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.
This shocked me also, to see so many of these families (and they are all obese, not one skinny minnie among them) rarely, if ever, sat down to eat a good, slow-cooked home meal.
Their idea of a family meal is to send somebody out to get some greasy fast food and super-sized buckets of soda, and then sit down on the couch and eat their disgusting grub on paper plates in front of the TV.
I find that so dysfunctional. It's nothing short of a miracle that anybody could lose weight when you're surrounded by family members who never learned how to cook and serve a healthy meal.
But that food is SO CHEAP. I have a sick kitty who's not eating, so I went to KFC and bought a chicken leg and thigh and it was 2 bucks. TWO BUCKS. It would cost way more to buy chicken and make it.
I ended up eating the darn things because he wouldn't eat that -- and he used to love chicken.
I peeled it though -- so all me and the cats who wanted to share ate was the meat. One of the cats went after the skin, but didn't like the crunchy.
But that food is SO CHEAP. I have a sick kitty who's not eating, so I went to KFC and bought a chicken leg and thigh and it was 2 bucks. TWO BUCKS. It would cost way more to buy chicken and make it.
Not true. That chicken was $1.00 per piece. If you buy a family pack in the market, it will cost less than $1.00 per piece. I just cooked up a 12 piece pack (6 legs, 6 thighs) and it cost like $6.00. That's half the price you paid.
The problem is that we have created a fast food culture. Folks want food now and are too lazy to cook. Most people who have lost significant amounts of weight all agree that controlling one's food (and ingredients) is the only way to go. Eating fast food is giving up a lot of control.
No clue why I love this show; I saw the original where they followed them for 7 years; thought it was great that there was a doctor willing to take a chance on them. I never realized there were that many people over 600lbs until this season.
I'm struck by the number of surgery patients who just plain have no idea what to eat!
Is there no dietary instruction? No shopping/cooking lessons?
Maybe it's editing or these people really are just incredibly lazy or ignorant, but man, watching carloads of them pull through the fast food drive through over and over, wasting money on junk just amazes me. Are the editors suggesting they do that?
Even when their spouses or family members are shown bringing them food, it's inevitably greasy balls of breaded whatever served on a paper plate, washed down with a giant sugary drink. Again, are the producers telling them to fix greasy carbs and sugar for drama? Or is this really how they eat every day?
And don't get me started on those enablers who choose to help their so-called loved ones by making sure they stay fat and probably die young. How is that love?
The original series followed them for 7 years; they showed more IIRC about how they are taught to eat etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pekemom
I agree...he tries to be nice and understanding and yet some people are in denial and downright
rude....He finally tells them he doesn't know what else to do, he signs death certificates for such
people and doesn't want to have to do that with them...He gets exasperated like with Penny who
swears she's not cheating yet she doesn't lose weight while on a strict diet. Thank goodness
some patients are successful...
Very disturbing. Left everything to have surgery; then cheats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallysmom
My doctor tried to talk me into it, but I knew three people who had it and each was worse than the next. One died at 6 months, one was sick for several months, and one lost tons of weight while being sick and then started gaining it all back, still being sick.
He told me thousands of people have it and are fine and I said sorry -- my three I KNOW trump your thousands I don't.... especially since there's so much money in this and every time you turn around yet another new class action lawsuit is about some drug or medical procedure is being advertised.
I'm losing slow but sure.
I have a friend that had it done because her father did. The Dr she used did not hook her up right; she almost died. No other Dr would take her on until she went to Philadelphia; she ended up losing her stomach.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annie53
I saw an episode where both the husband and wife were morbidly obese.......and they had an adopted son.....about 18 months old. The wife had to do everything, he had the surgery and still wouldn't do a thing, she left him, then came back and had the surgery herself.
I couldn't believe that they would let people like that adopt a child.....as you said....what kind of a future is that kid going to have.....growing up with two parents who eat like that?
And........keep in mind.....they say less than 5% change their eating habits for good right at the beginning of the program.
Regardless, they adopted that poor child a year and a half before either one of them decided to do something about their weight.
It's no different than handing a child over to a couple of known drug addicts, IMO. I couldn't believe it.
The way they explained the son "coming into their life" sounded more like a private adoption where they knew someone that was looking to give their child up. The person probably did not think it through & is probably mortified...
I enjoy My 600-Pound Life although my husband hates it and won't be on the same floor of the house when I watch it.
Personally, I love to see people succeed and lose the weight they need to lose. Their lives improve so dramatically, even though they are still obese, they are mobile and able to take care of themselves again (in the cases where they succeed). Episodes like Penny's infuriate me though. Obviously that woman needs seriously psychological help. Most people who eat themselves into that state do, but some need much more than others. I don't understand why psychological counseling isn't automatically part of the process.
My 600 Pound Life is in a similar category as Intervention and Hoarders, I think. For me, part of what makes all of these shows fascinating is analzying the psychology behind the people on the show. On Intervetion for example, at least 90% of the addicts had suffered through serious trauma. Often they had siblings that went through the same trauma and came out fine. I often try and figure out why that is. It's something I've seen in my own life, as well. One of my younger sisters was much more deeply impacted by our dad's behavior growing up than the other two of us were. None of us liked it, but it doesn't haunt me daily like it seems to haunt her even though it was directed at me far more often than it was directed at her.
I've dealt with a good amount of trauma. I have weight problems as a result becuase when I was young I ate to cope with the stress, anger and sadness I felt. That said, I never got nearly as out of control as the people featured on these shows. I've always been able to shop in a regular store and all that, but I think I've done enough damage to my body that I'll never be a size six, I will always probably be in the 10 to 14 range, sadly. So, maybe that's also why I am so attracted to these shows. I often wonder why I've been able to cope as well as I have and others simply cannot cope; I'm really not all that special or anything.
Honestly feel genetics plays a part. There are genes on my dads side; 1 child got them. On my daughters fathers side; 2 of his sisters are obese; one has passed away due to it. My daughter is 5'4"; at the heaviest 220lbs. She's been over weight since 6ish; used to drink a lot of juice. I've never seen her pig out; seems like no matter what she eats; it stays there. I've never been big on fast food; she did not have a lot of it growing up. She was really sick after having tonsils out; lost 80lbs rapidly. No one could figure out what was wrong. A year later; she was on antidepressants; rapidly gained it back; 20 one month; 40+ another.
Honestly feel genetics plays a part. There are genes on my dads side; 1 child got them. On my daughters fathers side; 2 of his sisters are obese; one has passed away due to it. My daughter is 5'4"; at the heaviest 220lbs. She's been over weight since 6ish; used to drink a lot of juice. I've never seen her pig out; seems like no matter what she eats; it stays there. I've never been big on fast food; she did not have a lot of it growing up. She was really sick after having tonsils out; lost 80lbs rapidly. No one could figure out what was wrong. A year later; she was on antidepressants; rapidly gained it back; 20 one month; 40+ another.
Genetics probably do play a role in some people. I'm not sure that genetics are the issue for me since both of my sisters are normal to underweight, but who knows. Antidepressants will definitely help a person gain weight. Even my sister who has always been underweight gained weight when she started taking antidepressants. She never became overweight, but she probably gained 8 pounds (which is a lot when you weigh 90 pounds).
As to the show, I do wish they followed the people longer like the original show did when they followed them for 7 years. Just about everyone will lose weight initially after that type of surgery (except that Penny woman), but what happens 5 years later is interesting to me. Melissa's story was very interesting; she got down to a pretty low weight and at one point the doctor even told her she should probably gain some weight. In the end, she gained weight during pregnancy and I think she ultimately settled at a weight that is higher than ideal, but way better than where she started. I think that is a success since her life was greatly improved and she was able to have a child, which was her dream.
It was a repeat, just like the others. They add words to the screen and call it supersized and a new episode.... That bugs me.
I didn't know it was a repeat, I'd never seen it before.
I was surprised that they stayed together to be honest, and I was really surprised that the guy lost so much weight. He seemed like such a loser and a taker.
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.
