Is being fat a disability??

I picked up that can marked worms and broke it wide *kitten* open!!

[Picks up can. Quickly drops it like it's a hot iron.]

I can see where some have a hard time maneuvering being Obese (as I did at almost 400lbs), but I don't see it as being a reason to go get yourself a handicap placard. I had to make myself get out and walk. and after a while I was just fine and dandy!!! So it is a disability only if you allow yourself to give into it...

I think being fat can be a contributing factor for other disabilities...foot issues, bad knees, bad hips, back problems, heart conditions, diabetes, depression...things that are covered by FMLA. Obesity, I don't think, is a medical condition...but those other things are. Those are covered by FMLA. Being a smoker, for another example, isn't a medical condition, but COPD is...

As evidenced by the numerous success stories here, losing weight and getting healthy can result in these problems reversing themselves.

Lots of things can make you disabled. For instance lacking empathy and compassion can stunt your ability to see how horrendously to behave to other human beings. I am sure special modifications are made to accommodate people with these disabilities.

Heavy eye rolling and such.

:drinker:

I am 34 and 5’10”. I am disabled, obese (have lost 40 out of 157 lb. goal), and I have a rare thyroid condition and PCOS (both of which make it a struggle to lose weight).

After not working for 6 years, I got myself together and rejoined the workforce over 2 years ago. About a year after that, I was feeling back to myself and started my journey to lose all the weight I've gained. I lost 35 lbs. last year, and now I am a bit stuck; but, I exercise at least 5 days a week and log over 30 miles weekly.

I have a rare thyroid condition that has made my life difficult, and PCOS which makes it very hard for me to lose weight on top of that. But, ultimately, I control my thyroid and PCOS negative side-effects by making better choices. I didn't get fat (obese, 324 lbs. at the heaviest) by exercising and making good choice; I got fat by eating fast food 2 or 3 times a day (easily 3-4,000 Calories), even when going to the gym for 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. I did it by not taking care of myself; and, yes, at times, there were other factors, but most people do not become obese by eating a healthy, balanced diet.

As to my disability, I could tell you that there is nothing I can do to control it, but I would be lying to myself and to you. There are a lot of people who suffer the same condition, some worse. In my case, I can't control it completely, but I can reduce the effects by being self-aware. It's a full-time job just to make it through each day, to keep track of myself in every way. But I do it! Because the alternative it to crawl under a rock and die, which is exactly what those 6 years of fighting against it felt like - even when I was fighting with all I had.

This is my take on the issue: "The EEOC claims that basic obesity, without any other underlying condition, sufficiently impacts the life activities of bending, walking, digestion, cell growth, etc., to qualify as a disability or perceived disability [under the ADAAA (2008)]. EEOC v. Resources for Human Development (E.D. LA.2010)." In some cases, I would have to agree with this. If you weigh 500 lbs., then you are probably disabled by virtue of the fact that you probably can't move much, if at all. That may certainly limit employment, especially if you do not have a skill set that could facilitate earning a living from your couch/bed. However, one does not have to remain at 500 lbs.

Of course, obesity is defined at 100 lbs. or more overweight. My mom is 5'2" and 219 lbs. She is obese; but, she spends all day on her feet, walking at the store she’s worked at for the last 9 years. She also has lupus and RA, two painful and disabling diseases; but she will not quit working until her body quits letting her - which means until she lets her body quit on her, which is not going to happen.

So, no, in my opinion, being fat or obese is not in itself a disability, until you let it make you disabled; and, if you are trying to remedy that, then more power to you. It is easy to give up, stop fighting, and let someone else take care of it. Unfortunately, some people abuse the system with little things like "I'm obese; I can't work" when they are well within the range of being able to remedy their circumstances. Tell a person who can't talk, walk, has lost a limb or more, can't function normally, through no fault of their own that you are disabled because you are overweight, and I am sure you will reconsider after hearing what kind of selfish, self-centered person you are. Most disabled people who can take care of themselves, do; because we all want to feel useful and fulfilled regards of the hand we've been dealt.

I was in Walmart a couple of months ago and this young girl came in and I would say she probably has cerebral palsy...she was walking with crutches and she had that kind of sideways walk if you know what I mean...hard to explain. I was walking out as she came in, and she walked over to where they kept the riding carts and there werent any.....I had seen two of them in the store with those massive people in them. It just broke my heart that this sweet girl who had no control over her issue, was going to have to struggle around that store....

One of our neighbors, who is friends with my wife, has to be close to 400lbs. She's not this way because of any underlying medical condition; she's like this because she's lazy and stuffs 5 cheeseburgers into her yap at neighborhood BBQ's. From time to time, my kids have helped her unload her groceries, and it's nothing but junk food. I don't have an issue with this though.....if a person wants to live that way and not make it to 50, it's their life. What I take issue with her is the fact that she will use those disability scooters at stores because she's too lazy. She went out and got a handicap tag for her car because she's lazy, and apparently this state gives those tags out to the lazy like water. She has zero issue with any of this; in fact, she's quite proud of it and brags that there's always a close parking spot for her.

You do realize that you can't just waltz down to the DMV and tell them you want one of those cute little handicapped placards, right? You have to have proof of your disability or you don't get one.

I do, and the fact that she has one is only part of the problem at large. According to her, she got a doctor that she knows, to sign off on it for her. This may not be the case for every fat person with a handicap sticker.....it may only be a small minority, but it's out there. THOSE are the 'fat' people I have issue with. I don't (at least I try not to) assume that all fat people are this way, but like I said above, I know this woman.

I think that true obesity that is out of the control of the obese person is rare.

A very large percentage of fat people can make lifestyle changes that can reverse this condition. I am not precluding myself.

I am against giving people special privileges for poor lifestyle choices.

FTR, Vocational Rehabilitation does not "give" people special privileges for poor lifestyle choices. We don't provide a check and are not disability. We help people manage their disability so they can successfully return to work or keep their jobs, and when they do, they return $3+ into the tax structure for every $1 VR spent. So NOT a hand out.

Lots of things can make you disabled. For instance lacking empathy and compassion can stunt your ability to see how horrendously to behave to other human beings. I am sure special modifications are made to accommodate people with these disabilities.

Heavy eye rolling and such.

Yes. I'm undecided about the topic but the lack of empathy is totally distracting. I've gotten so frustrated reading this whole thing because this unteachable OP is impervious to new information and unable to examine her own behavior. Waste of time.

OP

DO me a favor, go load up 160#'s on an Olympic bar hoist it up on your back and go walk a mile. Come back to this thread after and tell me how disabled you feel. Please go try, not trying to be an *kitten* at all, but I think once you feel what the people you are talking about do you might feel differently.

But work up to is really slowly - like 1 pound a month. That's what everyone does as they gain weight. You should be fine once you get there. And by that logic, an overweight person's muscles should be stronger than that of a regular weight person who doesn't lift.

After reading through this thread, anyone can come to two conclusions:

- People who have never been morbidly obese or depressed are choosing to be ignorant and are telling the people who are morbidly obese/depressed that they should just snap out of it.

- People who are/were morbidly obese or depressed know what it is like and say that it is disabling.

People need to learn how to ahve open minds and imagine that it is to be in other people's shoes.

Last I checked society doesn't force feed junk foods down our throat.. yet... we all make decisions on what to eat..

At 560 lbs. and being home bound for over 2 years and unable to walk from one room to other without sitting on a rolling computer chair to get to the bathroom and kitchen and at my lowest point sitting in a chair with a loaded handgun in my mouth with the hammer back begging and pleading (but no one was in the room cause I was all alone) to give me the strength to end my pain I can honestly say being fat is debilitating, certainly it is all about choice at any point before I got into that state I was a contributing member of society and paid my taxes so when I was at my lowest no matter how I got there, I needed assistance to help get me out so when I finally had enough and wanted that help, I am Damn sure glad the people on the other end were more sympathetic to my position than the mind set you have (not knocking you in particular just people in general that think this way).

I had over 300 pounds to lose, was willing to give in to the process, but needed the help to get there. So my insurance backed me up and got me the things needed to atleast attempt to dig myself out of the hole that I put myself in.. Medical doctors to address my health issues, mental therapist to address my depression and eating disorders, physical therapy to help be exercise to build up my strength to be able to walk again and continue to improve my strength, a dietician to show me what I had been doing and to point me in the right direction to regain my relationship with all foods, etc, etc this list goes on and on. Had I not been afforded those things based on the diagnosis of being disabled at that time I would not have been offered the help and more than likely at the rate I was going would have been dead by now, either by my own hand or do to complication due to my severe morbid obesity. Sometimes it isn't as easy as just calling Bullcrap and saying suck it up buttercup, I am living proof if given the assistance when I was disabled that one can totally change there lives and become productive members of society again and in my opinion that is what it was intended for in the first place not a means to go on and live out your days on it..... Just my 2 cents...

I dont think fat people are not productive members of society at all. As far as judging about the scooters(diff comment), I dont judge by the person, I judge by whats in their cart. I also get upset when I see people pushing their overweight children in the buggies that have the seats on them and you look in their buggy and its full of chips, soda and ice cream. do you think that parent is doing that kid any favors??

maybe it was someone's birthday.

Hahaha, sure. Maybe it was someone's birthday..... Every. Time. They. Go. Shopping...

OP

DO me a favor, go load up 160#'s on an Olympic bar hoist it up on your back and go walk a mile. Come back to this thread after and tell me how disabled you feel. Please go try, not trying to be an *kitten* at all, but I think once you feel what the people you are talking about do you might feel differently.

But work up to is really slowly - like 1 pound a month. That's what everyone does as they gain weight. You should be fine once you get there. And by that logic, an overweight person's muscles should be stronger than that of a regular weight person who doesn't lift.

I think you may have missed the point, I was shooting for the "walk a mile in my shoes" but trying to be creative....

Ah, I was actually just trying to lighten the mood. Didn't work so well...

At 560 lbs. and being home bound for over 2 years and unable to walk from one room to other without sitting on a rolling computer chair to get to the bathroom and kitchen and at my lowest point sitting in a chair with a loaded handgun in my mouth with the hammer back begging and pleading (but no one was in the room cause I was all alone) to give me the strength to end my pain I can honestly say being fat is debilitating, certainly it is all about choice at any point before I got into that state I was a contributing member of society and paid my taxes so when I was at my lowest no matter how I got there, I needed assistance to help get me out so when I finally had enough and wanted that help, I am Damn sure glad the people on the other end were more sympathetic to my position than the mind set you have (not knocking you in particular just people in general that think this way).

I had over 300 pounds to lose, was willing to give in to the process, but needed the help to get there. So my insurance backed me up and got me the things needed to atleast attempt to dig myself out of the hole that I put myself in.. Medical doctors to address my health issues, mental therapist to address my depression and eating disorders, physical therapy to help be exercise to build up my strength to be able to walk again and continue to improve my strength, a dietician to show me what I had been doing and to point me in the right direction to regain my relationship with all foods, etc, etc this list goes on and on. Had I not been afforded those things based on the diagnosis of being disabled at that time I would not have been offered the help and more than likely at the rate I was going would have been dead by now, either by my own hand or do to complication due to my severe morbid obesity. Sometimes it isn't as easy as just calling Bullcrap and saying suck it up buttercup, I am living proof if given the assistance when I was disabled that one can totally change there lives and become productive members of society again and in my opinion that is what it was intended for in the first place not a means to go on and live out your days on it..... Just my 2 cents...

I dont think fat people are not productive members of society at all. As far as judging about the scooters(diff comment), I dont judge by the person, I judge by whats in their cart. I also get upset when I see people pushing their overweight children in the buggies that have the seats on them and you look in their buggy and its full of chips, soda and ice cream. do you think that parent is doing that kid any favors??

Really? That is what you got out of that response? Really? :sick:

That explains a lot about you OP.

I would however agree that depression is not an acceptable excuse for obesity.

Someone should smack you for this statement.

That's like saying that someone who has post-traumatic stress disorder is not an acceptable excuse for anxiety.

Or saying that ADHD is not an acceptable excuse to do poorly in school and that person is perfectly capable to keep control over it without any help at all.

You people make me sick. It's no wonder there are so many mentally unstable people slipping through the system and going on wild shooting rampages. It's because everyone else is going "oh, they're fine. they should ust snap out of it and behave like a "normal" human being."

FFS.