I just don't care about the 'obesity epidemic'

Options
1…1718202223

Replies

  • gallowglasslass
    gallowglasslass Posts: 19 Member
    Options


    How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?

    Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

    Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.

    In the case of the specialized equipment in a hospital: who's forcing you to look? If you don't need it, you don't need to look at it. That should end the affront to your eyes, no?

    The equipment must be paid for, and the cost is not entirely borne by the obese patients themselves. I think the point was the affront to the pocketbook, not the eyes.

    That's a short sighted view of hospital care. If that reasoning stands, then I should not have to pay for a hospital to be prepared to treat a diabetic - for luckily, I am not one. Nor, should I have to chip in to pay for respiratory equipment - for my lungs, at present, are healthy. It's the cost of treating all patients.

    Just to clarify for the record, I personally believe that medical costs should be shared among as many people as possible. The healthy should pay the same as the ill, and not just because their day will come to be the sick one - healthcare should be a basic right in civilised society. But supporting socialised healthcare does not mean that I am unaware of how costs are affected by the general health of the population.

    In my opinion, I would not consider extreme obesity to be the same thing as diabetes or respiratory problems (unless the problem is, say, emphysema brought on by years of smoking). Overweight to the point at which specialised equipment is needed is usually the result of disordered eating, much the same as weighing 75 pounds is usually the result of disordered eating. Paying for bariatric equipment is, to my mind, the same as paying for special wards and refeeding programmes for anorectics. And yes, I support paying for both.

    Unfortunately obese patients are less likely than underweight ones to be given the sort of therapeutic intervention that addresses the cause of their eating disorder. I suspect it would not always help - in the same way that a shocking percentage of people die from incurable anorexia, many people with overeating problems would not be able to overcome them despite increasing health consequences. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
  • MichMunchkin
    MichMunchkin Posts: 94 Member
    Options


    How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?

    Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

    Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.

    In the case of the specialized equipment in a hospital: who's forcing you to look? If you don't need it, you don't need to look at it. That should end the affront to your eyes, no?

    The equipment must be paid for, and the cost is not entirely borne by the obese patients themselves. I think the point was the affront to the pocketbook, not the eyes.

    This obsession that Americans seem to have with OMG MAH TAX DOLLARS is really intriguing to me. I often wonder if it extends to other conditions as well.

    I don't know. I just....okay, I look at it like this. My father smoked for thirty-five years. He's now 66 years old and suffers from COPD, sleep apnea and congestive heart failure. I guess he would most likely attract the disgust and derision of many commenting in this thread, because he also happens to be overweight. Has he always been overweight? No. But his conditions have left his mobility severely impaired, and he can barely get around the house, let alone do any sort of meaningful exercise. In addition, the medications he takes each day to keep his lungs functioning even at the low level they are cause him to retain fluid and gain weight (yay for massive amounts of steroids!)

    Are his conditions his "fault"? Yeah, probably. And he's well aware of that, no one needs to remind him. But I still....I can't imagine looking at him and actually pointing my finger at him and saying, "Well, don't expect any sympathy from me!" And yes, he has had to make use of special bariatric equipment at our local hospital. Yes, he is on a seniors' drug plan in our province (which supplements the private insurance that, thankfully, my parents do have.) And I am extremely grateful to know that, even if they did not have private insurance, he would still be able to access the treatment he needs.

    I have a feeling that most of the people in this thread who are so concerned about where their tax dollars are being spent have not had to deal with a family member or other loved one who, yes, is overweight, but is that way because of circumstances largely outside of their control. All this talk about "fatties" on airplanes and how dare they infringe on my space and all that....did you ever stop to think that maybe that "fatty" is fighting a battle you don't know anything about?

    I know this comment is going to do nothing but draw out those who will insist that I am being too sensitive, that the situation I'm speaking of is rare. But it's probably not as rare as you think, and I don't think it hurts anyone to be a little human sometimes. I've heard way too many snickers and seen too many pointing fingers on the rare occasion that I take my father to the grocery store and we park in the handicapped space (yes, he has a placard). I know what they're thinking: "Being fat and lazy is not a disability". But they don't know the full story, and they don't care to know, because it's easier to just be an ignorant *kitten*.
  • 1ZenGirl
    1ZenGirl Posts: 432 Member
    Options


    How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?

    This is a discriminating comment made by utter ignorance and thoughtlessness. Something the American public see as quite normal, from what I gather, but very damaging. Also a certain political viewpoint is characteristic of such a statement, which I will stay well clear off. Good bye.
    Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

    Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.

    Clearly you have not read the recent posts on "1200 calorie a day works" or "why are people so mean?" if you consider this thread offensive. I have just sat here and read the entire 16 pages (currently) of fascinating debate and THIS is the thread you decide to slam and report? You have no idea what you are even talking about. Get a thicker skin, join the debate and quit JUDGING the very people you claim are judging others. UNbelievable.
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    Options

    How does your curvy/chubby/fat/obese neighbor affect you?
    Try getting on a bus, or a long plane ride and having a person who is obese sitting next to you. Spilling OVER you.

    Try going into a hospital and seeing all the specialized bariatric equipment.
    In the case of the specialized equipment in a hospital: who's forcing you to look? If you don't need it, you don't need to look at it. That should end the affront to your eyes, no?
    The equipment must be paid for, and the cost is not entirely borne by the obese patients themselves. I think the point was the affront to the pocketbook, not the eyes.
    This obsession that Americans seem to have with OMG MAH TAX DOLLARS is really intriguing to me. I often wonder if it extends to other conditions as well.

    My father smoked for thirty-five years. He's now 66 years old and suffers from COPD, sleep apnea and congestive heart failure. I guess he would most likely attract the disgust and derision of many commenting in this thread, because he also happens to be overweight...

    All this talk about "fatties" on airplanes and how dare they infringe on my space and all that....did you ever stop to think that maybe that "fatty" is fighting a battle you don't know anything about?

    I sympathize with having an ill parent (I am dealing with a terminally ill parent myself). I am sorry you have had to deal with rude people when parking the car - I have had similar situations with my parent (who then lifted up his shirt to show the bags and wires attached).

    The main reason I care about the obesity epidemic is because poor dietary habits are overtaking/have overtaken smoking as the main cause of preventable death.

    http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/07/poor-dietary-habits-are-killing-people/#.UoGG2u_iG7s

    But as for "fatty" on a plane/bus/train;

    I don't accept people invading my personal space/touching me in other situations (i.e just because they are drunk or stupid or socially unaware) - why should I accept it because someone eats too much? Especially for a long haul flight or bus trip.

    Sure, I consider the fact that they might have issues, but mostly I am highly irritated that they make it MY issue by getting into my personal space uninvited.

    The OP asked how my neighbour's obesity affects me - that's how.
  • gallowglasslass
    gallowglasslass Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    This obsession that Americans seem to have with OMG MAH TAX DOLLARS is really intriguing to me. I often wonder if it extends to other conditions as well.
    Congratulations, you at least added an insult about American accents to your general slur against American people. Points for originality.
    it's easier to just be an ignorant *kitten*.
    You don't say.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    Options
    Are his conditions his "fault"? Yeah, probably. And he's well aware of that, no one needs to remind him. But I still....I can't imagine looking at him and actually pointing my finger at him and saying, "Well, don't expect any sympathy from me!"

    Exactly, and this is where I think we need to draw the line between being concerned about an issue and blaming individual people. I believe we can have the first without the second.
  • fitfreakymom
    fitfreakymom Posts: 1,400 Member
    Options
    Tax dollars. :grumble:

    So you wouldn't have to pay taxes anymore if everyone were thin and healthy?

    It cost a lot medically which then cost more in tax dollars, with all the diseases from smoking and obesity it is getting a bit much when those tax dollars could go elsewhere, other than that I could care less what others eat.
  • fitfreakymom
    fitfreakymom Posts: 1,400 Member
    Options
    well in the UK here we all pay a fortune to the NHS - and the overweight people are the ones with health issues clogging up the system. So yes - it affects us.
    it also affects us if we are parents and we want our children to grow healthy and strong and don't want them to think its ok to be obese and inactive - we want good examples and education around our kids.
    we live in a society. Its ridiculous to say what we all do doesn't have flow on effects to each other.

    No wo/man is an island, as they say!

    No skinny people with health issues? The UK must be a magical place. Just the fatties "clogging" the healthcare system with their fat. So I can't be fat because your kid might think it's ok to be fat? Seriously? In other words fat people are bad because their ruining your idea of what society should be?

    people that smoke and drink to much come in all sizes and cause health issues to,I think that if people have medical issues due to their lifestyle choice then maybe they should pay for a portion of they're medical bills out of their own pocket to alleviate some of the cost for people who do not have life styles that affect their health in a negative way.
  • arcana7609
    arcana7609 Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    I am not sure how you can read what I am saying and see hate. I have zero hate. Frustration perhaps with all the negativity in the world, especially towards fat people. I didn't say being obese isn't unhealthy. I said it's possible to be obese and healthy. I think every body shape is a good shape. They're just shapes.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Options
    Obese people cost 40% more a year in health care related expenses than a "normal" weight person. As a rule they do not pay more for health insurance than a "normal" size person, i.e., there is a cost that is spread to people who can push away from the table. Statistically obese people call in "sick" to work more often and file more workers comp claims (not to mention health care workers who are injured taking care of obese patients-happens all the time), so again, money.

    It isn't about aesthetics, it's about money.

    This. Be educated before starting rants like this in MFP forums. It'll only lead to attacks ;)

    Lol. Ditto to you. It's funny what people will do with math and statistics when they don't know how to use them.


    Question for you (since you claim to be educated). What % cost increase across the board does that 40% increase per fatty translate to?

    Surely you don't think that it translates to a straight 40% increase in health care costs accross the board right? I mean you are educated so you must know that.

    If so.. what is the cost increase to us all that is attributed directly to obesity? That would be a number I am interested in. Could you please use your education to calculate that?

    40% more for each fatty. How many fatties are we talking about? Do they all dip into that cost increase every year? How many of them have high deductible health plans? How many have an MCO or PPO plan? What about privately insured patients? How about the uninsured or undocumented free care pool? Also, give us the Medicaid number...


    Please... educate us.


    (Pro tip: Ignore every statistic you heard about and do some math. I can guarantee that 100% of the time, 50% of every statistic is a lie. Even this one)

    cause what this person wrote is just pure awesomeness I have to bump it down again before I kick a puppy (hypothetically) over the "my taxes" debate (imagine me saying "my taxes" in the most hillbilly way possible) emerging again.

    PS-morbidly obese person here who pays her premiums and deductibles. How much have I cost all you "my taxes" people?
  • MichMunchkin
    MichMunchkin Posts: 94 Member
    Options
    Are his conditions his "fault"? Yeah, probably. And he's well aware of that, no one needs to remind him. But I still....I can't imagine looking at him and actually pointing my finger at him and saying, "Well, don't expect any sympathy from me!"

    Exactly, and this is where I think we need to draw the line between being concerned about an issue and blaming individual people. I believe we can have the first without the second.

    Personally, I think that a lot of people who have conditions who are "their fault" are perfectly aware of that fact. (Well, actually, probably ALL of them are.) I just don't see the point of beating them over the head with it. People can be concerned about an issue without being condescending and ignorant about it, can't they? I mean, some of the attitudes I've experienced personally from dealing with my father's conditions show very clearly that people seem to be more "disgusted" by what they can physically see than concerned about the conditions they don't even know he has just by looking at him. You look at him, and you see a very overweight man. You don't see his severely diminished lung function. You don't see that his heart can't adequately pump blood through his body. You can't see that he needs to be hooked to a machine when he sleeps so he doesn't stop breathing dozens of times during the night. You just see a "fatty", and it just seems like no one is "concerned" enough to find out the difference.
  • fitfreakymom
    fitfreakymom Posts: 1,400 Member
    Options
    We should definitely educate children about nutrition much more effectively than we do now, and we should not allow junk food in schools. And I also think that nutritional information should be much more front-and-center at restaurants. Some restaurants don't provide it at all, as I well know from trying to estimate calories from eating out (pain in the a__ :grumble: ).
    When I was in school in the 60's and 70's, I was and a few others were the fat kids that everyone else made fun of. Now, everywhere you look there are obese children.

    Many restaurants do have calorie information on their menus now. Those restaurant calorie counts can be eye-opening at times.

    not to mention the kids menu is actual portion sizes for adults! and our portion sizes are big enough to more than feed two adults. This is why I find it hard to eat out because the servings are massive and really not necessary.
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!

    Someone doesn't seem to know how to travel.
    You had a car but were cooped up in a Holiday Inn? I don't get it.
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!

    Someone doesn't seem to know how to travel.
    You had a car but were cooped up in a Holiday Inn? I don't get it.

    I don't expect you to 'get it' from an American viewpoint.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!

    Wow, America is pretty terrible, huh? I visited Syria in the 90's and was regularly groped by strangers on the street, wasn't allowed out in public without a man to escort me, and had to wear a burka before visiting a mosque, and I still had a better time that you did in the US.

    But we digress.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!

    Funny how different our experiences were.

    Did you check out public transit or taking the highway to a different part of California? It's beautiful there.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!

    Someone doesn't seem to know how to travel.
    You had a car but were cooped up in a Holiday Inn? I don't get it.

    I don't expect you to 'get it' from an American viewpoint.

    I am at a loss as to why you would choose the US for a holiday. Why not travel to places you will enjoy?
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!

    I don't know if you've looked at a map lately, but the US is a HUGE place.

    You chose one of the largest and fastest-paced cities in which to vacation. I'm not sure you made a wise choice for someone who enjoys leisurely drives.

    Your bad experience should not necessarily color your whole perception of the US. Kinda' like having a bad experience with ONE person of another race shouldn't make you a racist.

    Just stop it. Seriously. Stop being hateful. It only hurts you.
  • ekz13
    ekz13 Posts: 725 Member
    Options
    I did visit L.A. in the 90's and was totally shocked and overwhelmed at the attitude regarding size. Super size this and the other. I spent an hour at the car rental plaze to try and explain I was not comfortable driving anything bigger than a small four door saloon car (UK size 1.6L). I had plans to do a lot of driving, which I enjoy, (when travelling to the balearic islands, main land Spain, Italy etc). Then I was harassed for the remaining holiday on all the highways for either keeping within the speed limit or for driving a small saloon. My holiday was spent mainly cooped up in Holiday Inn, Anaheim for two weeks and being brainwashed by American cable tv. Never again!

    Someone doesn't seem to know how to travel.
    You had a car but were cooped up in a Holiday Inn? I don't get it.

    I don't expect you to 'get it' from an American viewpoint.


    Careful now.. the colonists might start getting uppity again :smile: (and HOW exactly your statements any less offensive then what you've reported?) :huh: ..cheers

Categories