Is being fat a disability??

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.

1+ lets slap that person together.
People and there close minded views.

I admit. I made this statement. I did not fully expound on it because I was focused on the other issue in that post. I wrote like 3 long paragraphs about the topic and closed with the one sentence, and that is what you chose to rail at. My bad.

What I mean is that depression, while debilitating for some, is not directly related to obesity, as the case with thyroid conditions, and therefore, should not be considered as a contributing factor towards determining the eligibility for disability. If the person is depressed and also addressing mobility issues, then I would consider these two separate, unrelated disabilities. But to simply say "I binge eat when I'm feeling down and now I am obese" is not an acceptable rationale when determining eligibility for disability.

Surely, it can be concluded from this thread that obesity should be considered a disability on a case-by-case basis. Which I do believe is exactly how it is handled so this thread is basically pointless.

Actually, eating disorders are parity conditions in the DSM-V which may make having one a disability. I know that when I was in treatment for mine, the HR department told my boss and project managers that they had to make reasonable accomodations so I could go to my program. That sounds a lot like ADA speak to me.

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 think that in very extreme cases that being fat can cause disability.
But being fat in itself is not a disabilty.

If being fat is a disability, why not give all fat people handicap stickers on their cars so they don't have to walk as far? Give them all tax-payer funded disability checks and wheelchairs and stair lifts in their houses so they don't have to move as much?

People think that their poor health choices make them deserve pity and special treatment from everyone else. The term disability is being used too loosely and it's insulting to people with legitimate disabilities. Why should all the scooters in grocery stores and all the handicap parking spaces be taken by someone who could use the little bit of extra exercise, when an 85 year old war vet or someone with an illness/disorder (cancer, CF, CP, etc.) needs it more? Come on people, have some responsibility for yourself and your choices.

(I'm talking about BEING fat, as in choosing to scoop up your half gallon of ice cream with twinkies while watching entire seasons of tv shows on netflix in one sitting fat. NOT fat as a side effect of another REAL disability.)

You sound like you're a bit of *kitten*.

HEY! I THOUGHT YOUR WERE A FEMINIST! Either way, I agree with you on this one. :laugh:

Few things sincerely bug me more than seeing a morbidly obese person using the electric carts meant for the disabled and elderly at the store. Like, really??? So, to answer your question, no, being fat is not a disability. You can't get SS for that anyway. Can you get it for the Beetus? I don't even know...

Because you know those morbidly obese don't have debilitating COPD or crippling arthritis. The nerve of those lazy fatties, taking carts away from people who truly need them.

To the man judging his "lazy" neighbor, how about you? You know her so well, why not try including her? Does it make you folks feel good about yourselves to speak about others with such righteous overtones? Grow up already.

I include her as little as possible. I tolerate her because my wife doesn't have as big of an issue with her as I do. As I stated before, being fat and lazy is only one of her problems....she is a sack of s**t. She games the welfare system, she was/is a s**ty mother (two of her three kids are in prison). She's had numerous dogs taken away because she'll just open her front door to let them do their business, and some people have been bitten (not to mention she leaves the dog crap all over the place). I could go on and on. Why? Because I know this woman. I'm not generalizing about everyone, I'm speaking of one person that I know.

As for growing up, do you know me, or this woman? Nice to meet you, kettle.

You are judging by what you see, You don't really know this person do you. You would be surprised what is really going on to her.

You know what, you're right. I should totally disregard the years of being around this lady, all the evidence I have observed, all the times her actions have justified my view in her. I should listen to a random stranger on the Internet who has never met me or this woman and believe that it just isn't possible for some people in this world to be rotten to the core.

Ok let me go a little different way....I think when you get disabilty...you can also get food stamps I THINK.....if that is the case...should the food you can get with that assistance be monitored?? I know with pregnant women who get WIC, they have to only get certain things and its all healthy such as they have to get natural cereals and nothing with sugar.....

Okay, you're just prying at that can of worms again, aren't you?

I am really not trying to....do I just need to shut the **** up???

It seems to be in your best interest...

I work at Vocational Rehabilitation, and I can tell you that as a state agency that works with people with disabilities, it CAN BE considered a disability. We use it for eligibility when it is related to diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, etc. and when a person is considered morbidly obese. A disability is defined as a condition that impacts a persons ability to perform a job, so you cannot possibly tell me that a person who has diabetes that is not controlled and weight 350 lbs does not have limitations. In these cases, it is my job to help the person get their diagnoses under control, including healthy weight loss.

Ah ha! Here it is! Actual facts for those of you interested in the answer to the OP's question.

I imagine this may vary somewhat state-by-state.

On Wed my boss had to go to a 3 hour meeting about FMLA. She came back and said that there are key words that if you hear them being used you should direct your employee to HR..such as migraine, diabetes and such.

Joking around, I asked if fat was a key word....I picked up that can marked worms and broke it wide *kitten* open!! Everyone had an opinion...mine is its not a disability because you can do something about it. Someone brought up thyroid, ok thats a medical condition with weight gain as a side effect, but Jenny Worth became Ms Fitness Olympia with a thyroid condition so yes you have to work harder but its not a fat sentence by any means.

THEN the "victim" that sits next to me and has already had a lap band and lost some weight and gained some of it back....brought up depression and that making you eat and you cant help it....sorry I am calling bull on this one.....no quit being a victim and get off your *kitten* and do something!!!

So please tell me you thoughts? Oh and my parting comment....tell the person sitting in the wheelchair that being overweight is a disability....