My Big Fat Fabulous Life

13

Replies

  • Guns_N_Buns
    Guns_N_Buns Posts: 1,899 Member
    I haven't watched the first season, but I too, am watching the second.

    In my honest opinion, the excuses she makes really annoys me....and during her skiing stint (when she was falling down) I was screaming in my head "well you should have taken your ER visit and funeral SERIOUSLY!!!! Now help yourself, *kitten*!"
  • snikkins
    snikkins Posts: 1,282 Member
    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.

    This is from programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which caters to those over 65 and the very poor, and not for the average American, who may or may not be making poor decisions. Those over 65 and the very poor are more likely to have health problems in the first place, obese or no.

    If this bothers you, fine, but let's not pretend that the money the government in the US is paying is for people like Whitney or the vast majority of people like her.
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    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.

    Yes, that would be true in a country where the majority of the population is not already overweight or obese.

    Consider that

    "The latest research suggests obesity costs Canada's health system $6 billion a year."

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/obesity-s-global-costs-hit-2-trillion-a-year-report-suggests-1.2841782

    No one is saying that they aren't deserving of health care, but you have to admit that it is pretty anti-social to choose to be morbidly obese or a heavy smoker or a heavy drinker and expect everyone else to pick up the tab for your crappy lifestyle when the SHTF.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited June 2016
    snikkins 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.

    This is from programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which caters to those over 65 and the very poor, and not for the average American, who may or may not be making poor decisions. Those over 65 and the very poor are more likely to have health problems in the first place, obese or no.

    If this bothers you, fine, but let's not pretend that the money the government in the US is paying is for people like Whitney or the vast majority of people like her.

    The poor generally have a high level of obesity. Obesity is driving total healthcare spending up be it by the government or insurance companies who pool the risks. We haven't hit it big yet on expenses when the "young healthy" obese start breaking down as they statistically will

    We need to treat obesity, not glorify it like this show tris to do
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    To me it seems like she is in huge denial. She says that whe wants to be fat and considers herself healthy. No offense to anyone, but how is being 370 lbs healthy? This takes the HAES claim to a whole new level.

    I imagine she does want to stay fat. If she loses weight she won't have a TV show. And money if more important than health, right?
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Well thats it, isnt it? The smokers and the drinkers are targets of educational programs, encouraging them to quit, but they arent demonized for it. They have an addiction or an illness. People who are overweight are shamed by name calling, public humiliation and other forms of discrimination. Even here there is no consensus about whether disordered eating is an addiction. I dont think I have ever heard anyone screamed at from across the street "Stop smoking you stinky bugger!" But I have witnessed people being screamed at to "Lose weight you fat pig!" And I dont think people are being deliberately anti social - self defeating and thoughtless perhaps, but not anti social. If I get cancer from smoking, do I apologize for being a burden on the health care system? If I drink myself into cirrhosis am I deliberately negligent? Blaming people for getting sick, even if they could have prevented it, is not appropriate.

  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited June 2016
    Char231023 wrote: »
    What about the people that can claim disability because they are severely overweight. Don't our our tax dollars pay for that.

    Nope! SSDI is paid for by the person getting it. You need to have work credits, which you accumulate depending on your age and how long you've been working. You MUST pay into it in order to qualify.

    Now SSI, that's if you have no job and no work credits and limited income. That is not paid by the individual.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Colorscheme wrote: »
    Char231023 wrote: »
    What about the people that can claim disability because they are severely overweight. Don't our our tax dollars pay for that.

    Nope! SSDI is paid for by the person getting it.

    Not always. Children can be on disability
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Colorscheme wrote: »
    Char231023 wrote: »
    What about the people that can claim disability because they are severely overweight. Don't our our tax dollars pay for that.

    Nope! SSDI is paid for by the person getting it.

    Not always. Children can be on disability

    Yes, that is SSI. I edited my coment to say that. SSI is if you have no work credits, no job, and very limited income. However, qualifying as a child is very different than qualifying as an adult and I highly doubt there are many kids on SSI because they're obese.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,744 Member
    lyndsaysmith2013 wrote: »
    I can't watch this show. I tried once and saw so much of myself in Whitney that it was one of the main wake calls I needed to make the change. I ended up choosing weight loss surgery, as I was 375 lbs, and exercise had become too hard. I knew I had to have help, and chose this path. I promise that she is not as happy as she tries to portray. Her parents aren't funny, but cruel. I've been ridiculed my whole life because of my weight, by everyone except my husband, (who has been supportive every step of my journey), and even now 6 months post op, and 112 lbs smaller, I still face the stigmas. I'm making every effort to get to a healthier weight, and I was one of those genetic freaks who didn't have any of the issues with diabetes, high blood pressure, or even fertility issues. But, I knew that it was only a matter of time before I did, and chose to do something about it.

    Her attitude breaks my heart, because I was exactly the same way. It was a goal to prove people like my mother wrong and prove that I could do everything as a fat person. And I did,for the most part. But I needed to stop trying to prove things to people who still don't really care about anything other than appearances (I have some serious issues with my parents) and become healthy for me. It's a journey, and it's not easy, and I hope she can break away and do what she needs to do for her own future before it's too late.

    I'm sorry if my comment offended. That wasn't my intent. I was commenting ONLY on the TV show, which is exactly that: a show for ratings and not reality. It was not directed towards reality nor anyone who has dealt with this in real life.

    Congrats on your success! I'm sorry you are still dealing with stigmas. I have serious issues with my mom as well, but for other reasons so I can somewhat empathize. I'm sure Whitney's parents were / are in some way enablers but I can't say for sure as I don't know any of them personally. Wishing you continued health and happiness!
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I've never watched it, but if she has PCOS she likely has insulin resistance and would benefit hugely from losing weight. Case closed. No health at that size for someone who has PCOS unless she is a genetic freak.

    Now that out of the way, how she wants to view her obesity and what she wants (or doesn't want) to do about it I fully support. Not everyone who is fat wants to lose weight or considers obesity a bad thing, and that's alright. People do need to understand what they are getting themselves into though and to be prepared to deal with it, a choice they have every right to make. No judgement from me there. I don't believe there should be any more stigma around obesity than there is around fair skinned people tanning or extreme sports.

    I like the way you think and completely agree. I haven't seen the show, but I know from my own journey that the consequences of being obese seem very far away, especially when you aren't experiencing any of the health problems. It makes it easy to set it aside as something you'll do eventually, until the health problems land in your lap.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    tomteboda wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.

    And this is why I oppose socialized medicine. It makes people like you think you have a right to control my body.

    YAS.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    ^^^ truth
  • lyndsaysmith2013
    lyndsaysmith2013 Posts: 3 Member


    I'm sorry if my comment offended. That wasn't my intent. I was commenting ONLY on the TV show, which is exactly that: a show for ratings and not reality. It was not directed towards reality nor anyone who has dealt with this in real life.

    Congrats on your success! I'm sorry you are still dealing with stigmas. I have serious issues with my mom as well, but for other reasons so I can somewhat empathize. I'm sure Whitney's parents were / are in some way enablers but I can't say for sure as I don't know any of them personally. Wishing you continued health and happiness![/quote]


    No offense taken!!! It wasn't your comment by any means. This show in general, and the other WLS show(s) make me mad. Mad enough that I have to leave the room when I'm visiting someone's house and they watch it, and then try to compare me to the show.

    It's my issue, not anyone elses. :) and thank you!! It's definitely not the easy way out, and each day is different after surgery. I've lost about half of what I want to lose, and just keep on going.
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    tomteboda wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Government pays more than 50% of healthcare costs now in the US. I'm not okay with the "their choice" crap either.

    And this is why I oppose socialized medicine. It makes people like you think you have a right to control my body.

    In America, you'd be driving somebody else's premium up. I've never known anybody in real life who had a problem with their taxes covering someone else's lifestyle related issues.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 666 Member
    I watched several episodes a while back. I think she was getting a diagnosis of pre-diabetes then. On the shows I watched, she *was* trying to lose weight. She just seemed totally uneducated about how to do it correctly. She was not paying any attention to her diet & was trying to just exercise it off. I don't think that's uncommon for people who don't have any idea about calorie counting.

    I do remember thinking that she was doing so well physically because she's still young. I didn't have a lot of health problems when I was morbidly obese, but my joints were definitely damaged & that stayed with me even after I lost the weight. If she feels good about herself at her size, then good for her. That is an acceptance that I was never able to find for myself when I was nearly 300 lbs. Based on the shows I saw & what I've seen in this thread, I'd say that her being healthy at that size is less than accurate. I do remember watching the show & thinking that she should look into a good weight loss surgery program (with good pre-education & post-surgical support). I don't think she's different than a lot of people. Most of us spent a good number of years in denial & making excuses & trying things that didn't work before we hit the bottom & really committed.
  • slava977
    slava977 Posts: 20 Member
    The following is somewhat off topic but an interesting observation... I live in Vancouver, Canada and there is A LOT of social pressure to be thin/normal and physically active. I'm 39, 5'7 and 172 lbs (spread proportionately - my stomachs is almost completely flat) - and I feel VERY BIG when I attend a party or a social gathering around here. Three weeks ago I attended a bridal shower with 35 women in attendance and I was BY FAR the largest person in the room. Most women were size 4-6. And those were just random women from all walks of life (between the ages of 27 and 45), only the bride was their common connection for the most part..

    Then a week ago I drove to Washington state to visit a friend. I was just north of Seattle (about 30 minutes from downtown). On the way to her place I stopped at a local Safeway to pick up some groceries. Something caught my eye and I started paying attention. About 85% of women (customers/staff) in that store were larger than me.. I'd say about 30% of women were over 250 lbs. Even most young girls were heavy. It really made an impression on me. There must be something very wrong overall with people's diet in the US. I'm not saying it to offend anyone (US is a great country and I have many friends there) - I just don't understand how and why is it the case? And why is it so different from Vancouver?
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    slava977 wrote: »
    The following is somewhat off topic but an interesting observation... I live in Vancouver, Canada and there is A LOT of social pressure to be thin/normal and physically active. I'm 39, 5'7 and 172 lbs (spread proportionately - my stomachs is almost completely flat) - and I feel VERY BIG when I attend a party or a social gathering around here. Three weeks ago I attended a bridal shower with 35 women in attendance and I was BY FAR the largest person in the room. Most women were size 4-6. And those were just random women from all walks of life (between the ages of 27 and 45), only the bride was their common connection for the most part..

    Then a week ago I drove to Washington state to visit a friend. I was just north of Seattle (about 30 minutes from downtown). On the way to her place I stopped at a local Safeway to pick up some groceries. Something caught my eye and I started paying attention. About 85% of women (customers/staff) in that store were larger than me.. I'd say about 30% of women were over 250 lbs. Even most young girls were heavy. It really made an impression on me. There must be something very wrong overall with people's diet in the US. I'm not saying it to offend anyone (US is a great country and I have many friends there) - I just don't understand how and why is it the case? And why is it so different from Vancouver?

    Never been to Vancouver but I know of it. From what I've gathered, Vancouver is almost like a mini Manhattan. Very walkable, you can take buses and trains everywhere instead of cars. Some places in Washington are not like that and you need a car to get anywhere.

    If you go to Manhattan you'll see the same thing. People walking everywhere and most people look normal weight wise. It's usually the tourists that are bigger.
  • Peregrymj
    Peregrymj Posts: 34 Member
    edited June 2016
    Vancouver's very health conscious, walkable, and has a very large food culture, but they're all about quality over quantity. Lots of Asian cooking influence. I love visiting there.
    In contrast the US, whenever we go down there (from Canada) we are baffled by their massive food portions, one American portion feeds two-to three of us, not to mention the food is always covered in butter, cheese, pasta and for some reason Nutella. Them calories add up fast!
  • beaglebrandon
    beaglebrandon Posts: 97 Member
    edited June 2016
    Peregrymj wrote: »
    Vancouver's very health conscious, walkable, and has a very large food culture, but they're all about quality over quantity. Lots of Asian cooking influence. I love visiting there.
    In contrast the US, whenever we go down there (from Canada) we are baffled by their massive food portions, one American portion feeds two-to three of us, not to mention the food is always covered in butter, cheese, pasta and for some reason Nutella. Them calories add up fast!

    Don't make assumptions about the US and Canada on just two samples.

    I live in Buffalo, NY. The people there seem far more healthy than the people right across the border in Fort Erie, ON. Fort Erie has a depressed economy. It seems like everyone there is fat, on government assistance, hangs out in Bingo Halls and Tim Hortons. Buffalo, on the other hand has a great network of bicycle routes, and is a walking city.

    Then go to Toronto, where people walk all the time, and the people there seem slimmer. That's equivalent to the people you see in New York City.

    I've been to Europe. In London, the people seem slimmer than the people 20 miles outside of London. Again, I attribute that to people walking more living inside the city.

    Denver is one of the healthiest cities. Probably compares favorably to Vancouver, as there is so much to do in the outdoors.
  • april1779
    april1779 Posts: 37 Member
    I can't stand TLC. I remember years ago when it had shows like Birth Story or whatever it was called, those were the kinds of reality shows they had, and I'm pretty sure TLC stood for "the learning channel". Now it's like they specialize in cashing in on people's misery, creating drama for ratings. I've never seen this show, and I can't see myself ever tuning in.
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