Is obesity a CHOICE?

RGv2

So should there be jobs that can only be done by "thin" people?

There's a whole thread about using "unfit" personal trainers. Does that count?

velloxal

She overreacted. Because she is public figure doesn't mean she shouldn't be open to other people opinion.


We all know when we are overweight or obese. There are many reasons why we are in this place.
Sometimes we don't want to see when our body shape change or think we can be in good shape very quickly.
It's easy to put that kg on but very hard to lose. The older we get the harder it is.
When we are overweight we start getting health problems, sometimes they hold us back and it's harder to drop those unwanted baggage. Other thing is motivation. It's hard to exercise when you are out of shape, can't exercise for long and gasp for breath.

Angie_1991

I believe it is a choice..........

LordBear

i would say yes and no.... way back when..no matter what i did i cldnt lose weight... now im killing it... some times even if people belittle u..u dont realize ur overweight or obese... people can say it all day long but untill they get it thru their thick skulls they dont get it... and then there is the point where ok i know im overweight and i have the ability to do the work and effort and lose it or do i be lazy and sit on the couch and eat.

girl i know got pissed at me the other day just because i had asked her to go walking with me..

aliann30

Here's his FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE after all the media attention.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8835044

"Kenneth Krause stood by his statements and was apparently unmoved by the response. He declined an invitation to appear on the television station, and then issued the following statement.

"Given this country's present epidemic of obesity and the many truly horrible diseases related thereto, and considering Jennifer Livingston's fortuitous position in the community, I hope she'll finally take advantage of a rare and golden opportunity to influence the health and psychological well-being of Coulee region children by transforming herself for all of her viewers to see over the next year," he wrote. "And to that end, I would be absolutely pleased to offer her any advice or support she would be willing to accept."

That last sentence he says I think summarizes his state of mind. He clearly is insensitive and that final statement sounds like a final dig. Despite hearing Jennifer's personal situation (thyroid condition; she IS active, etc.), he doesn't truly care. He has zoned in on the fact that she still LOOKS fat and that appearance disgusts HIM and HE"S got to have it HIS way, because he is after all Master of the Universe. Interestingly, he declines to appears to on TV. He doesn't think we can handle seeing his perfect body.

Saw this last night as well...and I agree with you. I also saw a couple of articles that said he refused to provide his profession...I thought maybe if he's offering his help, he's a trainer or fitness expert of some sort and feels that that gives him the right to make comments about her appearance...but who knows?

I totally agree. He decided to leave with the final word, challenging her in front of an audience to do something about her weight. People are saying that this isn't bullying - I think he is trying to publicly shame her into conforming to whatever he thinks she's supposed to be. To me, that's a bully.

**AND I think what disgusts me the most is how many people are on his side. It just shows how judgmental and ignorant people really are.

tenkesh

I totally agree. He decided to leave with the final word, challenging her in front of an audience to do something about her weight. People are saying that this isn't bullying - I think he is trying to publicly shame her into conforming to whatever he thinks she's supposed to be. To me, that's a bully.

**AND I think what disgusts me the most is how many people are on his side. It just shows how judgmental and ignorant people really are.

I think it is blown way out of proportion and instead of demonizing the guy for his emails she should instead use this opportunity to show that something good can come out of **** storms like that and start living a healthier life, not for community, not for TV, not for this guy, but for herself and her family.

jericalily

Do people who have sex choose to get pregnant?
Do people who smoke choose to get lung cancer?
Do people who drive without a seatbelt choose to get ejected from their car?
Do people who have unprotected sex choose to get an STD?
Do black people who walk around in white neighborhoods choose to get jumped?
Do women who wear short skirts choose to be raped?
Do gays who come out choose to be attacked?
Do people who speed on the road choose to have "on purposes" (instead of accidents)?

No one is consciously choosing these outcomes. And when it comes to food, no one can say how one food or one meal absolutely WILL affect a given person. Person A can eat a candy bar and gain a pound. Person B can eat the same candy bar and not gain an ounce. Some people blame the food: if candy wasn't available, people wouldn't be obese!

But wait, there's more:

If only X, people would not be/would be X!

Fill in the X's to your heart's content.

People don't go into things hoping for a negative outcome (unless you've got mental problems but if you're fat with mental problems then people will see your fat as the problem and your mental problems as something easily overcome.)

It's so simple, though: Eat less, exercise more. That's the key to everyone's beauty and perfection, right?

So like, if people would stop having sex, we wouldn't have abortions. YAY!
If people would stop smoking, there'd be no lung cancer. Yay!
If people wore seatbelts, they would never get ejected from a crash. Yay!
If gays stayed in the closet they would not be attacked! YAy!
If black people stayed out of white neighborhoods, they wouldn't get jumped! Yay!
If women covered up, they wouldn't get raped. YAy!

Does anyone see how ridiculous this is?

Let's look at it from a "health" perspective:

A fat person and a thin person eat the exact same diet. The fat person gets fatter because of their body chemistry. The thin person remains thin. Yet we attack the fat person as if they have done something tantamount to murdering puppies. Now let's say the thin person then goes out after dinner and has unprotected sex and gets AIDS or herpes etc and drives home without a seatbelt on and then has a smoke.

Is anyone going to be attacking the thin person for their choices? Nope. Because why? We can't SEE their choices and their choices haven't made them UGLY (at least not yet;). All this so called "health" crap is really "anti-ugly" stuff. If you're not attractive, you're not afforded simple human rights. Your lifestyle is up for judgement, your food, your body, everything about you.

But you can be thin, hide all of your ugliness and people will never have a problem with how you live your life. It is nice being able to hide it. Which is why when people say "Why would anyone choose to be gay?" I have to ask, Why would anyone choose to be fat?

Considering that every body is different and different bodies react differently to different things, why are we making obese people pariahs and spreading hate? Telling them they are responsible for people being fat in general. Telling them they should change. CHANGE. I don't go up to people on the street and tell them to CHANGE. I don't demand anyone to be a "role model" for anyone else. Besides, does everyone in the public eye have to be a role model? Seriously? And you look to your local NEWS ANCHOR for that kind of thing?

"Now sally, I want you to be just like that newswoman OMG WHAT A BAD ROLE MODEL LOOK AWAY SALLY LOOK AWAY!"

Come on. I don't want my child modeling herself after ANY news anchor and it's not because of what they look like.

So yeah this is a novel.

We choose what to put in our mouths but when does that become someone else's business? We also choose what to put in our other orifices and would scream bloody murder before allowing anyone to restrict THOSE activities.

Are we talking about health or are we talking about how fat is ugly and we don't want to look at fat make it go away? Because skinny people can be lazy, stuff their faces, eat crap all day long like french fries and candy bars, not exercise at all, rarely touch a vegetable, and never get a checkup. They can be just as unhealthy, gross, lazy and slobby. I should know because I'm married to one of those skinny people. But yay at least he's SKINNY because that's all that matters. And I guess he CHOSE to be skinny with that lifestyle, right?

jericalily

I believe it is a choice..........

if obesity is a choice then my husband who eats MCDonald's constantly, never gets his bloodwork done, rarely eats veggies (and only the starchy kind when he does), is so lazy he refuses to clean, mow the lawn, cut the hedges, shovel snow in winter or pretty much MOVE in any direction (all stuff I, the "fatty" DO instead), and eats candy and cake and pie -- CHOSE to be skinny. Because he's freaking underweight.

Explain his choice to me, please. How exactly has he chosen to be skinny when all of his efforts seem to point to a DESIRE to be fat?

pabisc

I'm just going to put it out there: perhaps not a conscious choice.

Only recently I discovered what my subconscious choice of remaining obese and unhealthy was all about - security and protection. I would also eat out of boredom or to stay awake - and I'm still struggling with those issues.

Sometimes we need to find out what generates our need for food before we can deprogram ourselves from those triggers. It's like a twelve-step program - first you have to get out of your denial you have a problem before you can work on the problem.

cdpark617

For me it is a choice. I know this isn't true about everyone, but I will lose as much weight as I choose to or be as heavy as I let myself be.

JennaM222

I believe as a young adult, yes it is a choice. expecially people 18+ who are adults making their own decisions.

Katalyst77

My son showed me this clip and I thought it was fabulous. When you see someone, you do not know where they are on their journey, what struggles they face, and what they are doing about it. The fact that obesity is such a target for bullying is real, and for some reason people think it is OK to be mean to someone just because of their weight. This anchor addressed the society attitude head on and she was clear, concise and very brave to do it.

Every one should be a healthy weight. No one should smoke. Motorcyclists should always wear helmets. Kids shouldn't run around barefoot in rocky ground. People should get colonoscopies regularly. There are all kinds of 'shoulds' about how we should be safer, healthier, smarter. But bottom line, making that choice or avoiding it, does not affect a persons worth or right to be treated with respect.

Well said!!! I dont think any sane person mindfully chooses to be obese. It happens because we aren't being mindful and we don't all have the kind of metabolism that will let us get away with that.

Snoopaloop63

Every day we are faced with constant choices. If you keep chosing to eat unhealthy then you will be unhealthy. Some people have a medical condition and some have psychological conditions, but many times both types of conditions are caused by poor diet in the first place (not always). When I was eating poorly I was depressed and had anxiety attacks, I in turn ate food to "feel good".

I would say yes I chose to gain 45 pounds

Now I try every day to make the choices that will make me 45 pounds lighter

hpsnickers1

No, it isn't a choice per say. Obesity isn't a behavioral problem. It's a broken metabolism that can be caused by numerous things in today's toxic environment. And if the nutritional experts, doctors and scientists (not to mention the government) would get past this maybe then we could figure out what is causing the breakdown inside the body.


Teens have a constant appetite - this is advertised to on TV. They are supposed to overeat because they need it for a growing body. Why is it when they are skinny and eat all the time they just have a big appetite ("he's a growing boy") yet if they are obese and eat all the time it's because they can't help themselves?

In my opinion sugar and wheat just make you want to eat more sugar and wheat. And I repeat myself: this is my opinion.

AmberJo1984

I would never say based on looking at someone that they chose to be obese. This anchor for a local TV station received a private email from a viewer who confronted her that she was a bad role model because of her weight. You can hear her on air response here. This is a difficult and challenging topic as our society tries to solve the obesity epidemic. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUOpqd0rQSo&sns=fb

There are some people who have medical issues that cause them to be overweight. I would never judge someone based on their size. However... for the most part, people CHOOSE what to eat.... which results in larger sizes. So, while they may not choose to be obese, they are more often than not causing themselves to be overweight.

slkehl

It depends. I've done nutrition counseling in low income areas, and there are people that seriously lack basic nutritional knowledge. Many people also don't know how to stay within a budget and eat healthy, or how to exercise in a dangerous neighborhood. Once people do understand how to feasibly eat right, then there's not much of an excuse.

zebisis

Being obese stems from addiction. Smokers, drug addicts, alcoholics- you may choose to take that first taste, but once you are addicted, it is more than a simple "choice" to turn things around.
Back when I was drinking daily, I knew I didn't *want* to drink, but to function on a daily basis I had to. That was, until I was able to orchestrate my life to where I could get some help.
Then there is the genetic aspect. Some of us are more predisposed to addictions of all kinds.

Often there are also deep seeded issues that are the driving force behind someone's weight issues. Like the woman who overeats because she was raped over and over as a child- she keeps the pounds on as a way to distance herself from those of the opposite sex. A layer of protection, if you will.
Or the boy who was always hungry as a child, never allowed to have more than one meal a day, and never seconds, now is compelled to have extra food all the time because being hungry brings him back to a state of panic. Those issues regarding past traumas have often never been addressed, and the weight is just a symptom of much bigger, more complex issues.
So, be careful not to judge- don't jump to "just don't eat that fatty, make a better choice". You can never know the entire story at first glance or cover everyone in the same giant blanket of shame.



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katescurios

I am Obese, I certainly did not make a conscious decision to be this way. I have always gained weight very easily and found it extremely diffcult to lose weight when I have tried.

I found out a few months ago that I'm insulin resistant and have PCOS, which is why I gain weight so easily. I am now losing weight but only by virtually eliminating carbs from my diet. If I hadn't found this out I still would have been stuck in a rut regarding weight loss as I would not have gone down the very low carb route.

So no I don't think that obesity is a choice for me, and don't really think it is a choice for anyone. but I do think that people allow themselves to become overweight and don't address it as early as they should.

LoriBeMe

I believe that most of the time it is a choice. Not that someone sets out to be over 100 lbs. overweight, but by their own poor dietary choices have become obese. I know that sometimes there are medical reasons but I believe that the majority of the time it is not due to a medical issue.

2cents

rhinesb

I wasn't planning to respond but a thought crossed my mind and I can't let it go.

So is obesity a choice? Yes and No.

So is being skinny a choice? Yes and No.

I have seen fat people stuff their face. I once saw a morbidly obese man at Arby's eat four roastbeef with melted cheese sandwiches and two extralarge curly fries. That is a hell of a lot of food. Was he making a choice to be fat? Yeah he was.

I have seen fat people who ate normal healthy meals and were pretty active (not marathon active but walking the dog every day and hiking on the weekend). And yet she was still fat. Did she choose to be fat? I do not believe that she did.

I have seen skinny people who were only skinny because they starved themselves and hopped themselves on drugs to keep themselves as thin as possible. Did she choose to be skinny? Yes she did.

And I've seen skinny people who can eat whatever the hell they want all day long and not gain a pound. Seriously not joking and I am entirely jealous of it too. Did they choose to be skinny? No they did not. And many of them wish they could put on a little weight.



What gets me is that people seem to think it is ok to label everyone with the same brush. NO everyone is not fat by choice. And even those who over-eat or select foods high in calories may still not be choosing to be fat. There are so many different reasons why some of us gain weight that it is wrong to tell others well you chose to be fat so suck it up and choose to be skinny.

b3ll3gurl

Barring any real medical issue, such as thyroid issue or whatever, yes, it's a choice to be big. There are variations though. I have a Samoan friend, he can lose weight, but his small is bigger than I've ever been in my life. Lol. So, it's all relative. But, I think for the most part, it is a choice. For the vast majority of people, if they eat a reasonably clean diet 90% of the time, and get a decent amount of exercise, they would be fine and healthy.

I have been this weight since I started here. Only to go up and down 10 lb to 15 lb loss. According to the BMI I have 100 lbs to lose.

I am a dancer, I work out regularly hard core not just walking, don't have a sit down job, and I don't go over my calories. I am never even close. I just found this thread to see if Samoans can't lose weight. I am half.

I didn't just discover eating sensibly or working out yesterday. This was just another something I thought I would try. My mother is a thin and never had junk in the house when I was a child. You won't find it in my house either. Plus, I was an athlete as a child. I was really good at it.

Point is my life is hardly sedentary. Just because yours was does not mean that everyone who is overweight or obese is the same.

I am really clueless how I got this way. My clue is I probably have to move 16 hours a day like my ancestors did.

mabelbabel1

I think for me yes, maybe at the time I wasn't consciously thinking "I'm going to make myself obese", but I only ever over eat, binge when I have felt low, emotional, stressed, worthless.
I have deliberately done this as a kind of form of self harm (this has only just occured to me). I would be feeling bad, upset, hurt etc and think *u*k it....it doesn't matter, I don't care....and I would eat and eat and eat.

When I'm not stressed or upset it would never occur to me to behave in this way....sadly the results of bad eating last a lot longer than a few months or so of feeling down.

So, no, I never wanted to be in this position....but it is of my own deliberate doing.

Hope that ramble makes sense :ohwell:

LiftAllThePizzas

tagging to read later on my phone.

nomeejerome

tagging to read later on my phone.

You have been tagging a bunch of old threads. That is going to be a lot of reading on your phone.

ldrosophila

grave digger

LiminalAscendance

Well, some say there's a such thing as being "addicted" to food.
If this were the case, such poor afflicted souls would certainly have no choice in the matter.

I don't believe in such a ridiculous concept, however.
Obesity is most definitely a choice.

lithezebra

Considering the mountain of scientific data about how hormones, genes, stress, sleep, and even the microbes living in your gut, affect body weight, I think that obesity is at least partly NOT a choice. It's an interaction of genes, environment, and choices. Some people have a much tougher fight to maintain a healthy weight than other people do, even if they make healthy choices about food and exercise.

ElliottTN

I believe it relates more as plain ignorance initially than choice then slides into the end result. I mean, I see what is said around here on a daily basis and sometimes I just...I dunno..and these are people who are actively out looking for a better way. Imagine those who its just not on their priority list.

leaaa92

Wow, that video is so powerful. Although I don't believe being obese is healthy at all, it's her life and her choices. I don't see how anyone could have the heart to send that message to her.

As for myself, I am obese. It really hit me when I got to 200 lbs that it's not okay. I was slowly but literally killing myself. And I'm only 21 for goodness sake! So, I'm committed to eating healthy now, losing weight little by little. When I have kids, I want them to look up to me and I want to be a good example for them.

Prettypedalpower

I didn't chose to be obese. I ws a healthy weight into my twenties. I was then diagnosed bi polar. The cocktail of drugs they gave me to make me normal!! Destroyed me. I lost all my enthusiasm for life any sparkle I had and the weight just piled on over the yrs. I decided if rather be barking mad than fat when I had a time of clarity. I have up the meds and started to try to get a life back not an existence. You have no idea why some people are over weight. Its not always a case of its just what they eat.