Speaking of Obesity...

[protege]

How hard is it to turn off the TV and take away the video games,junk food and tell your kid get out and get some fresh air?!!

That would require some effort. It's simply easier to sit on one's ass and watch TV or play video games.

I've also heard all the excuses -- "I'm big boned," "it runs in the family," etc. Give me a break. Unless you have a health condition, there's nobody to blame for being overweight but yourself. I have a bit of a "spare tire" myself. Do I go around complaining about how I sit around all day at work? Do I bitch about what I eat? I like my food as well. I try not to eat in excess, but when you consider that my grandmother's cooking kicks ass, it's difficult

With all that said, I've been making an effort to change things. I try to hit the gym (difficult while trying to get the yard into shape), and I've been eating things that are better for me. Sure, I have a cookie with dinner, but that's it.

What annoys me about the gym, are some of the people there. Particularly two somewhat-overweight ladies. These two usually arrive after I do...don't work out at all, and then spend several hours bitching about how "heavy" they are Sorry, I can't respect people who do that. I don't put them down because they're "heavy," but rather because they're *annoying*

However, I give mad props to those who have decided that they *want* to change. For example, at the same gym, there's a woman...who previously looked like she'd eaten a VW Bug. Seriously. 2 years on, most of the weight is gone now.

[the_std]

Does that change that I don't care to be around someone with poor hygiene and am usually justified in making judgment calls about them?

I never said you had to like being around these people, smelly or fat or otherwise. But I do not agree that you're justified in making judgement calls about them. People are rarely justified in making judgement calls about anyone else, yet we do it all the time. It's just a part of human nature. I know this, and don't get myself worked up about it, but that doesn't mean I can't be disappointed by the prejudice that seems to be inherent in people.

And no, I don't spend all my time mooning about how "unfair" society is or pushing a PC society. It's just an observation.

[smileyeagle1021]

I just took umbrage to the OP jumping straight to the conclusion of fat-bastard-ism. Like IDaR said, being prejudiced against fat people is seen as socially acceptable, and that makes me sad.

If I may defend myself, I didn't originally think the person I was referring to had fat bastardism, at first I wondered whether or not he had some hidden condition like heart problems, or diabetes, or joint problems or something but after over a year there's been nothing he has said or done that would support any theory other than being overweight (granted he could just be doing a good job of hiding it, but he doesn't regulate his eating during his shift which he'd have to do if he was diabetic, he has no problem walking from his cubicle to the break room or bathroom, granted I don't have anything that I can have a firm hunch on heart condition other than he doesn't have a chest pain voice, I think many of you who have relatives who have had heart attacks and suffer ongoing chest pain know what I'm talking about), so no I didn't just look at him and go "fat bastard", I've come to look at him that way over a long time.
I would also like to point out that face to face I still show this person all the respect he deserves as a fellow human being and a coworker. As a rule I don't openly criticize people for things like they're weight because that is a private matter, that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion on it though.
I have actually once openly criticized someone for their weight and that was my mother, and 2 years after the fact she is thanking me for it, she says it hurt like hell when I did but she now looks at it as a painful wake up call that was needed, in 2 years she has gone from a prognoses of "you will be a diabetic, you will suffer from heart failure, and most likely your joints won't hold up past 70" to "you blood sugar is stable enough you'll probably never need any of the medications or injections, keep up on the exercise and your heart will be fine and take some calcium supplements and your joints will last as long as you do"
And yes I will admit to being somewhat of a crusader to get people to live healthier, why because when I was 5 years old I visited my Grandpa 2 hours before he passed away from a combination of lung cancer from smoking and liver failure from drinking, and til the day I die I will remember how much pain he was in, then growing up I saw my grandma's diabetes go from bad to worse as her weight problem started getting more out of hand, saw her go through 5, yes 5, heart attacks. I know what pain that is and yes I do get a certain satisfaction out of preventing that pain from coming down on myself and others.

[the_std]

Smiley, I didn't mean to conjecture that you were a bad person, or that you were trying to make this person's life difficult, or anything like that. A painful wake-up call to someone you know and love (your mother) might be a good idea, because you know what she's going through.

It's just hard to say that that same method can be equally applied to strangers, and I've heard the words you said (fat people should get off their asses and get in shape) many times before, and it sounds like a simple assumption that these people are lazy. That's the part I don't agree with.

[AFPheonix]

However, I'm on a medication that causes you to gain weight. I was in a car accident where I messed up my right knee to a point where I can't do too much walking because of pain. I have a bad back (fell on black ice and then a year later I fell on wet wood, lower part of back was swollen and black & blue for almost 2 weeks). My back acts up if I walk too much (shooting pains down legs is bad).

I would love to lose weight, but we have no $$ for the gym and my BIL#2 keeps promising us an elliptical machine that he wants to get rid of, but does he follow through? No!

I'll figure something out, but please. I don't park close to the stores I shop at, and I don't normally over eat when I'm either at home or eating out. I'm just fat. Thank you.

Is there a community pool where you can go? That would probably be the easiest way to get a full body workout and spare too much stress on your joints.
Also, can you offer to go pick up the elliptical machine?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Swimming is very good exercise for people who have joint or back problems. Due to my backache, I go to the pool a lot cuz most forms of exercise kill my back. Despite my irritating body shape (hourglass; ie huge hips and bust) I still manage to maintain a size 14-16. Sure, I eat what I like; I love to eat, and I also have tendencies to buy cake to cheer me up after a bad day, but I take the slice, not the entire cake. I also walk anywhere that's possible; for example, down to the village which is just 10 minutes walk away, but there are people who suffer from lazybastarditis who'd drive.

[IDrinkaRum]

AFP - we've repeatedly asked if we can come by to get the elliptical machine, but he's got an excuse, and then he calls at the most inopportune times for us to get it and then he's mad when we can't (we're about to leave for vacation or one of us is dog sick).

I cannot swim. I'd love to try, but I have panic attacks (I almost drowned when I was 7). If I could find an instructor that can work with the problem I have (mainly, if I can't touch the bottom or sides of the pool, I panic), I'd willingly learn.

I would love to do the aqua aerobics but again, it's $$ and the fact that the times are so bad (why can't they be when daughter is in school and not in the early early morning or early early evening?)

[Boozy]

Try yoga, IDR.

Certain forms can provide a surprisingly aerobic workout. It's incredibly low-impact so it's easy on your joints, and more importantly, you'll build muscle. And as everyone knows, muscle burns calories like mad!

You need absolutely no special equipment and no babysitter (your daughter might even have fun doing it with you). You can pick up a DVD or tape at the library to get started. If you get into it, let me know and I'll PM you the titles of some of my favourites.

[IDrinkaRum]

Boozy - thanks for the suggestion! I'll have to do a little research to see what titles they have at the library and see about getting them.

[Zyanya]

I can't be disappointed by the prejudice that seems to be inherent in people.

Where is the inherent prejudice in not wanting to be around someone with a hygiene or self-control/laziness problem?

I also don't want to be around folks who having drinking problems, so I shy away from folks who smell like booze or who drink until they pass out when there is booze available. Darn my prejudices.

[Seshat]

I cannot swim. I'd love to try, but I have panic attacks (I almost drowned when I was 7). If I could find an instructor that can work with the problem I have (mainly, if I can't touch the bottom or sides of the pool, I panic), I'd willingly learn.

Walking in water is also excellent exercise for people with joint problems. The water both helps support the mass, and provides more resistance than air. And you have to be able to touch the bottom of the pool to do it.


And now for other points:

Some people are 'overweight' by weight/height charts for legitimate reasons. Body builders, labourers, and other people with a lot of muscle (and the supportive tissue such as extra bone, arteries & veins, etc) are deemed 'overweight' if you just go by the charts.
Some people are naturally larger than others - if you measure me around the wrist or ankle, where I have little tissue other than bone and skin, I'm much larger than most women. That size difference applies everywhere else as well.

So I don't believe in 'overweight' by the charts, only by body fat percentage. On the other hand, every time we have this discussion, people agree with me on this point.

Compulsive and emotional eating can be 'medically' treated; there are people who simply lack the mental tricks and techniques to break such a habit. Give them a dozen sessions with a psychologist who can teach those techniques, and most of these people will be able to lose weight where before they couldn't.

Once they -have- those tricks, of course, it's their problem to actually resolve the issue. It also doesn't have to be a psychologist or anyone in the medical industry who teaches them, which is why I put 'medically' in quotes.

I am in favour of people who have trouble losing weight being screened. Some will have levels of compulsive/emotional eating to the point where psychiatric intervention is called for. Some will have unknown thyroid or other physiological problems. A few will have anatomical problems. All of these should be redirected to the appropriate medical treatments.

The rest can get offered the services of nutritionists, exercise specialists, and psychologists; all of whom can teach them relevant techniques, skills, and information that will help them attain a healthy body fat percentage; a healthier body, and a higher probability of a happy life.

Whether they take up the offer or not is their own problem. And if they don't, they don't have any right to complain about their high body fat percentage, or the consequences of it.

[BlaqueKatt]

Prejudice against those with obesity is on the rise as it's the only "acceptable" form of -isms left.

not quite-people still hate smokers and republicans-(which I find odd as the democratic party after the civil war was advertised as "the white persons party"-I refuse to join the democratic party because of that, and the fact that they refuse to admit it)

[blas87]

I'm kind of torn on this one.

I work with a lot of very overweight, if not that, flat out morbidly obsese women (I say women because there aren't very many men). These women have gotten medical excuses to get out of doing certain jobs, despite the fact that in my department, any job is sit or stand. You can do either one, and no one will get in trouble for sitting all night if they want to. Do their doctors know that? Probably not. They just want to sit and look through a scope all night and make someone else pick up and put away their work for them. And they wonder why they are as wide as they are tall or why they wobble instead of walk.

I have to agree with Boozy and Lace that there just simply aren't enough medical conditions or medications that will cause people to gain so much weight that they become obese. With all these convenient medical excuses, everyone now has something to blame for their size. And those who have a legitimate health problem/medication problem get wrongfully accused of being fat and lazy. It's a sad vicious cycle.

On the other side, there are a lot of overweight people in my family, extended and immediate. My dad once was thin and lean, now because of all the beer and fatty foods he eats, he's almost 300 pounds (granted he's 6'4, but he shouldn't weigh that much). My mom has been trying to lose weight, but it's been hard when she eats the same food as dad. Luckily, she's only about 10 pounds overweight. Little brother stopped drinking soda about 6 months ago and dropped 20 pounds. Ironically enough, I cut it down to 1 soda a day and at least 8 water bottles a day and I didn't lose any weight. I had to use diet pills because I over-stressed myself to the point where I killed my metabolism and ANYTHING I hate stuck to me and I gained weight. Not sure if my body still will do that. I'm terrified to stop taking the pills because I'm back to what I've always normally weighed and I don't want to go through that again. Who knows, if I stop taking the pills, maybe in a few months I'll be on the other side of the coin trying to justify why I became overweight and blaming it all on stress.

My step gramma was almost 400 pounds. She had gastric bypass surgery and is now down to about 200 pounds (which is fine because she's a very tall lady, almost 6 feet tall). Grandpa was almost 300 pounds, now he's down to about 200 pounds, but he did it the old fashioned way, it took him a little over a year by just eating healthy and exercising.

I just don't feel sympathy for people who eat themselves into an oblivion the same way a drunk drinks themself to an oblivion, and then get mad at themselves or others for what they look like.

[Wicked_Lexi]

I get extremely angry when anyone (fat or otherwise) parks in the disabled spots when they are not disabled. I don't care if you are going to inside for 20 seconds walk the extra 5 meters dammit.

I am not over weight (thanks to a good metabolism and keeping track of what I eat) But I hope if I ever end up fat I have enough good sense and shame to keep me from parking in the Disabled spot!

[daleduke17]

not quite-people still hate smokers and republicans-(which I find odd as the democratic party after the civil war was advertised as "the white persons party"-I refuse to join the democratic party because of that, and the fact that they refuse to admit it)

And ironically the Democratic Party is headed up now by a black candidate for President.