Understanding obesity rather than weight loss

wheird

Op I love your post!

I think and have been saying for years that food addiction is real, especially sugar addiction. Just like people don't understand why a junkie can't quit shooting up or an alcoholic can't stop drinking; a sugar addict can't stop taking in all those sugary treats and drinks. It calls to you, begs you, shoots that message to you brain that it makes things better and causes that feel good response and you want more and more and more. That is what addiction is and that is what sugar does to me. I haven't had a sugary treat or drink since Christmas. My cravings are done, I feel better, I have no more headaches, mood swings and I getting more and more energy.

IMO, food addiction is real, it's not an excuse. I think there should be treatment centers for food/sugar addicts just like drug and alcohol abuse.

Guess what? Protein causes insulin spikes as well.

usmcmp

Op I love your post!

I think and have been saying for years that food addiction is real, especially sugar addiction. Just like people don't understand why a junkie can't quit shooting up or an alcoholic can't stop drinking; a sugar addict can't stop taking in all those sugary treats and drinks. It calls to you, begs you, shoots that message to you brain that it makes things better and causes that feel good response and you want more and more and more. That is what addiction is and that is what sugar does to me. I haven't had a sugary treat or drink since Christmas. My cravings are done, I feel better, I have no more headaches, mood swings and I getting more and more energy.

IMO, food addiction is real, it's not an excuse. I think there should be treatment centers for food/sugar addicts just like drug and alcohol abuse.

JECole2013

Sorry, this is the correct site for the Clinical Guidelines for treating obesity:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_gdlns.htm

mgorham13

Hey all,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your own personal journey with health, fitness and weight loss.

I hope that each story helps another person because especially in the US, a third of our country are clinically obesity. And I like many, have struggled with more than 100 pounds over healthy weight.

I am sure that there is much more research to come, some will be good, some won't.

A few of you asked me for sourcing, ...

Here is the information about the habits of long-term success:

http://www.examiner.com/article/super-dieters-reveal-secrets-for-maintaining-70-pound-weight-loss-success

Obesity named a disease in US:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262226.php

Preferred treatments for obesity now given to GP's who see patients:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/prctgd_c.pdf

percentage of US obese

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

Yes, I eat fruit, though not a lot and yes, I know there is natural sugar in those fruits. For the most part, I am staying away from refined sugar.

Lastly, obesity is not an easy journey. So many people, so many variables. So many feelings. Whether obesity is a disease or not, doesn't really matter IF when someone who is struggling asks for help and gets it from the medical community or anyone else for that matter. If telling someone to "just cut calories and get off the couch" worked so well as advice, then we wouldn't be here _ growing and growing obesity epidemic in the U.S.

I'm glad that there are so many people on MFP that are willing to help a stranger face what ever is difficult in life. Blessings.

The greatest challenge in the attempt to reduce obesity is lack of understanding of nutrition and physiology. Yes, cutting calories and exercising are necessary for weight and health management. But many people don't understand the underlying principles and thus do not execute properly.

Look at how many people STILL think that dietary fat is a bad thing, or that sugar is evil, or that they need to detox their body of toxins. Very few people who educate themselves believe in any of that and are usually successful because they have the tools to make a plan and execute it.

Great point! There is a college sophomore that works for me in the summers who was blown away by my weight loss and he confided in me that one of the most important classes he's ever taken in his life was a nutrition class in college. He's in good shape but had no idea of the consequences of poor nutrition. Nutrition should be be mandatory for all middle school and high school students if we want to buck the obesity trend

LiftAllThePizzas

OP, what you demonstrated is that your surgery wasn't effective. Neither was restricting particular foods. Eating the right amount of calories is what made the difference in both losing and maintaining weight. Then eating too many calories once again caused obesity.

LiftAllThePizzas

Op I love your post!

I think and have been saying for years that food addiction is real, especially sugar addiction. Just like people don't understand why a junkie can't quit shooting up or an alcoholic can't stop drinking; a sugar addict can't stop taking in all those sugary treats and drinks. It calls to you, begs you, shoots that message to you brain that it makes things better and causes that feel good response and you want more and more and more. That is what addiction is and that is what sugar does to me. I haven't had a sugary treat or drink since Christmas. My cravings are done, I feel better, I have no more headaches, mood swings and I getting more and more energy.

IMO, food addiction is real, it's not an excuse. I think there should be treatment centers for food/sugar addicts just like drug and alcohol abuse.

Guess what? Protein causes insulin spikes as well.

Stop making fun of my protein addiction!

(But I'm only addicted to protein in candy bars, and not the protein in steak.)

kgeyser

If telling someone to "just cut calories and get off the couch" worked so well as advice, then we wouldn't be here _ growing and growing obesity epidemic in the U.S.

It does work well as advice. The problem lies in people not taking the advice. Take some ownership of your own actions and stop trying to blame everything else for your situation. There are outside factors influencing everything in our lives, but that doesn't excuse you from your role in it and your behavior.

sheermomentum

Hey OP, while I may agree with some of what you say, and disagree with you on other points, I just want to congratulate you on the grace and manners of your responses to some of these posts. You may be right or you may be wrong, but you are most certainly strong enough to survive the journey

LiftAllThePizzas

This country has a population that claims there's no time, there's no motivation, they're too tired... and heart disease is claiming them, obesity is claiming them, TELEVISION is claiming them, TECHNOLOGY is claiming them, and most importantly:

COMFORT IS CLAIMING THEM.

Frankly, F*k comfortable. (yes thats a capital F)

Give me sweat and agony in the gym so I don't have to march my old *kitten* into physical therapists office one day so I can pick up my grand-kids.

Give me 5 hours of sleep a night so I can get up and milk every last drop out of the day.

Turn off my TV, unplug the computer, turn off my phone.

I am the dog that tears up your furniture because I didn't get my walk today.

I DENY COMFORT, I EMBRACE THE WILL TO GET - *kitten* - DONE.

I disagree with this or at least the way it is worded. She sounds like the president of crazypants. Self-torture is not a virtue. Neither is sleep-deprivation, which is also unhealthy.

I have comfort at some times and fun (not agony) in the gym at other times, and enjoy forms of recreation that also improve my health like swimming, biking, and kayaking. Getting and staying healthy isn't a form of punishment or something that you're supposed to do even though you hate it. That type of mentality is not likely to succeed in the long term and even if it does, is not worth what has been "accomplished."

wheird

OP, what you demonstrated is that your surgery wasn't effective. Neither was restricting particular foods. Eating the right amount of calories is what made the difference in both losing and maintaining weight. Then eating too many calories once again caused obesity.

I have not met ONE PERSON who has been successful with WLS. They put the weight back on with in 5 - 10 years.

Why? because they DONT change their habits and think surgery is the "miracle" that will cure them and make them better.

I know one person on here who has lost 80lbs after WLS. But she changed her habits and exercises now as well. She is doing it right.


And Lea did it right too.

hammersoaps

I personally don't believe it is a disease. I do believe that over eating is very often a response to the emotional and psychological stresses in life. It can fill a hole, like alcohol or drugs do for many others. Like the OP, I have tried every "diet" out there with no success for 20 years. For me, and many others I feel I have discovered a simple and yet profound truth this time around. I don't have to restrict anything, except portion sizes. I don't have to eliminate sugar, restrict carbs, take a pill it do a juice fast. I do have to count calories and move more for better health. I will always enjoy my food!!

+1

I thought I would look up the definition of "Disease" just to be clear.

Disease
1. A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/disease

To say obesity is a disease is quite a stretch. Is over eating and lack of activity considered an "environmental stress"? Are the signs and symptoms more than "being fat"?

If anything, obesity isn't the disease itself, it's a symptom. If we were to classify the cause of obesity as a disease, I'd say it's some kind of eating disorder, a problem more with the mind then the stomach. It's just like other eating disorders that end up wreaking havoc on a person because of a poor relationship with food. Not necessarily a food addiction per say, but there is something obviously wrong.

When I look at how I gained my weight, it just kinda crept up on me. I started eating more, moving less, and over time, it just piled on. I don't binge or eat "junk". I actually eat very healthy, nutrient dense foods, I just ate too much. And over the years, I just got "busy" and neglected to take the time to work on myself. Once I hit a point, I said enough was enough, and I started dialing back how much I ate and increased my physical activity.

I don't think everyone that is overweight or obese can claim "disease". I'm sure some obese/overweight people with unhealthy relationships with food may have more going on, perhaps and eating disorder. But it shouldn't be used as something to fall back on as an excuse to not get healthy. There are many people on this forum who have overcome eating disorders and plenty have lost massive amounts of fat. It can be done. A person just has to recognize the problem and want to fix it. This is just my opinion.

alexandriax03

my two cents..obesity is not a disease it is a symptom of something else aka - depression, anxiety, not giving an F and overeating, etc….

you could of accomplished weight loss by just eating less and moving/working out more. You did not need surgery, pills, etc. Also, labeling foods "bad" aka sugar is "bad" and then restricting foods is what sets people up for a cycle of failure, which goes something like …restrict foods and works for a while; get cravings for said foods; binge on said foods; then have feelings of guilt about binging on said foods; then just want to give up…

You said you gave up "sugar"…do you still eat fruit and carbs? Because both of those have sugar in them...

Sorry, but obesity is a disease because some people are NATURALLY obese. They can't help it. They have something genetically wrong with them that made them obese.

QuietBloom

Op I love your post!

I think and have been saying for years that food addiction is real, especially sugar addiction. Just like people don't understand why a junkie can't quit shooting up or an alcoholic can't stop drinking; a sugar addict can't stop taking in all those sugary treats and drinks. It calls to you, begs you, shoots that message to you brain that it makes things better and causes that feel good response and you want more and more and more. That is what addiction is and that is what sugar does to me. I haven't had a sugary treat or drink since Christmas. My cravings are done, I feel better, I have no more headaches, mood swings and I getting more and more energy.

IMO, food addiction is real, it's not an excuse. I think there should be treatment centers for food/sugar addicts just like drug and alcohol abuse.

:huh: In. For scientifical looking cartoons.

wheird

my two cents..obesity is not a disease it is a symptom of something else aka - depression, anxiety, not giving an F and overeating, etc….

you could of accomplished weight loss by just eating less and moving/working out more. You did not need surgery, pills, etc. Also, labeling foods "bad" aka sugar is "bad" and then restricting foods is what sets people up for a cycle of failure, which goes something like …restrict foods and works for a while; get cravings for said foods; binge on said foods; then have feelings of guilt about binging on said foods; then just want to give up…

You said you gave up "sugar"…do you still eat fruit and carbs? Because both of those have sugar in them...

Sorry, but obesity is a disease because some people are NATURALLY obese. They can't help it. They have something genetically wrong with them that made them obese.

Tell me more about natural obesity.

QuietBloom

my two cents..obesity is not a disease it is a symptom of something else aka - depression, anxiety, not giving an F and overeating, etc….

you could of accomplished weight loss by just eating less and moving/working out more. You did not need surgery, pills, etc. Also, labeling foods "bad" aka sugar is "bad" and then restricting foods is what sets people up for a cycle of failure, which goes something like …restrict foods and works for a while; get cravings for said foods; binge on said foods; then have feelings of guilt about binging on said foods; then just want to give up…

You said you gave up "sugar"…do you still eat fruit and carbs? Because both of those have sugar in them...

Sorry, but obesity is a disease because some people are NATURALLY obese. They can't help it. They have something genetically wrong with them that made them obese.

That has not been proven. Research is still ongoing. Bottom line - calories in, calories out. Some people may be extremely efficient at extracting every last calorie from what they eat. But they can still control their weight by eating the appropriate number of calories.

QuietBloom

WOW! I guess I should not be surprised at all the vitriol being spewed at the OP over this, but this is even more harsh than normal.

The OP opened a vein here and shared HER experience. She clearly stated that this was not the answer for EVERYONE. She simply is sharing some realities that she has come to understand for HER situation.

She is not alone in this. There are many people on this site that are struggling with food addiction.

I have to admit that before I joined this site and met some wonderful caring people who are battling their food addictions, that I didn't understand it either. I sat on my high horse and held myself above those people who became obese strictly because they couldn't stop 'feeding their face.' I mean I had a good excuse for my weight gain. But young healthy people should be able to control their weight, right? Just eat less and move more, right?

Whether or not Obesity is actually a disease, doesn't really matter.

If it IS a disease, then it is caused by eating more calories than you burn.
Just like AIDS is a disease that can be caused by having unprotected sex with an infected person.
And lung cancer can be caused (in most cases) by smoking cigarettes or being around smoke or other toxic chemicals.

Just because these diseases were brought on by the individual's behaviors, doesn't mean that they should be thrown aside and left for dead.

OP- I applaud you for baring your soul as you did. You have opened a window into the life of someone with food addictions.
I am sure that you have connected with many other people who are struggling as you are, and maybe have give them some hope.

And perhaps you have opened the eyes of some people who don't have your struggles with food, and created some empathy in their hearts.

I thank you and wish you well in your continued struggle to conquer your issues.:flowerforyou:

I disagree. I think it matters a lot, because it effects the way you approach solving the problem. Classifying it as a disease insinuates that the sufferer cannot do anything about the situation by themselves. They need a doctor and a pill. As evidenced by the OP.

RoadsterGirlie

Obesity is the result of behavior - it is absolutely NOT a disease.

OP, I do applaud you for sharing your experience, even if it's different from my own. That said, you could have done this without pills or surgery. Most women can lose weight on around 1600 calories a day, which if you eat the right foods at the right times of the day you shouldn't be that hungry.


Change your lifestyle - this should not result in starving yourself, and you don't have to work out for hours a day.

hammersoaps

my two cents..obesity is not a disease it is a symptom of something else aka - depression, anxiety, not giving an F and overeating, etc….

you could of accomplished weight loss by just eating less and moving/working out more. You did not need surgery, pills, etc. Also, labeling foods "bad" aka sugar is "bad" and then restricting foods is what sets people up for a cycle of failure, which goes something like …restrict foods and works for a while; get cravings for said foods; binge on said foods; then have feelings of guilt about binging on said foods; then just want to give up…

You said you gave up "sugar"…do you still eat fruit and carbs? Because both of those have sugar in them...

Sorry, but obesity is a disease because some people are NATURALLY obese. They can't help it. They have something genetically wrong with them that made them obese.

FALSE. Show me a person who can not lose fat by creating a calorie deficit and some exercise and I will believe you. Until then, no.

alexandriax03

Obesity is the result of behavior - it is absolutely NOT a disease.

OP, I do applaud you for sharing your experience, even if it's different from my own. That said, you could have done this without pills or surgery. Most women can lose weight on around 1600 calories a day, which if you eat the right foods at the right times of the day you shouldn't be that hungry.


Change your lifestyle - this should not result in starving yourself, and you don't have to work out for hours a day.

You obviously aren't familiar with diseases of the endocrine system which cause obesity. Hence why obesity is a disease. Cushing's syndrome, thyroid malfunction or hyperfunction of the adrenal gland, insulinoma, tumors on the pituitary gland, carcinoid tumors, PCOS… just to name a few. People with these conditions suffer every day of their life with their weight. Do you know how difficult it is to lose weight with any of those diseases? The weight piles on no matter how much you exercise, what your diet is like, etc.

How dare you tell the OP that she could have lost weight without surgery or medication. I think if she could have lost weight without undergoing life-threatening surgery and having to take pills every day of her life, that she would have taken that route instead. You don't know her whole life story. Some people NEED an appetite suppressant because their leptin/ghrelin levels are screwed up and don't tell the brain when they are full or when they are truly hungry. Instead they send mixed messages- the person always "feels" hungry… they never feel "full." There's nothing wrong with taking a pill to correct the hunger hormones in the brain.