My Big Fat Fabulous Life

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  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    KDar1988 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.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    elphie754 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.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    mitch16 wrote: »
    slava977 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.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    mitch16 wrote: »
    slava977 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.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    mitch16 wrote: »
    slava977 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.
  • dbhDeb
    dbhDeb Posts: 200 Member
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    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! :p
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    mitch16 wrote: »
    slava977 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.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    mitch16 wrote: »
    slava977 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.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,692 Member
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    darlswife wrote: »
    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.
    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?

    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

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  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    KDar1988 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.