Does Obesity=Disability?

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  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
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    To me a disability is something you can not change and would prevent you from doing other things as you normally would/could. Obesity can be changed with exercise and proper diet. I think it is just the lazy person's way to try and get some free money so they can sit for longer periods of time on the couch and be lazy. The other things they are putting on the claim sounds like side effects of being obese, that may not necessarily improve if they lose weight, but it never hurts to try. In my opinion, it sounds like they are just trying to work the system. If I were in your position, the shredder next to my desk would be full.

    I agree. Most the people I know with real "disabilities" don't take government handouts. One of my dad's best friends was partially paralyzed from polio as a child and walked with 2 canes. My dad asked him why he didn't park in handicapped parking spots and he said "those spots are for the people who need them."
  • _Elemenopee_
    _Elemenopee_ Posts: 2,665 Member
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    The problem with any kind of public assistance is that you'll always have lazy scumbags who want to abuse the system and will collect everything they can. Whether it be a "disability" or "I've got 3 kids and my checks are too small so I need 2 more to keep this going"

    While people who actually need this assistance have to jump through hoops to get it or are too proud to accept it.

    The system, though meant to be great...SUCKS
  • jcjsjones
    jcjsjones Posts: 571 Member
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    I am in Human Resources and it's hard for me to believe that someone could get social security for just being obese. There has to be other underlying factors that are a side effect of the obesity (diabetes, heart issues, etc). To my knowledge obesity is not a protected class. Doesn't mean it's not going to happen....

    And we wonder why social security is running out of money....
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I agree with you. Also, obesity is a symptom of a problem, not the problem itself. If you have evidence that you are obese because of a severe medical condition, then it is that medical condition that's disabling you. If you're obese because you love fried foods and watching TV, your medical condition is called laziness and I don't think your insurance should be financially responsible for that. What they SHOULD offer you is weight loss and nutrition counseling.

    What about a smoker with lung cancer? They pay an insurance premium of course but should the insurance cut them off when it's time to cough up the money? Don't obese people pay premiums too?
  • snowgrrl83
    snowgrrl83 Posts: 242 Member
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    I don't think that obesity means disability, but I'm all about science... so I had to look up scientific articles on this issue and obesity has been found to hinder work production according to studies.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19445439

    ...and another interesting article about obesity and disability discrimination act.
    http://www.google.ca/url?q=http://www.radcliffe-oxford.com/books/samplechapter/0584/Williams%20chapt%2010-a158710rdz.pdf&sa=U&ei=5_fQT5_TPIWe6QHDo4V9&ved=0CBoQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNHaBRbhYjRnDXpubt23gkgYRqX6tQ

    True but it's an easily curable "disability" assuming it's not caused by other factors such as thyroid or necessary medication.
    Sadly, studies do not show that obesity is an easily curable disability. :(
    - less than 10% of people who will lose weight will keep it off for more than 2 years.
    ...oh wait, how about I just link more scientific articles on this issue.

    The best thing is prevention!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    it annoys me.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    True but it's an easily curable "disability" assuming it's not caused by other factors such as thyroid or necessary medication.

    If it was so easy to cure then we'd have no fat people.

    Even everyone here making a good effort to exercise and eat right. Statistically speaking, the majority will probably gain the weight back.
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
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    I don't think that obesity means disability, but I'm all about science... so I had to look up scientific articles on this issue and obesity has been found to hinder work production according to studies.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19445439

    ...and another interesting article about obesity and disability discrimination act.
    http://www.google.ca/url?q=http://www.radcliffe-oxford.com/books/samplechapter/0584/Williams%20chapt%2010-a158710rdz.pdf&sa=U&ei=5_fQT5_TPIWe6QHDo4V9&ved=0CBoQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNHaBRbhYjRnDXpubt23gkgYRqX6tQ

    True but it's an easily curable "disability" assuming it's not caused by other factors such as thyroid or necessary medication.
    Sadly, studies do not show that weight loss is an easily curable disability. :(
    - less than 10% of people who will lose weight will keep it off for more than 2 years.
    ...oh wait, how about I just link more scientific articles on this issue.

    The best thing is prevention!
    I bet not getting free money to be fat would help with weight loss. I know it's a struggle to lose weight and keep it off. I'm just saying we shouldn't support people because they abused themselves. I know many people that are extremely obese and have all the heath issues that go along with it and still work full work weeks.
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
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    Maybe for some people it could be considered a disability - not the obesity itself but possibly the disorder that lead to the obesity.

    There are medical causes of obesity such as cushings disease, thyroid issues, and depression, etc.
  • KittieLea
    KittieLea Posts: 1,156 Member
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    No, just like laziness doesn't = disability.
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
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    True but it's an easily curable "disability" assuming it's not caused by other factors such as thyroid or necessary medication.

    If it was so easy to cure then we'd have no fat people.

    Even everyone here making a good effort to exercise and eat right. Statistically speaking, the majority will probably gain the weight back.

    Compared to things like muscle damage, broken backs, mental disabilities, etc. It's the most easily cured disability I know of.
  • winninga
    winninga Posts: 77 Member
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    I work for the state welfare office processing claims for assistance programs such as Medicaid, food stamps and cash assistance. To qualify for cash, folks have to put in so many hours at our Work First progam. So many folks claim that they can't work because of asthma, arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression and obesity. Some of my co-workers and I have discussed at lenghths about how we all suffer from at least one, and some of us, all of these problems, yet we get ourselves up and into work every day. To boot, I also drive 50 miles one way, and have a special needs child at home. Many folks try to get excused from the program because their kids have disabilitiess yet they are in school all day. Sometimes I have a more difficult time with these people because I didn't have the opportunity to stay home with my son even when he wasn't in school. That's why I have to take my little mental health days every now and then, like today :):)
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I don't think obesity alone qualifies as a disability because for most people it is reversible. Unless you have some other condition making is impossible for you to diet/exercise or lose the weight, it's within your control.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    What about a smoker with lung cancer? They pay an insurance premium of course but should the insurance cut them off when it's time to cough up the money? Don't obese people pay premiums too?

    I never claimed that obese people should be "cut off" from their insurance. When a smoker who pays higher premiums gets lung cancer, their insurance still pays for the necessary procedures, but smokers pay higher premiums because it is known that smoking isn't a "disability", it's self-imposed. So if someone needs heart surgery or lap band surgery then yes their insurance should pay for it, but the attempt to claim "disability" is an attempt to pay less for a higher risk individual.

    Edit: every insurance I've ever had (and I've switched about 10 times in as many years) has programs to help with weight loss, nutrition counseling, etc. so if those included programs (that are ultimately funded by everyone who pays a premium, obese or not) aren't enough, then no you don't get to be a Special Case(tm) and claim obesity is a "disability" when you haven't used your insurance for PREVENTATIVE CARE.
  • fiveferrels
    fiveferrels Posts: 397 Member
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    The last time I flew, (Frontier Airlines) and (Southwest) I bought 2 seats, I got to pre board because of my "disability", the pass they gave me said I had a disability?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

    I didnt realize that
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I don't think that obesity means disability, but I'm all about science... so I had to look up scientific articles on this issue and obesity has been found to hinder work production according to studies.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19445439

    ...and another interesting article about obesity and disability discrimination act.
    http://www.google.ca/url?q=http://www.radcliffe-oxford.com/books/samplechapter/0584/Williams%20chapt%2010-a158710rdz.pdf&sa=U&ei=5_fQT5_TPIWe6QHDo4V9&ved=0CBoQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNHaBRbhYjRnDXpubt23gkgYRqX6tQ

    True but it's an easily curable "disability" assuming it's not caused by other factors such as thyroid or necessary medication.
    Sadly, studies do not show that weight loss is an easily curable disability. :(
    - less than 10% of people who will lose weight will keep it off for more than 2 years.
    ...oh wait, how about I just link more scientific articles on this issue.

    The best thing is prevention!
    I bet not getting free money to be fat would help with weight loss. I know it's a struggle to lose weight and keep it off. I'm just saying we shouldn't support people because they abused themselves. I know many people that are extremely obese and have all the heath issues that go along with it and still work full work weeks.

    I know right. They should take all their free money away and let the fat people starve to death hopefully. Then we really won't have to deal with them. /sarcasm

    I wonder why everyone thinks super morbidly obese people love being that big? Don't you ever factor in any other influences or psychological problems? You wouldn't tell an anorexic "Oh you did it to yourself, nobody told you not to eat!"
  • mzjandiace
    mzjandiace Posts: 162
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    Obesity is a tricky word. My sister just won her disability case and listed Obese as one of her ailments, my thing is she worked for over 40 years, and her knees have paid the price. So I think she does deserve to win her case because of the amount of time she worked, but the obese part is questionable disability.
  • snowgrrl83
    snowgrrl83 Posts: 242 Member
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    I don't think that obesity means disability, but I'm all about science... so I had to look up scientific articles on this issue and obesity has been found to hinder work production according to studies.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19445439

    ...and another interesting article about obesity and disability discrimination act.
    http://www.google.ca/url?q=http://www.radcliffe-oxford.com/books/samplechapter/0584/Williams%20chapt%2010-a158710rdz.pdf&sa=U&ei=5_fQT5_TPIWe6QHDo4V9&ved=0CBoQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNHaBRbhYjRnDXpubt23gkgYRqX6tQ

    True but it's an easily curable "disability" assuming it's not caused by other factors such as thyroid or necessary medication.
    Sadly, studies do not show that weight loss is an easily curable disability. :(
    - less than 10% of people who will lose weight will keep it off for more than 2 years.
    ...oh wait, how about I just link more scientific articles on this issue.

    The best thing is prevention!
    I bet not getting free money to be fat would help with weight loss. I know it's a struggle to lose weight and keep it off. I'm just saying we shouldn't support people because they abused themselves. I know many people that are extremely obese and have all the heath issues that go along with it and still work full work weeks.

    For the record - I never said we should or shouldn't support the obese getting disability checks...
    I think it depends on the circumstances, but generally speaking, I sure hope that you don't get disability simply because you're obese!

    Although some other conditions may arise from obesity (such as diabetes, heart conditions, etc.) and I sure hope that you can get disability if you have complicating factors... e.g. heading into a triple by-pass heart surgery!! .

    ..its sort of like saying "no disability for you, lung cancer patient, because you smoked!"
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    Just to add, if we're talking obese people lying to cheat the system then that's another issue. But there are some people so big to the point where its disabling. Its unfortunate of course and the best thing is prevention but once the person is already there what other option is there? If the person is so big that they're bed ridden how can they possibly go to work? Who would hire them too?
  • FLGatorGrl
    FLGatorGrl Posts: 33
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    Obesity does not equal Disability. All of the other issues that the obesity has now caused should not be considered as disability. Until someone shows that they truely have tried to lose the weight under a doctors care that is documented I do not think disability should be an option. Until we all start owning our errors in judgement this will never change.

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