to his music. The young man took out his headphones and asked him what he needed. The fat man said "can I sit here?" The young man said "why?" The fat man pointed to his massive gut and said "because I'm disabled."
The young man looked at him like he was crazy and said, and I quote, "man you ain't disabled, you fat!"
Many people on the bus, myself included, laughed but tried to muffle the laughter. Someone else got up and let the fat man sit down so he could have two seats behind the front seats to himself. As he left someone said something to the young man and he said "man, if it was a old dude with a cane I'd have gotten up or a pregnant lady or somethin, but not him."
You know what? I AGREE 100%
Being a chunky monkey is NOT a disability. It can be DISABLING, but it is not in and of itself a DISABILITY. Being drunk is also disabling...should drunk people get special seats?
And the worst part is, these heffers get disability checks, handicap parking, government services and all kinds of things for something that IS THEIR OWN DOING. I have yet to meet a wheel chair bound person who just couldn't say "no" to screwing up their spinal cord the way round people couldn't say "no" to bon bons. I have yet to meet a blind person who lost their vision thanks to being lazy. You make your bed, you lay in it (if we can find a bed big enough for you...)
And spare me, SPARE ME the old "maybe it's their genes" argument. The only thing their weight has to do with their jeans is that they can barely fit in them. Want proof? Millions of emaciated, starving people in third world counties. Have you ever seen ONE random fat one who had those same "get fat no matter what" genes?
And yes, I have seen some disabled people who become overweight as a result of their disability, and that's different. If someone who ran every day is in a car accident and is wheelchair bound and moving less all of a sudden, I could see them putting on weight. But there is a difference between a disability CAUSING weight gain and trying to say weight gain IS A DISABILITY.
I knew a kid in school who was blind in one eye (birth defect) and had trouble as a result. All the dieting on Earth would not give him that eye back. All the push ups and jogging he could do would not give him 20/20 vision. In short, anything that can be changed simply by not stepping foot in a McDonald's and steaming some vegis instead is NOT a disability.
And the worst part is, I am a little round and the doctor says it would be good for me to lose ten pounds or so. I am not so big the back of my neck looks like a pack of hotdogs, but I am getting there. And you know who I blame? MYSELF. But no issue. I'll get that "Insanity" work out and cook from now on and lose it. It's called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
We as a society should cut off these chunky monkeys and instead worry about people with real disabilities. No more enabling the lady with more "Chins" than the Hong Kong census to blame the world for not liking her. Not more free rides for the guy whose girth is so wide he uses laptop for a smart phone.
Can't find a seat on the bus that will fit? WALK! The exercise will do you some good anyway.
I would expect young children to make fun of overweight people, but you appear to be a grown man.
Its not nice to talk about overweight people the way you did above.
I smoked for six years, and quit cold turkey...no patch, no clinic, I just quit. First two weeks I thought I would pull my hair out but then I got over the "hump" and it was smooth sailing.
But I am not now, nor will I ever be "addicted." I have stopped for months at a time and had no issues.
In the end of the day, addiction is a choice. If I could put down cigarets I am sure fat people can put down the Sara Lee.
But it took you 6 years to "put down the cigarettes". I'm not saying by any means that people cannot overcome addiction, if that is the cause (or one of them). Who's to say that particular person you're so angry at won't?
The only difference between you and a chronic overeater is that we can't see the effects of cigs on you.
And here are you making the idiotic decision to recreationally use an addictive drug, even though you've been a junkie before. Using the same mantra as everyone else, some of whom eventually become addicted - "it won't happen to me, because I'm special".
There's nothing worse than an ex something addict who, instead of being able to empathize and maybe help those who are on the same path, crows incessantly that they quit and therefore everyone else should be able to too.
Never mind that while you were smoking you were a junkie just like everyone else who's a junkie.
America has the highest obese rate in the world. For the most part, it has nothing to do with disability.
You've got a point. Here's what my personal life experience has been:
I've lived abroad and I've lived here, off and on. Without planning or conscious thinking or effort, whenever I've moved back abroad, I've lost weight. It has simply come off. Whenever I've returned to the States, I've gained weight.
Naturally, the lifestyles are drastically different. Abroad I work less hours for better pay, so I'm sitting less hours and am therefore more active, have more free time, and am less stressed. Abroad I walk more, there are lots of people walking, so it's fun and not scary at all. Abroad, people get together all the time, and over food, but the food is different - mussels, shrimp, gazpacho, fish, stews with turnip greens, beans with ham hock, omelettes with chorizo.
When I am here in the U.S., I work more hours for less pay, therefore I sit longer, so I'm less active. As a result, I have less free time and am therefore more stressed. Here, I don't walk unless I make take time out to drive to a gym, and do some walking there. There's no way to get around here without driving, and if I try, the streets and sidewalks (where there are some) are empty of pedestrians because distances between things are simply huge, so it's pretty scary compared with walking around in Europe. People seldom get together here (distances are too huge and people work endless hours, have little time to take care of things, and are exhausted from so many hours working when they get home). When they do manage to invite people over, they make things that are faster and easier to prepare, but which can be fattier - BBQ, mac n cheese, yummy, fast, comfort food. Delicious, but wow, I feel my body putting on weight just thinking of it!
I really wish I knew why I have such a hard time losing weight. Given that I could eat anything and as much as I wanted until I was in my 30's without gaining an ounce, I'm going with hypothyrodism. Now that I'm in my 50's, add post menopausal weight gain to the mix.
It really bothers me that there are people out there who sit in judgement of me who have not walked in my shoes. I worry about dd#2. She's like I was as a teen. She can eat anything and everything and lose weight without exercising (when I was young, literally, all I had to do to lose weight was not eat after 7:00 PM. I could eat anything I wanted before then.). I wonder if the same thing is going to happen to her. Seems all that excess eating I did when I was young has come home to roost. And let me tell you I ate terrible. Anything fat, fried and sweet. I didn't know what fruit and vegetables were except for canned corn, canned green beans and bananas. Yet, by today's standards, people would have thought highly of me because I was thin. Now that I snack on berries and ice cubes, I'm considered a glutten because every stinking carb I eat seems to attach itself to my mid section.
Unless you are morbidly obese and living off the government because of it and looking for special treatment in society because of it, it's not anyone's concern. If that isn't you, no one is picking on you for not being thin and not wanting to endanger your health even more. Most people do gain weight as they age, metabolism naturally slows down in our thirties anyway, and most older people look better with some extra pounds on them. It's a losing battle to compare oneself in their fifties to their twenties.
I smoked for six years, and quit cold turkey...no patch, no clinic, I just quit. First two weeks I thought I would pull my hair out but then I got over the "hump" and it was smooth sailing.
But I am not now, nor will I ever be "addicted." I have stopped for months at a time and had no issues.
In the end of the day, addiction is a choice. If I could put down cigarets I am sure fat people can put down the Sara Lee.
I know there are people who use even opiates occasionally. Any drug can be used that way. I still think doing drugs is playing with fire, even if you don't get addicted. It's a hit on your brain chemistry and if you happen to get some bad stuff just one time or have a bad trip it can cause some real problems.
What ever happened to getting high on life.?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a child with celiac disease. One of his symptoms before diagnosis was that he was rapidly losing weight (among other things) but more celiacs actually pack on the pounds because their body can't absorb many nutrients, so the body is tricked into believing that it needs to convert every calorie it can take in to fat because it believes you're starving, plus they eat more because their body is telling them that they're nutrient deficient. That disease impacts one out of every hundred people now. I've known women going through menopause who had rapid weight gain due to hormonal changes and a slowed metabolism, the same with people with thyroid conditions, and certainly people taking medications like prednisone to treat a host of very, very serious illnesses, including cancer and autoimmune disorders.
