My Big Fat Fabulous Life
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I watched it one time. She has psychological issues that are destructive and attention seeking. Quite sad actually. Such a shallow existence.5
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PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
If it's their choice, and they're entitled to it, why would they need a tv show to justify it?
They don't. They need a TV show to profit from it like any other controversy.4 -
I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
Her health is suffering and the cause is being glorified on a reality show. Why not a reality show glorifying crack?6 -
I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.14 -
She didn't get diagnose with PCOS until after 21 and gaining 200lbs. PCOS wasn't the reason she gained the initial weight.
And there is no one in the medical profession that will agree that someone who's morbidly obese, can lead a healthy life staying that weight.
Can she change? Of course, but that doesn't seem to be what she wants to do currently.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Pretty sure banana mayo sandwiches and eating a whole box of pizza regularly is what caused her to gain weight, not PCOS like you said.
And hey, look at Jillian Michaels. She has PCOS and looks great.9 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »80 lbs ago, I was fat and ok (not "happy," but ok) and technically in good health, but I was in pain and had no quality of life. That has to factor into the "health" equation, and if your favorite activity makes you pass out because of your weight, that's no quality of life.
True and everyone deserves to be happy. I had no health problems when I was morbidly obese, but staying at that weight will lead to health problems eventually.
Sorry but your threads confusing the hell out of me. If you yourself had no health issues when you were morbidly obese, why do you take issue with someone in the same scenario saying the same thing? Thin people won't be healthy forever either? Oh and even at a normal weight, due to the physical activity I choose, I sometimes have trouble walking up stairs and look like an old lady. Last night, I was indeed panicking that something was wrong, likely because I misguidedly completed a workout beside someone who'd clearly drenched themself in a cigarette prior and aggravated my asthma. Arghhhhh. And now I'm going off topic just like your post
No, I wouldn't recommend morbid obesity, but if the lady's fine with it, I'm not getting the "she must be oh so delusional" comments.
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I have pcos, and i can tell you for me the symptoms of it dissappear when my weight is closer to normal. I went ftom 220 to 156 and hot pregnant like the week i was in a healthy range. Gained 80 with that pregnancy. Lost about 40 of it in 2 years, and got pregnant again..i am 180 as of this morning, and instead of being about 9 months apart my periods are about 6 weeks apart.
I honestly can't stand the fat and proud movement. And i have been over weight my entire life. I would never fat shame. And I don't care how happy you think you are..your quality and accessiblity to life suffers significantly. There is just too much you can't do.
I am all for loving yourself. You certainly shouldn't be suicidal, but you should be motivated to make yourself better. My husband has lost 130 lbs. 420 to about 290. The things he is willing to do now, or can do..os awesome. We went to disney, he could rise everything! !!
However there are still things..like we are going on vacation and he is over the zip line weight limit. That motivates him. And it should!12 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »80 lbs ago, I was fat and ok (not "happy," but ok) and technically in good health, but I was in pain and had no quality of life. That has to factor into the "health" equation, and if your favorite activity makes you pass out because of your weight, that's no quality of life.
True and everyone deserves to be happy. I had no health problems when I was morbidly obese, but staying at that weight will lead to health problems eventually.
Sorry but your threads confusing the hell out of me. If you yourself had no health issues when you were morbidly obese, why do you take issue with someone in the same scenario saying the same thing? Thin people won't be healthy forever either? Oh and even at a normal weight, due to the physical activity I choose, I sometimes have trouble walking up stairs and look like an old lady. Last night, I was indeed panicking that something was wrong, likely because I misguidedly completed a workout beside someone who'd clearly drenched themself in a cigarette prior and aggravated my asthma. Arghhhhh. And now I'm going off topic just like your post
No, I wouldn't recommend morbid obesity, but if the lady's fine with it, I'm not getting the "she must be oh so delusional" comments.
I believe that poster is saying that you can be morbidly obese and feel fine for a while, but it'll catch up to you. It's not the same thing as being thin. The whole thing is that the amount of extra weight and fat put stress on the joints and heart, which will eventually cause pain.
Thin people do not have this problem unless they have a family history of arthritis or another health condition.4 -
The "morbid" part, by definition means that it's reached a point where it's going to kill you without intervention.
But it looks like (from the ads) that they're going to start addressing that issue, holding an intervention amongst other things.
Hopefully while last season gave people hope that they can be happy, maybe this season will help people recover.2 -
Last weeks show was heartbreaking. She wants to do activities that she did when she was thinner and she can't. I give her credit for trying but I would have never tried skiing at that weight. I think she looks like she has gained weight since last season. I was in the morbid obese category and had no health problems at all. None. It was only a matter of time before I got something. I wasn't going to let that happen!3
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Last weeks show was heartbreaking. She wants to do activities that she did when she was thinner and she can't. I give her credit for trying but I would have never tried skiing at that weight. I think she looks like she has gained weight since last season. I was in the morbid obese category and had no health problems at all. None. It was only a matter of time before I got something. I wasn't going to let that happen!
I bet TLC paid for Whitney to do those things in order to get an episode out like that. I wonder if she lost weight if TLC wou;d allow it, because if Whitney did....then there's the premise of the whole show. I suppose it depends on what the contract looks like.3 -
I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.6 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
Not to mention, if you and/or your employer pay for your coverage, the cost of delivering care to everyone directly drives your premiums. I used to administer employee health benefits, a self-insured plan, and got to see the numbers myself.10 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »80 lbs ago, I was fat and ok (not "happy," but ok) and technically in good health, but I was in pain and had no quality of life. That has to factor into the "health" equation, and if your favorite activity makes you pass out because of your weight, that's no quality of life.
True and everyone deserves to be happy. I had no health problems when I was morbidly obese, but staying at that weight will lead to health problems eventually.
Sorry but your threads confusing the hell out of me. If you yourself had no health issues when you were morbidly obese, why do you take issue with someone in the same scenario saying the same thing? Thin people won't be healthy forever either? Oh and even at a normal weight, due to the physical activity I choose, I sometimes have trouble walking up stairs and look like an old lady. Last night, I was indeed panicking that something was wrong, likely because I misguidedly completed a workout beside someone who'd clearly drenched themself in a cigarette prior and aggravated my asthma. Arghhhhh. And now I'm going off topic just like your post
No, I wouldn't recommend morbid obesity, but if the lady's fine with it, I'm not getting the "she must be oh so delusional" comments.
Those health issues come along sooner and tend to be more severe for those staying obese. The pain I was in and the limits on my abilities were not normal for someone my age.0 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
Not to mention, if you and/or your employer pay for your coverage, the cost of delivering care to everyone directly drives your premiums. I used to administer employee health benefits, a self-insured plan, and got to see the numbers myself.
Are there incentives from health insurance companies to lose weight or keep your weight normal? Just curious because my boyfriend got a notice from his job saying that he won't qualify for short term disability through his insurance due to his weight. It has to be under a certain number. It's strange because as far as I know, he's never applied for any kind of disability.1 -
Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
So you're not okay with athletes or physically active people because the US government is paying for 50% of the cost of their injuries? What about people with high risk jobs? I can absolutely assure you that unless you live in some sort of supernatural bubble you make choices on a daily basis that increase your risk for one thing or another, I don't see why obese people have to be singled out.6 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
So you're not okay with athletes or physically active people because the US government is paying for 50% of the cost of their injuries? What about people with high risk jobs? I can absolutely assure you that unless you live in some sort of supernatural bubble you make choices on a daily basis that increase your risk for one thing or another, I don't see why obese people have to be singled out.
I was under the impression that rich people and/or athletes pay for health care themselves. I mean, I'd figure a pro boxer would have a hard time getting insurance due to the association with concussions and brain damage. Same with footballers.3 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
So you're not okay with athletes or physically active people because the US government is paying for 50% of the cost of their injuries? What about people with high risk jobs? I can absolutely assure you that unless you live in some sort of supernatural bubble you make choices on a daily basis that increase your risk for one thing or another, I don't see why obese people have to be singled out.
Check the healthcare costs for someone that physically active vs someone that is morbidly obese and you won't even be asking the question. You can have 10 acl surgeries for the active person for the cost of a triple bypass on the obese person. Plus the obese person will most likely have worse orthopedic issues than the fit person.
People with high risk jobs generally pay more for health insurance (or their employer is picking it up)5 -
Colorscheme wrote: »PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
Not to mention, if you and/or your employer pay for your coverage, the cost of delivering care to everyone directly drives your premiums. I used to administer employee health benefits, a self-insured plan, and got to see the numbers myself.
Are there incentives from health insurance companies to lose weight or keep your weight normal? Just curious because my boyfriend got a notice from his job saying that he won't qualify for short term disability through his insurance due to his weight. It has to be under a certain number. It's strange because as far as I know, he's never applied for any kind of disability.
We don't have anything like that through/relating to the health insurance. Voluntary life insurance and short-term disability have to go through underwriting. My employer does have company-based reward programs and resources, like free bp checks, weight loss challenges (so far I've been paid $450 within the last year for dropping 7% of my "starting weight" two challenges in a row!), and like a billion other things, including an on site fitness center (where I now work) that offers free training with certified personal trainers as part of the membership cost.2 -
I have been thru a short illness and am sort of slow now. Looking for some good logging friends. I am responsive and need to lose 15-20 lbs. please add!
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Colorscheme wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
So you're not okay with athletes or physically active people because the US government is paying for 50% of the cost of their injuries? What about people with high risk jobs? I can absolutely assure you that unless you live in some sort of supernatural bubble you make choices on a daily basis that increase your risk for one thing or another, I don't see why obese people have to be singled out.
I was under the impression that rich people and/or athletes pay for health care themselves. I mean, I'd figure a pro boxer would have a hard time getting insurance due to the association with concussions and brain damage. Same with footballers.
I did not mean elite athletes. I meant the random guy who is passionate about skiing and tumbles all the way down to the hospital, or the amature cyclist who flips over his bike and ends up with a spinal cord injury. High risk jobs are not necessarily high paying. Fishing, logging, construction..etc.
I don't feel going this route would end up well, since about half of the medical costs fall on a very small percentage of people with things like premature birth, cancer...etc who make up maybe 10% of the population, if that. I can easily imagine these arguments in a dystopian novel.0 -
I like the show. I like the concept of #nobodyshame
But I don't believe Whitney is truly happy. She definitely looks heavier this season than before, and all of us know that in order to be that size, you have to eat a lot. The stress she is putting on her body is terrible, and I think she thought she was in the clear after her a1c got back in the normal range.
Seeing her getting overtired and passing out, not being able to ski; these should be huge wake up calls for her saying she needs to do something, and ordering pizza should not be one of them.
If TLC was smart they would get a weight loss coach on there for her and save her life instead of letting the world watch her destroy herself.9 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
So you're not okay with athletes or physically active people because the US government is paying for 50% of the cost of their injuries? What about people with high risk jobs? I can absolutely assure you that unless you live in some sort of supernatural bubble you make choices on a daily basis that increase your risk for one thing or another, I don't see why obese people have to be singled out.
I was under the impression that rich people and/or athletes pay for health care themselves. I mean, I'd figure a pro boxer would have a hard time getting insurance due to the association with concussions and brain damage. Same with footballers.
I did not mean elite athletes. I meant the random guy who is passionate about skiing and tumbles all the way down to the hospital, or the amature cyclist who flips over his bike and ends up with a spinal cord injury. High risk jobs are not necessarily high paying. Fishing, logging, construction..etc.
I don't feel going this route would end up well, since about half of the medical costs fall on a very small percentage of people with things like premature birth, cancer...etc who make up maybe 10% of the population, if that. I can easily imagine these arguments in a dystopian novel.
The things mentioned premature birth, cancer generally are not avoidable. Obesity is much like smoking for the most part, the individual chooses to do it.
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Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
So you're not okay with athletes or physically active people because the US government is paying for 50% of the cost of their injuries? What about people with high risk jobs? I can absolutely assure you that unless you live in some sort of supernatural bubble you make choices on a daily basis that increase your risk for one thing or another, I don't see why obese people have to be singled out.
I was under the impression that rich people and/or athletes pay for health care themselves. I mean, I'd figure a pro boxer would have a hard time getting insurance due to the association with concussions and brain damage. Same with footballers.
I did not mean elite athletes. I meant the random guy who is passionate about skiing and tumbles all the way down to the hospital, or the amature cyclist who flips over his bike and ends up with a spinal cord injury. High risk jobs are not necessarily high paying. Fishing, logging, construction..etc.
I don't feel going this route would end up well, since about half of the medical costs fall on a very small percentage of people with things like premature birth, cancer...etc who make up maybe 10% of the population, if that. I can easily imagine these arguments in a dystopian novel.
The things mentioned premature birth, cancer generally are not avoidable. Obesity is much like smoking for the most part, the individual chooses to do it.
Just like one chooses high risk sports, living in polluted cities, sedentary jobs, not using sunscreen, high stress jobs and relationships, using cars for transport, and many other choices that have the potential to considerably shorten the lifespan. If one is going to use "money" as an argument and have no compassion for a certain subset of people or their right to medical treatment, it can as easily be directed at the subset that uses up the majority of the resources to the point where it crosses over to some sort of dystopian social darwinism. Now this wouldn't happen is because it's a social taboo, but this selective compassion bothers me.11 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »I've seen a few random episodes of this show in the past.. I actually have a different take on it although most of you will disagree with me. Here are some stats: "In the USA more than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity." I think in some way Whitney gives hope to many people (primarily women) who are very heavy and yet unwilling/mentally unable to make the sacrifice of sticking to a strict diet... Yes, many people just don't have the willpower to make the necessary changes. And you know what? It's their lives, their bodies. They wake up every morning and need to go on with their day. They still need to find a way to feel okay and live. She is "proving" that you can live, dance, laugh, have a relationship, do various activities - and be a larger size. And it's okay. Some people will Never find the willpower to go from being obese to being normal weight. It's their choice. For instance, in one of the episodes Whitney organized a bunch of mostly heavily overweight women into a dance group. They got together to practice dance routines and then did a performance in front of a large group of people.. I thought this was wonderful. I do feel that she is making a positive contribution in her own way.
But it isn't really "okay" and "their choice" as the US heads into some level of socialized medicine. Every healthcare dollar that is spent investing in hospital beds for the morbidly obese or wide-bore MRIs is money diverted from treating childhood cancers or <insert your pet cause disease here>.
This. Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.
So you're not okay with athletes or physically active people because the US government is paying for 50% of the cost of their injuries? What about people with high risk jobs? I can absolutely assure you that unless you live in some sort of supernatural bubble you make choices on a daily basis that increase your risk for one thing or another, I don't see why obese people have to be singled out.
I was under the impression that rich people and/or athletes pay for health care themselves. I mean, I'd figure a pro boxer would have a hard time getting insurance due to the association with concussions and brain damage. Same with footballers.
I did not mean elite athletes. I meant the random guy who is passionate about skiing and tumbles all the way down to the hospital, or the amature cyclist who flips over his bike and ends up with a spinal cord injury. High risk jobs are not necessarily high paying. Fishing, logging, construction..etc.
I don't feel going this route would end up well, since about half of the medical costs fall on a very small percentage of people with things like premature birth, cancer...etc who make up maybe 10% of the population, if that. I can easily imagine these arguments in a dystopian novel.
The things mentioned premature birth, cancer generally are not avoidable. Obesity is much like smoking for the most part, the individual chooses to do it.
Just like one chooses high risk sports, living in polluted cities, sedentary jobs, not using sunscreen, high stress jobs and relationships, using cars for transport, and many other choices that have the potential to considerably shorten the lifespan. If one is going to use "money" as an argument and have no compassion for a certain subset of people or their right to medical treatment, it can as easily be directed at the subset that uses up the majority of the resources to the point where it crosses over to some sort of dystopian social darwinism. Now this wouldn't happen is because it's a social taboo, but this selective compassion bothers me.
The money thing is a small part of the argument, not the whole enchilada.2 -
But that wouldn't make good ratings. For some reason, ratings are higher when people are portrayed in misery. How the hell does a show like Maury Povich go on for so long with the same exact dialogue and purpose for years?If TLC was smart they would get a weight loss coach on there for her and save her life instead of letting the world watch her destroy herself.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
4 -
I just saw the skiing one. Her feet pretty much match her skeletal size, but there's no way her leg does, so it's no wonder her leg didn't fit in the ski boots.
She's trying to will herself to do things that normal people do, but will alone won't make that happen. As she ages, she's going to find it more and more difficult to do things (even dancing) if her weight doesn't change.
When body parts wear out from too much load (joints), bone will grind on bone and weight is a direct effect of that. If she doesn't have knee/ankle issues now, she'll have them when she's in her mid 30's.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 6 -
Colorscheme wrote: »Last weeks show was heartbreaking. She wants to do activities that she did when she was thinner and she can't. I give her credit for trying but I would have never tried skiing at that weight. I think she looks like she has gained weight since last season. I was in the morbid obese category and had no health problems at all. None. It was only a matter of time before I got something. I wasn't going to let that happen!
I bet TLC paid for Whitney to do those things in order to get an episode out like that. I wonder if she lost weight if TLC wou;d allow it, because if Whitney did....then there's the premise of the whole show. I suppose it depends on what the contract looks like.
Totally agree with this. Everything in this show could be scripted for ratings. And we've all been sucked in.4 -
Colorscheme wrote: »Last weeks show was heartbreaking. She wants to do activities that she did when she was thinner and she can't. I give her credit for trying but I would have never tried skiing at that weight. I think she looks like she has gained weight since last season. I was in the morbid obese category and had no health problems at all. None. It was only a matter of time before I got something. I wasn't going to let that happen!
I bet TLC paid for Whitney to do those things in order to get an episode out like that. I wonder if she lost weight if TLC wou;d allow it, because if Whitney did....then there's the premise of the whole show. I suppose it depends on what the contract looks like.
Totally agree with this. Everything in this show could be scripted for ratings. And we've all been sucked in.
If Dance Moms has taught me anything, it's that all reality shows are scripted.8 -
I pretty much take everyone (including Whitney) at their word, unless or until something happens to change my mind. Nothing has happened to change my mind about accepting that Whitney is happy with herself at this point. Even lighter people have moments of insecurity and failure, just like her. It IS possible to have a personality that accepts the way things are in the moment, and who chooses not to dwell on the negatives of a situation.
I dont believe she is oblivious to the health risks she is up against. Look how frightened she was when she was being checked for pre diabetes. At this point, she chooses not to change. Its her choice, its her life.
Socialized medicine (I'm in Canada) does not discriminate against those who choose to lead an unhealthy lifestyle. there are smokers and drinkers and overweight people, but also folks who develop cancer, and other debilitating disease who are just as deserving of health care as anyone else. It is balanced by the population who whether by choice, luck or genetics do not use the health care system disproportionately.
Fat shaming is, in my opinion, a form of harassment and discrimination that is condoned by the general populace, and by business and industry across North America. Airlines dont make smokers buy out the row they are sitting in because their clothes stink (just one example). I applaud Whitney for her activism in this field, and her compassion for those for whom their weight represents a constant source of concern.7
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