How Very Sad.

Graelwyn75

Original text removed, lest it cause offence, the general gist having been my asking what peoples' opinions are, on what enables some people to reach this point... respectfully. Very sad, and a waste of a young life, imo.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2587168/One-Britains-obese-men-weighed-66-stone-age-just-22-died-heart-attack.html

kittykat1994

Honestly, I don't really understand how this can relate to Weight loss help. Many people on this part of the board is actually trying to become obtain an healthier lifestyle and get help for losing weight. Questioning how people can become overweight, let alone obese isn't a considerate thing to do.

Graelwyn75

So, brushing it under the carpet and not examining it, is a healthy and considerate thing to do ? I think not.
I also think you are far too sensitive. Similar topics have been posted in this section before.
There is nothing insensitive about wishing for opinions on how people reach the point of super obesity. I was not critical, I was not judging, I was asking. To learn more. And also, my dear, this is not just for weight loss. It is for general diet. Since there is not a section for general weight related topics, this is where most things like the article I linked to, get posted.
But to save myself issues with people who think asking questions about the issue many here suffer from, is somehow awful and insensitive, I shall simply post the article and ask for insight.

ChristinWrites

I would be interested in whatever this article or topic was - because to understand why we become a certain way it is important to explore it and ask the hard questions. Those who are hyper sensitive tend to struggle with weight loss and maintaining it. Honesty is the best policy, sometimes reality is hard to accept, but without that "getting real", lifestyle changes are not possible.

Graelwyn75

I would be interested in whatever this article or topic was - because to understand why we become a certain way it is important to explore it and ask the hard questions. Those who are hyper sensitive tend to struggle with weight loss and maintaining it. Honesty is the best policy, sometimes reality is hard to accept, but without that "getting real", lifestyle changes are not possible.

I linked to the article about the young man who died. He reached over 900Ibs, and I am simply wanting peoples' views on what they think enables some to reach this point, whereas others, like myself, in spite of being prone to periods of overeating, and loving food, have some sort of mechanism that stops me passing a certain point. In the sense that, I literally cannot eat beyond a certain point, whatever the kind of food it is, and after a period of eating junk, I tend to naturally gravitate back to healthy food, as I start to feel sick. It has had me thinking and wondering about the topic on several occasions. I certainly have no wish to cause offence, I am genuinely curious and think this sort of thing is good to examine.

malou1985

I watch 'my 600 lb life' it gives a crystal clear in sight. There is someone Enabling them to get that big.

rachaelbermingham

I think it's legitimate to wonder how the circumstances outlined in the article come to pass but the piece doesn't address what support if any was available to the poor man. I would like to know more about the differences between normal obesity and super obesity as I remain to be convinced that the two are linked.

03010703

People become this way for the same reasons that one may drink, do drugs, or become obsessed with exercise and diet. It makes you feel good while you're doing it. Then afterwards guilt takes over, you become depressed, and you have to indulge again. It's a vicious circle.

Graelwyn75

I think it's legitimate to wonder how the circumstances outlined in the article come to pass but the piece doesn't address what support if any was available to the poor man. I would like to know more about the differences between normal obesity and super obesity as I remain to be convinced that the two are linked.

I do not think he got much in the way of support. It appears he simply became a recluse and disappeared off the radar once he did. That seems to be the basis for a lot of the comments on the article...where was his support and why are those who reach this point, not given the same sort of services as those with other eating disorders.

Graelwyn75

I watch 'my 600 lb life' it gives a crystal clear in sight. There is someone Enabling them to get that big.

I have heard of that, but not seen it as I am in the Uk. I shall hunt for it on youtube.

kittykat1994

So, brushing it under the carpet and not examining it, is a healthy and considerate thing to do ? I think not.
I also think you are far too sensitive. Similar topics have been posted in this section before.
There is nothing insensitive about wishing for opinions on how people reach the point of super obesity. I was not critical, I was not judging, I was asking. To learn more. And also, my dear, this is not just for weight loss. It is for general diet. Since there is not a section for general weight related topics, this is where most things like the article I linked to, get posted.
But to save myself issues with people who think asking questions about the issue many here suffer from, is somehow awful and insensitive, I shall simply post the article and ask for insight.

The original text that you have deleted I thought was inconsiderate. I'm sure it wasn't intended and it didn't necessarily offend me, however I did feel that it could hurt others.

It is sad about that man who died. I didn't realise it was physically possible to reach that level of obesity. So young too!

matuskap

A reasonable person would never let it go that far. Put on 60 kg of weight while "trying to deal with the overweight problem" is just ridiculous. Im not even sorry for him. At this point, its pretty much evolution 101. Just give him Darwin award, thank him for removing himself from human genome and lets move forward as a species.

Graelwyn75

So, brushing it under the carpet and not examining it, is a healthy and considerate thing to do ? I think not.
I also think you are far too sensitive. Similar topics have been posted in this section before.
There is nothing insensitive about wishing for opinions on how people reach the point of super obesity. I was not critical, I was not judging, I was asking. To learn more. And also, my dear, this is not just for weight loss. It is for general diet. Since there is not a section for general weight related topics, this is where most things like the article I linked to, get posted.
But to save myself issues with people who think asking questions about the issue many here suffer from, is somehow awful and insensitive, I shall simply post the article and ask for insight.

The original text that you have deleted I thought was inconsiderate. I'm sure it wasn't intended and it didn't necessarily offend me, however I did feel that it could hurt others.

It is sad about that man who died. I didn't realise it was physically possible to reach that level of obesity. So young too!

Definitely no offence intended at all. I think it can be almost impossible to word things in a way that will not upset someone, but I do try to think before I post as a rule, and do not post new topics often, in case I manage to inadvertently word things wrong, lol. Anyway, I also believed it would be physically impossible, which is what stemmed my post really. That and I do not think his death should go unnoticed.

EmoJew

This is a legitimate question to ask. This is why scientists are constantly looking for a gene, trigger, switch whatever. The thing that marks the difference between people who are overweight and continue to eat, and the people who say enough is enough.

This story is sad. No one deserves to die this way, and to suggests that it's a good thing is cruel and immoral. Sometimes reason has nothing to do with it!

carliekitty

I think i read somewhere or maybe it is just a urban legend that in the super obese the brain doesn't register that the person is full. I can see how easy it would be though. You gain 20 then another 20 and before you know it you feel akward and uncomfortable exercising and just doing physical things. A horrible thing =(

craftywitch_63

This is sad. I see it every day. I live in a rural area in one of the US's unhealthiest states in the US (number 37, Nevada). The area in which I live is economically depressed and the people are, for the most part, poorly educated, poor and/or elderly. Obesity is a real problem (not 924 lbs of problem more like 350-400 lbs of a problem, but a problem nonetheless) as is related health issues - diabetes, smoking, COPD, heart disease, etc., of which I am well aware because I am an RN at the only hospital for 75 miles. I don't know about other places, but here, a lack of resources seem to be the problem. The few healthcare providers we have care for a larger patient load than anyone should have. They tell the patients to "lose weight" but don't have time to explain how. Even when they do tell them how to exercise and eat right, the rural independent spirit (read: stubborn streak) peaks through and the "No one is going to tell me how to live my life" attitude prevails. When I see the 400 lb patrons at the gym, especially those I see on a regular basis, I want to tell them how proud I am of them but I don't want to seem patronizing, so I just think it without saying it.

I don't know how to address the young man in your article, though. At 22, and probably a member of the NHS, he really had no excuse. I know the NHS has some excellent resources for reversible health problems. Maybe being told that "eating right and exercising" and "there is no magic pill to lose weight" discouraged him. Sometimes it discourages those of us on MFP too (please notice I said "sometimes" and "us.")

http://www.americashealthrankings.org/rankings

SomeNights246

People become this way for the same reasons that one may drink, do drugs, or become obsessed with exercise and diet. It makes you feel good while you're doing it. Then afterwards guilt takes over, you become depressed, and you have to indulge again. It's a vicious circle.

Pretty much this.

I'll try to explain it in the most neutral way possible.

An addiction to food is a very real thing. In fact, binge eating disorder is officially in the DSM as of the printing of the DSM 5. Overeating, while not a recognized eating disorder, is, also, very real. From a psychological point, it makes sense. So much sense that... yes, it is sad. Very sad that he got this far. Very sad that someone could get this far without intervention. Sad that he wanted to lose the weight, but may not have had the motivation to do so. Depression is a very, very vicious circle. Eating disorders, in general, are. I am not justifying him over indulging himself. If you have a health problem, it is important to seek help before you get this far. What I am saying is simply that... it is hard to understand it unless you have been there yourself, you know?

An addiction to food starts out innocent enough. You eat an entire box of cookies in one sitting because you were depressed. Say, you lost your job or your wife or your dog... the cookies make you feel better while you're eating them. And although you are now feeling guilty because you finished a box of cookies that totals 1,200 calories... you forgot why you were originally sad, because now you're sad that you finished all your cookies. Being able to forget what made you that depressed feels good. So, the next time you're sad or depressed, you finish an entire bag of Doritos. Until you're doing this EVERY time you're sad or depressed. For the binge eater, they may not even realize they're doing it until it is too late. For the overeater, they definitely realize they're doing it. But it is a compulsion. They have trouble stopping. It is not simple ignorance of nutrition. That would be easy to fix. Educate, you know? But I have watched one of my family members suffer from this emotional over eating and it is hard to watch. Hard because I try to help her. Hard because I feel powerless in helping her. Hard because I used to do the same thing and I realize now that if I had continued, I'd be as big as she is getting.

And this all becomes a vicious circle. Often times, the emotional over eater does it because they have no one to comfort them when they're depressed. So, they turn to food. Food makes them gain weight. People are judgmental, naturally. So they start hearing people make fun of their weight. Which, in turn, makes them isolate themselves further. Which heightens depression, which makes them eat even more bags of Doritos and boxes of cookies. Sometimes, what they need is not someone lecturing them about weight and healthy eating habits. They know that eating an entire pack of Oreos is not healthy. Sometimes, what they need is someone to shwo them they'll be there for them. That's all I needed, anyway. Luckily, in my case, someone did before it got this far. So, I never got to 900 lbs.

SymphonynSonata

I think there's a large group of people who don't know HOW to lose weight. People can say "eat less" but it doesn't really make sense until they learn about calories - eat less could mean eating one cake instead of two, or half a pizza for breakfast instead of the whole thing. I think there also comes a point of no return, where it's so overwhelming to have nearly 500 (or whatever) pounds to lose that it's just "**** it" because continuing on is less daunting and depressing. I was a heavy child, I went back and forth from diet to diet and nothing worked. Calories weren't a big deal back in the 90s, it wasn't such common knowledge. I think it's more accessible and readily available information now, but that seems to be a recent-ish innovation (last decade or so?). I've noticed heavy people, or people who have been heavy, tend to know more about dieting than the 'naturally thin', because we've tried SO MANY THINGS. These poor people just haven't tried calories.

eta: Oh, heavy parents probably contributes too. They have poor eating habits which you're pretty much forced to eat as a child, and you aren't going to (generally) be larger than your same-sex parent, which will make you look like you're "not that bad". Like, my mom was massive. So, my 200 pound self wasn't so horrible.

Graelwyn75

I think i read somewhere or maybe it is just a urban legend that in the super obese the brain doesn't register that the person is full. I can see how easy it would be though. You gain 20 then another 20 and before you know it you feel akward and uncomfortable exercising and just doing physical things. A horrible thing =(

Yes, I have had periods where I got into a cycle of binge eating, and then with that, I just did not want to go out and face the world, and of course, that made the situation worse so I can see in that sense, how it can spiral out of control, I simply hit a point where I could not take it anymore and some sort of resolve came through and I got myself out of it. I am definitely prone to emotional overeating but something in me always seems to kick in. And I hope it always does. Plus, I physically cannot eat past a certain point as my belly swells out and I feel terrible. I do wonder if it is a gradual accustomisation to such large intake of food, adaptation, or if it is to do with satiety never being triggered.

Graelwyn75

A reasonable person would never let it go that far. Put on 60 kg of weight while "trying to deal with the overweight problem" is just ridiculous. Im not even sorry for him. At this point, its pretty much evolution 101. Just give him Darwin award, thank him for removing himself from human genome and lets move forward as a species.

I would have to disagree and say that I find this a really callous view of the situation.

craftywitch_63

I think i read somewhere or maybe it is just a urban legend that in the super obese the brain doesn't register that the person is full. I can see how easy it would be though. You gain 20 then another 20 and before you know it you feel akward and uncomfortable exercising and just doing physical things. A horrible thing =(

No, it's not an urban legend. You're correct but it doesn't seem that morbid obesity causes the receptor mutation so much as a person is born with the receptor mutation, which alters the person's perception of satiety.

"In summary, our results confirm that mutations in MC4-R are the most frequent genetic cause of common obesity described to date. The heterogeneity of obesity linked to MC4-R mutations clearly implies that functional assessment of MC4-R mutations will eventually routinely be required to evaluate the risk of obesity in MC4-R mutation carriers."

From the article at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC314306/