My 600 lbs life

sunnybeaches105

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage wrote: »

If you continue watching the show, you will notice that all of the people have dealt with incomprehensible trauma and/ or neglect in their lives which they have been unable to cope with in a healthy way. The comment I keep hearing on the show is "food is my comfort". Most of them live near or below the poverty line, are uneducated, and have little positive influence in their lives.

While most of us here cannot fathom letting ourselves get that big, I am very empathetic to their situation. I cheer when they reach their goals and start their lives anew.

Agreed. I've watched an alcoholic slowly kill himself until he finally finished the job. It's a pretty horrific thing to watch, but alcohol was't the base issue. Similarly, these people aren't eating because they simply love food too much or lack a little self control. They need help and help at that level isn't always pretty or available. The gastric bypass surgeon is simply trying save a life when no other viable option is available. Drugs, food and alcohol are coping mechanisms gone awry but they may all the person has. I can't watch the show.

carlysuzanne85

Panda_Poptarts wrote: »

manderson27 wrote: »

If your mother, for example was crying and begging, or screaming at you for food could you steel yourself to keep saying no. If they begged and pleaded and cried all day, every day, even after they had eaten their healthy food, could you sit there and just ignore them? Or would they eventually wear you down so you give in just for some peace. Not easy, no not easy at all.

Great analogy. I think I'd be able to avoid giving in for awhile, but after a certain amount of time, I think folks get tired of fighting.

For me, I'd push for therapy. But, being a future therapist, that's of course the expected response. While at once there is blame with the family members, I can't blame the family members 100%. I think there must be accountability both for the enabler and the addict, and similarly, there should be resources and help offered for both.

Definitely agree with the above!

On the show Intervention, they say that the addict's "drug of choice" might be alcohol but the family's "drug of choice" is the addict. I think many times the families are scared that the addict will be much worse off or die without their "help" or they can't bear for the addict to hate them/be even more unhappy. On that show, they often send the family to rehab (some have programs for the families) or suggest counseling for them as well, regardless of what the addict chooses to do. It breaks my heart when watching Intervention or My 600 Pound Life when you see the parents agonizing over knowing they shouldn't give their child money for drugs or shouldn't get their child that fast food for dinner but they do it anyway. It equally makes me sad when they don't even agonize, they have no idea how damaging their behavior is as well.

I remember one episode of My 600 Pound Life where the woman's husband or boyfriend was terrified that if she got healthy/thin, she would leave him or not need him anymore. Many are addicted to that feeling of being needed, of being a caregiver.

Sometimes, probably especially when the whole family is quite overweight, they don't want to change their own habits; they're not interested in cooking this one person a healthy meal when they're just ordering pizza for dinner, they'll just order enough for everybody. Or, in some cases, they're truly ignorant as to how much food is appropriate, what kinds of foods they should be eating, how to prepare it, etc. I've seen episodes where the whole family is convinced they've made positive changes and are cooking healthier but then it ends up that the patient has gained weight the next time they go to the doctor.

Addiction like that is serious and both the individual and the family need therapy/help to recover. It is hard for the average person to wrap their minds around it and many would say what's been said a few times here, "Wasn't there a point before they hit 600 pounds where they said, 'This is crazy and I need to get this under control?'" They likely have had that thought many times but have felt powerless to change or have tried to change and failed. I don't know the statistics exactly but I know that most recovered drug addicts and alcoholics go to rehab multiple times before they get it under control; I imagine it would be the same for someone with that severe of a food addiction.

AskTracyAnnK28

What I'd really like to see is some kind of "reunion show" to see if any of these people actually lost weight and kept it off.

A friend of mine had the gastric bypass surgery (before I knew her) and she gained most of the weight back and she's still obese. She told me that she just 'eats the wrong things' and she really likes her cocktails. I feel bad for her because she's a young mother of 2 and I'm afraid she won't live to be 40 if she keeps going this way.

NA1979

I would hazard a guess,at most not keeping it off,if they did the TV network would be all over it,it's an embarrassment for the the show and the doctor that most have probably put on weight and highlight how irresponsible the doctor and the show is.

lesleyloo7879

They had a 10 year later show on the other night to show how some of the people were doing it was pretty good!