Is obesity a disability?

by Sadie5 34 Replies latest jw friends

  • talesin
    talesin
    There are books out that have revealed that the US FDA allows all kinds of additives in our foods that don't appear on the labels. Some of these additives promote weight gain and chemical dependence on more of the foods that contain them.

    CBC TV, investigative reporting show Marketplace did a piece on this back in 94/95 season. This is when I stopped eating processed foods (mostly) and cooking 'from scratch'. They were talking about trans fats back then. Ten years ago.

    I, too, think this issue is pertinent to obesity and a plethora of other illnesses.

    t

  • fairy
    fairy

    I am overweight.....doctors would probably call it obese. I am about 50 K overweight and losing it....i have already lost about 15 K.

    Obesity isnt a disability.....A disability is something you cant help.....but you can help being overweight if it is caused by overeating....some people cant help it because of some other reason. But you cant explain it away if you are eating chips etc.

  • Sunnygal41
    Sunnygal41
    This is when I stopped eating processed foods (mostly) and cooking 'from scratch'.

    Well, I'm slowly getting there, myself. I am trying to buy organic produce and dairy as much as possible............I recently saw an infomercial with a guy names Kevin Trudeau. He was talking about his book: "Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About". In that book was that piece of information I posted about additives............he also has a website: www.naturescures.com The book is quite elucidating. I've always felt that even tho most "Americans" think we live in the best country in the world.......I sometimes wonder if that freedom is real, and we are just as enslaved as other nations, tho, by the very lifestyle we espouse to the rest of the world.

    Ter

  • fairchild
    fairchild
    Why shouldn't they be offended when someone mentions weight loss to them? Do you have any idea how often overweight people have to listen to people butt their noses where they have no business? Usually several times a day. It never ends.

    I tend to agree with that. I have a friend who used to be severely addicted to eating. She weighed close to 500 pounds. I never understood how, or why she would eat a whole pie. I'd tell her, why not eat a couple of pieces, and put the rest away for tomorrow? She would answer.. why don't you smoke a couple of cigarettes and put the rest away for tomorrow? Such comments hit home and I started to realize that eating can be an addiction, as much as drinking, smoking, gambling, etc... I will be the last person on earth to judge someone who has an addiction. Quitting whatever a person is addicted to comes fairly easy to some, but it can turn into a horrible battle for others. Willpower is only a small part of that battle, trust me.

    One time my totally overweight friend and I went to a buffet place for dinner. Personally, I am rather skinny at 92 pounds and can eat anything I like, without gaining an ounce. Anyway, after we had indulged in at least 3 overloaded plates with food, my friend went to the dessert bar and grabbed more than you want to know. While she was enjoying her dessert, a person who was sitting at the table next to ours, gave her some disapproving looks. My friend explained how unfair this was. She said "Chris, if you stuff yourself with dessert, people will say hey, look at her, sooooo skinny and she can EAT, but when I stuff myself with dessert, people think it is disgusting."

    It is true, and it is unfair. I know that overweight people are often looked down upon. Some people are overweight, either because they have a medical condition, or because they have an addiction to eating. Being overweight does NOT necessarily mean being lazy, neither does it mean a lack of self respect. The last thing an overweight person needs to hear is that he or she should eat less. Many people who are addicted to eating feel unhappy about that addiction and at least they try to do something about it. As with any addiction, it can be a true and daunting battle.

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow

    I know, I know. Talesin, you were betting with yourself how long it would take before I commented on this thread. Hey, I just now have seen it.

    Where do I start?

    Of course, then there are the lazy, skinny people...I wonder what excuse they use

    Blondie

    Most seriously obese people I?ve known have been very defensive with ?metabolism? being most often cited as the reason for their condition. FairMind

    FairMind, do you mean your moniker to be taken seriously?

    But I also don't have to have another plate or three or four and lay around with indigestion like Jabba The Hut.

    Just remember something very important: not all overweight people eat three or four extra plates. Some eat one and never have eaten more than one. You can't compare your particular weight problem with anyone else's. I mean, you can compare, but you'd be wrong 9 times out of 10.

    I don't think this is such a black and white question and this "labeling" and "judging" people reminds me too much of my days in the WTS.

    It's not a black and white issue. I remember that when I was slim, I used to think that being fat was caused by over eating. I thought that overweight people just needed to diet and exercise and then the weight would magically melt away, never to return. Well, life has a way of turning the tables on you and let's just say that I don't take such a naive notion any longer.

    And then some "Wows." from Walter:

    If you have issues with their work then discuss their work with them, not their weight! Performance in the workplace may be your business, but someone's weight IS NOT! Over time, I've found that the people who talk the most about obesity usually know the least about it. They are often people with no medical training. Personally, I find one big mouth far more offensive than a thousand big stomachs.

    Walter

    Awesome. I am blown away. Thank you.

    DARK UNCLE: JABBA SAYS TO KISS HIS LARGE ASS! There are books out that have revealed that the US FDA allows all kinds of additives in our foods that don't appear on the labels.
    Yea, Terri! Think about it, people. Folks inject beef cattle and chickens with hormones so that they will gain a lot of weight quickly. Then you eat that beef and chicken. Now if you happen to have inherited crappy genes, what do you think those same hormones are going to do to you?
    Anyway, after we had indulged in at least 3 overloaded plates with food,
    I weigh a lot more than 90 something pounds. I can't eat three underloaded plates of food much less three over loaded ones. It's a myth that all overweight people eat more than thin people do. A big fat myth.
    The last thing an overweight person needs to hear is that he or she should eat less. Many people who are addicted to eating feel unhappy about that addiction and at least they try to do something about it. As with any addiction, it can be a true and daunting battle
    Yes, some people are addicted to food and eat large amounts of food. Some of those people are thin. Some of those people are fat. This isn't true for all fat people. Some fat people eat normal amounts of normal food and gain weight. Have you ever gone around hungry? I mean painfully hungry? I've known heavy people who did that and still did not lose weight. Lesson for those who don't already know: When you cut your calories too low, your body thinks you are truly starving. Your body does not want to waste away and die. Your body is built to survive. So guess what happens when you starve? Your body slows everything down so that you can survive longer on the fat you have stored. You reset your metabolism to slow. And often it never goes back to normal again. Soooo, Aunt Myrtle decides that little Jenny needs to lose that five lbs of "babyfat." Aunt Myrtle then talks mom into starving her on carrot sticks and water. Little Jenny is not only needlessly miserable, she has been set up for easy weight gain for the rest of her life. Maybe Jenny would have been a little round if she'd been left alone. But now she has a very real metabolism problem to deal with thanks to busy body Aunt Myrtle. Moral to this story? Dieting can make you fat! Eat normal amounts of healthy foods and exercise. Realize that you are an individual and maybe you aren't supposed to look like a skeleton with skin. Maybe you are meant to be zaftig, round, soft, voluptuous. Being who you were meant to be is not a bad thing.
  • Pwned
    Pwned

    i think that your weight and what you eat are directly correlated, it is no coincidence that people in the US have gotten fatter and fatter as their diet has become more processed, higher in fat, sugar etc. There are very few fat people in 3rd world countries. there are medical conditions that contribute to weight gain such as diabetes, but then diabetes in the type 2 variety is caused by diet. i have worked in the medical field so i am not a complete idiot in regards to this subject but nevertheless this is just my opinion so dont flame me.

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow
    i think that your weight and what you eat are directly correlated, it is no coincidence that people in the US have gotten fatter and fatter as their diet has become more processed, higher in fat, sugar etc.

    It's not that simple. Lots of thin people eat the same foods and guess what? They are still thin.

  • seawolf
    seawolf
    Well, I'm slowly getting there, myself. I am trying to buy organic produce and dairy as much as possible............I recently saw an infomercial with a guy names Kevin Trudeau. He was talking about his book: "Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About". In that book was that piece of information I posted about additives............he also has a website: www.naturescures.com The book is quite elucidating. I've always felt that even tho most "Americans" think we live in the best country in the world.......I sometimes wonder if that freedom is real, and we are just as enslaved as other nations, tho, by the very lifestyle we espouse to the rest of the world.

    I know the one you're talking about since I have it taped. Since I've been in natural health stuff for the past 15 years, nothing he said was new to me, but I did find his talk on the FDA and diet stuff interesting since I'm not around it nor have really looked into it since I've never had a weight problem.

  • Pwned
    Pwned
    It's not that simple. Lots of thin people eat the same foods and guess what? They are still thin

    you're right, i'm not saying that because someone is thin means that they are necessarily healthy eaters, all i'm saying is that if you are overweight it means that you need to eat more healthy (not neccessarily less) and exercise more. its not 'fair' that some people can eat whatever they want but really they are hurting themselves as well, it just isnt as apparent just by looking at them.

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow
    all i'm saying is that if you are overweight it means that you need to eat more healthy

    So obviously the bad food in itself is not responsible for the person becoming overweight. If that was so, all people would get fat from it. We all need to eat healthy foods in order to be healthy. Sometimes you can eat healthy foods and exercise and you still will be overweight. You may be healthier, but it's not always going to make you thinner to eat good foods and to exercise.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit