Please don't be offended...

gust1247

This is a genuine question I am asking because I am very interested in obesity and morbid obesity, specifically WHY and HOW. I am also a nursing student, and I understand that factors X, Y, and Z play into obesity. But here is my question, and I would really appreciate honest answers from people who truly understand:

How does a person "let" himself or herself become so heavy? How and why does a person put on 300, 400, 500 pounds? I just do not understand and would really like to "get it" so in the future, as a nurse, I can better help those struggling with this issue.

Thank you

-Nicole

Ready2BHealthyNFit

I am not obese, morbidly obese, or even over weight. I just need to tone up and maybe lose a couple lbs. However, I can see how it happens. How people "let" themselves get that way. It isn't the same reason for everyone though. Here are some of the reasons I have noticed over time by knowing people that are obese.

1. Lifestyle: They grew up eating food, and lots of it. It doesn't even have to be "junk" food, they just consume way too many calories because that is what they have always done. I had a couple of friends like this. I could easily be this person too, but was blessed with a decent metabolism and now I just know better.

2. Depression: Some people use food to fill a void and to make themselves feel better. They also quit caring about their appearance, they think they aren't worth it.... so why put in the effort to exercise and work off what they are eating.

3. The weight came on for various reasons and it's just too hard to get it back off: Be it pregnancy, something medical came up (surgery, sickness) that made them gain weight. Again, its too hard to get it off so that individual just accepts who they are now and moves on with life.

I don't think anyone "lets" themselves get like that. I think that a lot of people grow up not understanding the importance of eating right and staying fit. Then they wake up one morning and think, where the heck did all this come from?

Like I said I don't know from personal experience but I could easily fit into the first 2 categories, and I know at least 1 person that fits into each.

chicago_dad

that's more of a psychology and sociology question. probably for a host of reasons, but question why / how people become so addicted to gambling that they lose all their money, or addicted to meth, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. people tend to do that. it happens.

MyaPapaya75

As a nurse I think you know there are medical factors that also play a role in people being over weight as well as for myself ..I was undiagnosed with an inactive thyroid for years while having no insurance and Always being active and eating fairly healthy

AprilRN10

You will learn in school about why. Eating becomes an addiction. Yep, psych.

steadk

First, the definition of obesity is very vague as a person my size (5'1" and 205) is "morbidly obese" even though i'm porportionate.. and ive never put on 300 pounds.. but at some point you stop caring.. and you use food as your wall to keep yourself from being hurt. some of it is genetics.. as i've always been the bigger girl in all my classes. also, i wasn't taught proper food habits. so there's many factors that are different for everybody..

mfpcopine

Read responses later.

Sublog

This is a genuine question I am asking because I am very interested in obesity and morbid obesity, specifically WHY and HOW. I am also a nursing student, and I understand that factors X, Y, and Z play into obesity. But here is my question, and I would really appreciate honest answers from people who truly understand:

How does a person "let" himself or herself become so heavy? How and why does a person put on 300, 400, 500 pounds? I just do not understand and would really like to "get it" so in the future, as a nurse, I can better help those struggling with this issue.

Thank you

-Nicole

Not caring about how I looked. You gain slowly, 10-15 lbs per year. Over the span of years of overeating, you look up and you've gained a lot of weight. I gained 140 lbs over a 11 year span.

spicyginger2006

i really like what ready2bhealthy said. i agree with all over those reasons. i think just how you are brought up, things that have happened to you in your life, whether they be traumatic or not- those things ALONE are such a huge part of it.

i am almost 300 pounds. the reasons i am fat is because when i was growing up, my family was really poor. my mother made us eat everything off our plates, she did not want us to waste food. she also hid food and didn't let us have junk, making me sneaky about it. those reasons alone have so much to do with how i am today. i am the same way and do not like to waste food, always clean my plate, and still do this days feel "guilty" when having junk food.

being over-weight and obese or whatever has so much more than simply having no control. its literally an addiction for some, and food is the only way they can cope with things.

i hope this helps you understand a little better and have compassion !

crabbyab90

First, the definition of obesity is very vague as a person my size (5'1" and 205) is "morbidly obese" even though i'm porportionate.. and ive never put on 300 pounds.. but at some point you stop caring.. and you use food as your wall to keep yourself from being hurt. some of it is genetics.. as i've always been the bigger girl in all my classes. also, i wasn't taught proper food habits. so there's many factors that are different for everybody..

Exactly. I'm 5'3" and 226lbs. I was an emotional eater and went through a few rough years and put on 40lbs. Then it was hard to care.

BrienBear

For me, a couple reasons.

#1, I was fairly content in my life. So I ate what I wanted, and didn't give a *insert random obscenity here* about my weight. I've always been chubby to husky my entire life. After 21, it was all downhill from there. I hit 320 and finally said "oh hell. I should probably do something about this." There wasn't anything that was specific, like high blood pressure, etc. I just kinda stopped and realized that maybe this wasn't the best.

I've always figured 100% of life ends in death - might as well enjoy it how I want to. Now rather than wanting to eat whatever I want, I want to ride roller coasters. So that's my next journey. Right now I can fit into all Disney rides, so my next step is Universal Studios rides, and i'll work my way down til I can fit into Six Flags and Cedar Point rides

I'll never be a toned, fit, exercise-religiously kinda guy. That's not fun to me, and I don't want to live like that. But I think being healthier isn't a bad thing at all.

Amberonamission

For me, I've always been a foodie. Went to Culinary School. Worked with food, wrote a cookbook.. Lived my life all about food.

Then I had a tragic accident that robbed me of 75% of my sight, which lead to depression and more weight gain. It is going to be a long walk back to good health.

I am turning my food addiction into an addiction of making all my favorite things into super healthy meals.

TexasRattlesnake

For me it was a combination of things:

1) My mother prepared very unhealthy foods that would feed about 20 people... and there were 4 of us. So we would eat and eat and eat. Lots of calories and growing up in dawn of the video game age with limited activity packed on weight pretty well as a kid.

2) As I got older I got very active in football (coaches love to put a stocky and strong fat kid on the line) so I was able to maintain my weight for years but granted I had to eat more to do so due to the increase in activity. After my playing days were done, the activity level decreased again but the caloric intake didn't. I blew up to my highest weight which I estimate to be around 485 pounds.

I made somewhat healthier changes and got down to my playing weight (around 330) which is what I maintained and carried around for years because it just felt normal to me. I've yo-yo'ed a couple of times in the last couple of years, but overall I'm down around 50 pounds from what I walked around at and 30 pounds since the end of June.

I carry my weight well, but it's because I was heavy all my life and my body just adapted to that.

I hope you're able to help people reach their goals... good luck!

RobinvdM

Usually no one LETS themselves get overweight.

Some ppl have been overweight since childhood thanks to overindulging parents who think 2nd at every meal should happen and should be as large portionwise as firsts. Educate parents on better food choices.

Some people are undereducated as far as food choices, budgeting options, and consequences of picking fried foods over baked (a poor example, but you see what I mean.) Educate folks on better food choices within their budgets as well as an overall food consultation on basic nutrition, like a dietitian would.

Some folks have emotional drives for eating and don't consciously connect the dots that emotional binge eating equals weight gain which equals depression which equals emotional binge eating. Vicious spiral. Suggest psych counciling to help address issues and/or find different coping strategies like light/moderate exercise (walking, etc)

Some people see they are overweight and give up promptly at trying to live better, the higher the number the more prone they are to thinking they will be unsuccessful. Education AND a healthy support system could help this.

**disclaimer: Not stating scientific facts, just stating what I believe to be the causes of obesity based on my own experiences prior to Jan 2012 My first conviction is a proper education could save people a lot of weight gain AND a lot of money since quite a few people think eating name brand health foods is the only way to be successful at eating better.

Spartan_Maker

People often find comfort in food when they are profoundly depressed.

shellydd

i am also a nurse. and i think the answer you are looking for is, empathy. empathy can only come when the person is non-judgemental. there are several factors to consider when looking at why people "let themselves" go. complacency, depression, lonliness, fear, emotional abuse, health issues, genetic factors, low self esteem and the list goes on.....all play a factor. sometimes they play alone and sometimes together.
i've never met someone who has said....i want to be fat. i have known people to have self esteem issues and avoid being "attractive" for fear of rejection from the opposite sex.
i have known people who eat very few daily calories and remain "thick". they are also the people who have under or un-diagnosed medical conditions.
in a nutshell....giving my 2 cents and then some.....i can say this........don't judge a book by it's cover. get to know the person you are assessing before making the assumption they are overweight for no reason. just as with anything in medicine....there is always an underlying factor.
BTW....my field of practice is mental health.

MouseFood

As a nurse, I think it'd be GREAT for you to understand that for MANY people (not all!) ... it's an addiction. Like alcoholics, smokers, drug abusers, shopaholics ....

For many people, like me, depression can lead to eating disorders like binge eating, bulimia, and anorexia. And just because there isn't a specific official name for every 'eating disorder,' doesn't mean some are not as serious or dangerous as others.

As I said, this is NOT the reason for everyone, but I think it is for many.

Lots of people loathe the way they look, feel, etc about being so overweight, but it's a vicious cycle when you are depressed and have an ED. You hate the way you feel and look which leads you to eat more, and thus gain more, and thus hate how you look and feel even more.

Quitting is nearly impossible... just as with drugs / alcohol, the first step is to 'admit you have a problem'

It's VERY hard.

JenniBaby85

I was almost 300lbs. PCOS (insulin resistance), hypothyroidism, and severe depression were what got me there. I got treated for the insulin and thyroid, and the depression left, and I lost 25 lbs in 1-2months time. Then I got pregnant with my first, and threw up for the whole pregnancy, (hyperemesis gravidarum) so that brought my weight down a lot. Now it's finally coming off naturally and healthily.

So yeah, it's not that I "let it" happen. Which should prove true by the extreme weight loss as soon as I got treated for those. Depression kicks in sometimes, but I do not use depression as an excuse for over eating anymore.

gators1378

Here is the how obesity is a illness just like alcoholism! It is not a new topic at all the bible talks about it as a deadly sin, gluttony! But see our world ignores the issues of this and it has been accepted! So if you or anyone suffers from being a sinner should understand! We all have our problems see gluttony is one that is worn on the outside!

trud72

i know it's a REALLLLLY stupid thing to say it makes no difference what size you are(if you are over weight) that you know you are a little over weight but you just don't realise how bad you really are, you have blinkers on! :noway:

cliff948

For me it is the sedatary lifestyle (when involved in a project I can sit in front of a compter sceen for hours without getting up) and what is now called 'carb sensativity'. My body treats carbs as jewels to be put away for when the famine comes, that the famine does not come just means more gets put into storage.
My beloved wife who passed away in March 2012 was a tiny thing weighing barely 100 pounds @5'2". But if we went to a all-u-can-eat place she would outeat me by three or four platefuls, especially desserts. And she would sit at her sewing machine for hours then get up and go to a meeting where she would sit for several more hours.
Long winded answer that boils down to it is a combination of nature & nuture, and how the two intertwine. IMHO
Cliff {:{)