I Eat 33,000 Calories A Day (aka Myke Writes An Essay)

[quote name='BigMuffinLuv']I apologize if anything I have presented was offensive. I never intended that to be the case. Let me put it this way.

The phrase "Changing Lives" is on the name tags of each of my trainers and all trainers with Lifestyle Family Fitness. Within each of our 50+ clubs you will see real-life, living, breathing examples of people who have changed their lives. For some, this meant reaching an athletic achievement like completing a marathon. For others, this has meant increasing their strength so that their osteopoerosis symptoms lessen... For others still it has meant rehabilitating a weakened area. The majority, however, are testimonials of real life people who have successfully transformed their body and ultimately added months, even years of quality life to their expected timeline.

One of the most rewarding parts about my career is hearing about how much we've helped change someone's life. When I learn that someone we've trained has lost 200 pounds, dropped 10 dress sizes, and is able to keep up with their children again... It's truly inspiring and validates the long hours many of us put in at our clubs.

I understand that the road for some of us is harder for others. There are people out there we all know who have the ability to eat whatever they want and "get away with it" as they stay the same weight even while being lazy. It seems to make no sense at all. Their genetics make it very difficult to gain weight and this can even be damaging to their psyches as well. Strictly speaking from a scientific standpoint- It is absolutely possible to succeed in losing significant amounts of weight when the right exercise regiment and nutrition habits are followed. These routines and habits are dynamic and must adapt as the person's body adapts. This is the hardest part for a lot of us. We find what seems to be the perfect routine or perfect eating plan and then we plateau. At this point we accept that this is where I'm meant to "stay".

Now as far as acceptance of larger individuals, I fully support this. Discrimination of anyone based on their body size is just as despicable as any founded upon color, religion, or other factors. If anything, putting down those who are overweight or obese will do nothing but reinforce the condition further. Why is it we talk so much about it, if it is "Ok" than?

Because obesity has clearly been linked as an indicator of future disease outcomes. It is my duty with the profession and education I have chosen to ensure I help as many people as possible in order to ensure they are living long, healthy, happy lives. If they decide that they want to live life with obesity and greatly risk the chance of dying much younger and likely suffering social discrimination- Then that is their choice. However, it has been my experience that the vast majority would like to live as I described above.

Thanks for reading.[/QUOTE]

Well It's not that I didn't get what you were saying , i got it , it's just that it was a load of BS.

You say "scientifically" that it IS possible to lose significant amounts of weight. Then why has every study ever done on weight loss has shown that 95% of all weight loss efforts fail and 99% of all those who actually DO lose weight will have gained it all back and then some in about 5 years.

You also say that obesity has been linked to future disease outcomes , but way then do fat people have the highest survival rates from almost any condition out there and that fat people tend to survive diseases better than thinner people. Could it be that being fat is simply CORRELATED with some diseases instead of being the CAUSE of some diseases?

I'm asking where's your proof? Where's your evidence?
 
So, what's so illegitimate about those cases? It's the companies policies to charge the heavier customers an extra ticket. Where's the problem there?

The only problem I see is them suing because they're being discriminated against. You're fat. Fat's a choice. Therefore we have the right to discriminate just like you have the right to change that discrimination against yourself. Nothing in the law (as far as I know) states we can't discriminate against obesity. Only race, gender, and sexual orientation. It's your choice to be fat so you must live with the consequences.
 
Are we talking about people that are 20-30 pounds overweight or people that are 50+ pounds overweight (obese)? Theres a difference between having a pudgy belly you don't have the energy/time to work off and having a beanbag attached to your abdomen that ooze over armrests.



[quote name='StarKnightX']Well for a good start if airlines actually increased the size of the seats in the planes to accomedate the "average" sized american then the ticket problem wouldn't really be a problem but thats because the airlines like money too much to change things. But thats beside the point.

I've read plenty of stories about charging fat people for two seats on planes and guess what? Most fat people would like that extra space too so that they don't have to be squished next to someone that obviously hates being next to a fat person. But you know what else? You have airlines like southwest that charge fat people for two seats and then sell the second seat to someone else anyway since "we need to cram as many people into each flight as possible to make the most money".

But for everycase like yours where ligitametly you may be right , what about cases like these:

http://consumerist.com/consumer/complaints/southwest-nearly-lets-liver-transplant-patient-die-because-he-wouldnt-buy-2nd-ticket-231104.php

or this:

http://www.wlwt.com/travelgetaways/6838150/detail.html

or this:

http://feminist-reprise.blogspot.com/2006/02/screwed-by-southwest.html

need some more cause I ccan find you some more if you like?[/quote]
 
[quote name='VanillaGorilla']WRONG. People can CHOOSE not to be obese by, oh, I don't know, PUTTING DOWN THE DAMN FORK. Nobody is born obese, they become that way. I grew up in a family full of alcoholics. Does that mean it's not reversable, and I myself am going to be one? Absolutely not. Yes, genetically, I would be more easily prone to falling into alcoholism, but guess what. Through personal choice and responsible decisions, I will not.[/QUOTE]

You make it sound so easy. What about those fat people that are always on a diet and eat nothing but salads but yet never lose any weight? Oh right those people don't exist , all fat people eat too much I forgot.

What about those thin people that I see from my job that go to mcdonalds and the like every day but yet they're still thin? They couldn't POSSIBLLY be just naturally thin just like fat people are naturally fat.
 
[quote name='StarKnightX']Well It's not that I didn't get what you were saying , i got it , it's just that it was a load of BS.

You say "scientifically" that it IS possible to lose significant amounts of weight. Then why has every study ever done on weight loss has shown that 95% of all weight loss efforts fail and 99% of all those who actually DO lose weight will have gained it all back and then some in about 5 years.

You also say that obesity has been linked to future disease outcomes , but way then do fat people have the highest survival rates from almost any condition out there and that fat people tend to survive diseases better than thinner people. Could it be that being fat is simply CORRELATED with some diseases instead of being the CAUSE of some diseases?

I'm asking where's your proof? Where's your evidence?[/quote]

Please try to be respectful. I'm not even going to bother responding further until you can conduct yourself with more civility. I would be happy to continue this conversation if you provide references for your figures and can also be a bit more polite.

Thanks.
 
I wouldn't say you choose to be 450lbs. :lol:

I wonder if people on their way to becoming morbidly obese ever have a moment of clairity like, "Oh God... I can't see my feet!"



[quote name='Magehart']So, what's so illegitimate about those cases? It's the companies policies to charge the heavier customers an extra ticket. Where's the problem there?

The only problem I see is them suing because they're being discriminated against. You're fat. Fat's a choice. Therefore we have the right to discriminate just like you have the right to change that discrimination against yourself. Nothing in the law (as far as I know) states we can't discriminate against obesity. Only race, gender, and sexual orientation. It's your choice to be fat so you must live with the consequences.[/quote]
 
[quote name='StarKnightX']You make it sound so easy. What about those fat people that are always on a diet and eat nothing but salads but yet never lose any weight? Oh right those people don't exist , all fat people eat too much I forgot.

What about those thin people that I see from my job that go to mcdonalds and the like every day but yet they're still thin? They couldn't POSSIBLLY be just naturally thin just like fat people are naturally fat.[/quote]Oh please, those people who "never lose weight" are either cheating their diet, or cheating themselves by THINKING they are exercising or making progress on their diet. Those obese people on the TLC show honestly thought they were only taking in 3 or 4 thousand calories a day.
 
[quote name='StarKnightX']You make it sound so easy. What about those fat people that are always on a diet and eat nothing but salads but yet never lose any weight? Oh right those people don't exist , all fat people eat too much I forgot.

What about those thin people that I see from my job that go to mcdonalds and the like every day but yet they're still thin? They couldn't POSSIBLLY be just naturally thin just like fat people are naturally fat.[/QUOTE]


See, the problem is when someone is like 400+ pounds chances are they AREN'T eating salads. It just doesn't make sense. Just because it's a salad doesn't make it healthy, too. When you add the dressing.. the cheeses..the bacon.. the chicken...ETC.. yeah.

Even IF they are just eating salads---and good ones too!!--and they don't lose any weight..well, have they attempted exercise? If they are eating leafy green salads and still gaining weight, then yes. That should raise some concern, but I really don't think it'd be possible to eat leafy greens for weeks and STILL gain weight. Unless of course, you're chowin down on the bologna you left under your pillows...:whistle2:#
 
I spent far too long trying to find the Family Guy clip of the fat kid about to be mauled by the large cat (if any of you can find that for me, thank you), but it basicially sums up my argument: Darwinism.

We should not be catering the country to fat people (they have enough of that). Airlines should charge them for additional seats (this is a volume and weight / jet fuel consumption issue, not a "discrimination" issue), healthcare plans should not cover for taking up obviously unhealthy behvaior patterns (smoking, drugs, obesity, anorexia, skydiving, etc.) (I can't get a healthcare plan for skydiving, not a general one anyway :))

This is not a "condition" or a "disease", it's a choice that many people the world over fail at making and then have a lot of brass to demand "compliance" as they reap the seeds they sowed years before.

No.

This is the way the world is, you need to adapt to survive. If you want to be fat and unhealthy, then be it, go ahead. Just be ready to bear the repercussions of your decision. It won't be the extra cost of living for food, fares, etc. It won't be the gawks and stares you get throughout life. It'll be your heart shitting out on you 20-30 years before a healthy person's does.

It'll be your children/grandchildren losing someone they need in their life years ahead of time because they didn't have the consideration to take care of themselves, and to set the healthy example that their children are probably not following either.

And that's just flat out fucking science. Work to survive and prosper, or die off early.

~HotShotX
 
[quote name='VanillaGorilla']WRONG. People can CHOOSE not to be obese by, oh, I don't know, PUTTING DOWN THE DAMN FORK. Nobody is born obese, they become that way. I grew up in a family full of alcoholics. Does that mean it's not reversable, and I myself am going to be one? Absolutely not. Yes, genetically, I would be more easily prone to falling into alcoholism, but guess what. Through personal choice and responsible decisions, I will not.[/QUOTE]

Wow.

That is a horrible example. Drinking alcohol is fairly easy to avoid. It's a little harder to avoid food since you know we need it to live and usually we eat 3 times a day.

You can say put down the damn fork but you don't seem to understand, (in the extreme cases) they are very broken people who use food in the same manner as a junkie uses drugs or an alcoholic uses booze. They are unhappy and trying to fill a void with something that brings them (or use to bring them) pleasure. And it isn't like they woke up one day and said "hey I would love to be 400+ pounds", most of them were raised poorly and already overweight/fat to beginning with. Add on the fact that it's easier/cheaper to just eat junk along with the fact people aren't forced to be active and you have the combination for a horrible, nearly impossible hole to get out of.
 
[quote name='Kayden']I wouldn't say you choose to be 450lbs. :lol:

I wonder if people on their way to becoming morbidly obese ever have a moment of clairity like, "Oh God... I can't see my feet!"[/QUOTE]

:lol: No dude, seriously. It IS a choice. You just don't become that size and one day be suprised. I gained 30 pounds within the past 2 years. I am still under 200lbs (thank God!!), but look at that. I gained 30 and I already have my fridge locked! It concerns me. My shirts are snug. Some don't fit anymore.
I don't understand how you just end up being that size!! I am at 180lbs right now, and I am having a meltdown about myself. To be over 300 pounds? I would have to avoid mirrors and be naked ALL the time to let that slip by me. Seriously. It's impossible to just casually become that big.
 
Salads are a lot better for you without the chocolate syrup. :lol:

Seriously though, its true that peoples metabolisms are different, however, that doesn't mean someone with a slow metabolism has to be fat. If your metabolism is slow, no amount of dieting will help you. You can make your metabolism work more by exercising. Building muscle makes you burn more calories even while resting. So you're right that it takes more than putting down the cake, it's by no means out of reach of anyone that actually wants it.

I used to see a lot of people at the gym that were disgustingly fat and they'd always complain about never making progress. While its true they'd be on the tread mill or bikes for an hour or more at a time, they were always going so slow that they didn't even sweat. If you can comfortably carry on a cellphone conversation, you're doing it wrong.


On the flip side, just being skinny doesn't make you healthy. Eating McDonalds everyday sure as hell will take its toll on their bodies.


[quote name='StarKnightX']You make it sound so easy. What about those fat people that are always on a diet and eat nothing but salads but yet never lose any weight? Oh right those people don't exist , all fat people eat too much I forgot.

What about those thin people that I see from my job that go to mcdonalds and the like every day but yet they're still thin? They couldn't POSSIBLLY be just naturally thin just like fat people are naturally fat.[/quote]
 
[quote name='BigMuffinLuv']Please try to be respectful. I'm not even going to bother responding further until you can conduct yourself with more civility. I would be happy to continue this conversation if you provide references for your figures and can also be a bit more polite.

Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Fair enough you want me to be more civil I can be more civil , but I do find it funny that you ask ME to provide refrences to my information but you just sweep yours under the rug. Alright I can do that.

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=022805D

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=113004E

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=093004E

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2006/11/obesity-paradox-1.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2006/12/obesity-paradox-2-how-can-it-be.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/01/obesity-paradox-3.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/03/obesity-paradox-4.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/04/baby-paradox.html

Need something more specific? A certain statistic? I got plenty of refrence material. The question I have to pose to several of you is , aside from making a flight less comfortable , what have fat people ever done to you to make you so angry at them?
 
[quote name='HotShotX']I spent far too long trying to find the Family Guy clip of the fat kid about to be mauled by the large cat (if any of you can find that for me, thank you), but it basicially sums up my argument: Darwinism.

We should not be catering the country to fat people (they have enough of that). Airlines should charge them for additional seats (this is a volume and weight / jet fuel consumption issue, not a "discrimination" issue), healthcare plans should not cover for taking up obviously unhealthy behvaior patterns (smoking, drugs, obesity, anorexia, skydiving, etc.) (I can't get a healthcare plan for skydiving, not a general one anyway :))

This is not a "condition" or a "disease", it's a choice that many people the world over fail at making and then have a lot of brass to demand "compliance" as they reap the seeds they sowed years before.

No.

This is the way the world is, you need to adapt to survive. If you want to be fat and unhealthy, then be it, go ahead. Just be ready to bear the repercussions of your decision. It won't be the extra cost of living for food, fares, etc. It won't be the gawks and stares you get throughout life. It'll be your heart shitting out on you 20-30 years before a healthy person's does.

It'll be your children/grandchildren losing someone they need in their life years ahead of time because they didn't have the consideration to take care of themselves, and to set the healthy example that their children are probably not following either.

And that's just flat out fucking science. Work to survive and prosper, or die off early.

~HotShotX[/quote]
I completely agree.

I say health insurance should be on hold and you're given a gym membership by the said insurance company until you meet a moderate weight (even within 50 of ideal weight). People don't need to be perfect but when you can't jump higher than you are wide... we have a problem.

This thread gets 5 cheapy heads for being totally awesome. Good arguments all around.
 
I don't know if I like that reasoning... My best vertical jump was about 2 feet. I'm about 2 feet wide at the shoulders.

[quote name='Magehart']People don't need to be perfect but when you can't jump higher than you are wide... we have a problem.
[/quote]
 
[quote name='Magehart']I completely agree.

I say health insurance should be on hold and you're given a gym membership by the said insurance company until you meet a moderate weight (even within 50 of ideal weight). People don't need to be perfect but when you can't jump higher than you are wide... we have a problem.

This thread gets 5 cheapy heads for being totally awesome. Good arguments all around.[/QUOTE]

And then what happens when that person continues to not lose weight?

Let's give a personal assistant that makes sure that they exercise enough and eats enough.

Then they still don't lose weight? Give them weight lose surgery.

Then they either re-gain the weight or die from complications of the surgery? Well they would've died from there fat anyway.

It's easy to say just make the fatties lose weight but what if YOU were the one who was forced to lose weight just to get health insurance?
 
[quote name='VanillaGorilla']Are you telling me a new reality show about the lives of a family who runs a wrestling promotion isn't educational?[/QUOTE]

What show would that be?
 
I enjoy making fun of fat people while eating my 2ft rope of cheese stuffed venison sausage and chocolate cheesecake.
 
[quote name='Kayden']I enjoy making fun of fat people while eating my 2ft rope of cheese stuffed venison sausage and chocolate cheesecake.[/quote]

:applause:
 
I wouldn't advise weight loss surgery for anyone. If you can't get the weight off yourself you probably can't keep it off yourself.

Biologically, yes, I'm sure there are people that absolutely cannot lose weight and are stuck at 300+. However, I HIGHLY fuckING DOUBT its 30% of the USA. Even if there were such an unlikely genetic disposition to being obese, why is it only a problem in the US? Europe isn't blimping up.

The American obesity "epidemic" boils down to shitty diets and sedimentary life styles, or more simply, all around lazyness. People are to lazy to cook healthy food so they go out to eat or buy processed foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Then they sit on their asses an watch American Idol instead of running or swimming laps.

People are just going to keep getting fatter, lazier and more stupider as time progresses because its the course of action with the least resistance.


[quote name='StarKnightX']And then what happens when that person continues to not lose weight?

Let's give a personal assistant that makes sure that they exercise enough and eats enough.

Then they still don't lose weight? Give them weight lose surgery.

Then they either re-gain the weight or die from complications of the surgery? Well they would've died from there fat anyway.

It's easy to say just make the fatties lose weight but what if YOU were the one who was forced to lose weight just to get health insurance?[/quote]
 
[quote name='StarKnightX']Fair enough you want me to be more civil I can be more civil , but I do find it funny that you ask ME to provide refrences to my information but you just sweep yours under the rug. Alright I can do that.

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=022805D

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=113004E

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=093004E

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2006/11/obesity-paradox-1.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2006/12/obesity-paradox-2-how-can-it-be.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/01/obesity-paradox-3.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/03/obesity-paradox-4.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/04/baby-paradox.html

Need something more specific? A certain statistic? I got plenty of refrence material. The question I have to pose to several of you is , aside from making a flight less comfortable , what have fat people ever done to you to make you so angry at them?[/quote]
I haven't provided any statistics requiring verification. I have simply provided general information based on basic exercise science and physiology. Thank you for documenting what you have written. Do you have anything you can produce from PubMed or something more reliable than an RN's blogspot? What we are discussing is completely outside of her scope of practice.

I quote this from her "About Me"
The more I’ve learned, the more horrified I’ve become. Science is being misused for marketing and political purposes. Evidence is being distorted and bias has inundated media, research, government policies and clinical guidelines. Unsound information proliferates in professional and advocacy organizations, academic institutions and journals; and even professionals aren’t reaching beyond beliefs to critically examine studies and recognize credible information. So much valuable and critically important information, and the very best science — well documented in careful, objective, evidence-based research — is never reported and never published. Fear sells and unfounded scares, exaggerations and “what-ifs?” are being used to terrify people about their foods, bodies and health.
And all of this is costing, frightening and hurting people.
For years, I have traced virtually every science, food and health story in mainstream media to their original press releases, which are reported verbatim. Literally everything we hear and read today is marketing and created by those trying to sell us something: a belief, cause, product, service, or themselves. That’s why we hear “science” finds something one day, and something entirely different the next. “Pop” science, what is popularly believed and marketed as “science,” is oftentimes really the junk science.

Her entire schtick is that "All science you have heard is wrong." Regardless of the qualifications of the people you are sitting with- She is right! All of her articles and research is skewed the same way Kevin Trudeau does in selling his "Natural Cures and Remedies" book. He uses the idea that the government does not want you to know about these secrets to help sell millions of books. Some of his ideas are legitimate while others are pure lunacy. He has absolutely no formal educational background in the field, and nor does Ms. Szwarc. Please do not use her as a reference. Ever.

Moving on...

I do understand that as we age, it is actually beneficial to have a certain amount of bodyfat in order to fend off certain diseases and deal with recoveries post-surgery. There is, in fact a cause for concern if we have someone who is elderly and underweight. You are correct that they would be unfit to ward off illness or undergo significant medical procedures.

However, the inherent dangers of obesity have been so widely documented to this point that I can practically say "Duh" and the majority of people here will nod in agreement.
 
[quote name='lilboo']:lol: No dude, seriously. It IS a choice. You just don't become that size and one day be suprised. I gained 30 pounds within the past 2 years. I am still under 200lbs (thank God!!), but look at that. I gained 30 and I already have my fridge locked! It concerns me. My shirts are snug. Some don't fit anymore.
I don't understand how you just end up being that size!! I am at 180lbs right now, and I am having a meltdown about myself. To be over 300 pounds? I would have to avoid mirrors and be naked ALL the time to let that slip by me. Seriously. It's impossible to just casually become that big.[/QUOTE]

Probably the same way a person can become a gambling or drug addict.

It must be a choice for them too because hey how could a person ever get to the point of losing their house/job/dignity?
 
pot-kettle-fat.gif
 
[quote name='Matt Young']What show would that be?[/quote]It's called The Bussey Bunch, or something to that effect. They showed promos for it during the show. Couldn't find hardly anything about it on Google though.
 
[quote name='Kayden']Biologically, yes, I'm sure there are people that absolutely cannot lose weight and are stuck at 300+. However, I HIGHLY fuckING DOUBT its 30% of the USA.[/quote]

Ah but who says 30% of the USA IS 300+ lbs? Are you basing that number off the BMI charts? Because those charts are worthless. By the BMI definition a 5'8 person (my height) would have to be 160 lbs to be "normal" weight. To there scale 220 lbs is basically obese. Is it hard to believe that 60% of the USA might actually be over 190-220 lbs cause that isn't even that big.

Even if there were such an unlikely genetic disposition to being obese, why is it only a problem in the US? Europe isn't blimping up.
Click to expand...

Not true , europe AND japan are seeing a rapid increase in obesity rates , slowly catching up to the USA
 
Are you really denying the psychological aspect of addiction/dependence? That is, afterall, the hardest part of overcoming any drug that is considered addictive anyway.

That kind of severe overeating is just like the severe undereating of anorexia. It's a psychological disorder that, like anorexia, probably isn't going to fix itself or be fixed without any help.

In most cases it's probably not impossible to fix or at least alter, but at the same time it's not exactly a choice. Life isn't that black and white. These are people with problems who need help.
 
[quote name='Sporadic']Probably the same way a person can become a gambling or drug addict.

It must be a choice for them too because hey how could a person ever get to the point of losing their house/job/dignity?[/QUOTE]

You don't choose to be fat, you choose to eat too much of the wrong things + not so much with the physical activity. You choose to fill your grocery cart with whatever you want. You choose to go or to not go down to Taco Bell.

I just don't see food to an addiction. I LOVE eating. I LOVE all kinds of fatty foods. This is why I gained my most recent 30lbs. Because of all the poor choices I've made in the past 2 years. We ordered 2 large pizzas the other nite..and finished them that night! :rofl: Did we REALLY need 2? Of course not. We CHOSE to do that. We CHOSE to say "Meh at left overs". I am not going to blame the pizza place for it being fattening. I'm going to go blame some disease, or some addiction. My dumbass rather pick up a phone and call & order pizza..rather then cooking a better choice for dinner.

Also with addicts.. usually friends/family are there to help their friend/relative with a drug/alcohol/gambling problem. However, it's "RUDE" to call someone out for them being fat". They will most likely be offended, or give a sad story about some medicine they were on.. or talk about their thyroid, or say how they just CAN'T lose weight! This of course, can be true for certain people. I am not ruling that out. But.. like.. everyone who gets called out on it? C'mon.
 
[quote name='SpazX']Are you really denying the psychological aspect of addiction/dependence? That is, afterall, the hardest part of overcoming any drug that is considered addictive anyway.

That kind of severe overeating is just like the severe undereating of anorexia. It's a psychological disorder that, like anorexia, probably isn't going to fix itself or be fixed without any help.

In most cases it's probably not impossible to fix or at least alter, but at the same time it's not exactly a choice. Life isn't that black and white. These are people with problems who need help.[/QUOTE]

Now see I never said either that there ARE NOT fat people who may legitametly have a problem and need medical and or psychological help. All I was saying is that to say ALL FAT PEOPLE have a problem and need help and are obviously addicted / dependent on eating is a vast overexaggeration.

On that note though I'm going to bed since I know I'm not getting anyway here tonight , but it was fun debating facts like this. I'll leave on this though. I'm a 5'8 male who weights 240 lbs and have been that weight for about 3 years. I walk a mile to AND from work about 5 days a week and eat a balanced diet , even if I eat closer to 3000 calories a day then the recommended 2000. I'm happy at this weight , have no health problems and the doctor says I'm in top shape so why can't I just be allowed to be me and not change myself for everybody else. That is all , Good Night.
 
[quote name='lilboo']You don't choose to be fat, you choose to eat too much of the wrong things + not so much with the physical activity. You choose to fill your grocery cart with whatever you want. You choose to go or to not go down to Taco Bell. [/QUOTE]

Let's ignore the fact that poor eating habits are usually instilled during childhood, that the really big ones were already fat growing up and that it's easier/cheaper to just go chow down at McDonalds than it is prepare a healthy meal.

By that definition, every addiction is just a choice that can be easily stopped. The drug addict chooses to continue to smoke that rock, the gambling addict chooses to head back to the blackjack table every day, the packrat chooses to fill their house to the brim with stuff until they are eventually crushed to death under 20 years worth of newspaper.

That isn't the case and there have been multiple books written on the subject.

http://www.amazon.com/Willpowers-Not-Enough-Recovering-Addictions/dp/0060919698

[quote name='lilboo']I just don't see food to an addiction. I LOVE eating. I LOVE all kinds of fatty foods. This is why I gained my most recent 30lbs. Because of all the poor choices I've made in the past 2 years. We ordered 2 large pizzas the other nite..and finished them that night! :rofl: Did we REALLY need 2? Of course not. We CHOSE to do that. We CHOSE to say "Meh at left overs". I am not going to blame the pizza place for it being fattening. I'm going to go blame some disease, or some addiction. My dumbass rather pick up a phone and call & order pizza..rather then cooking a better choice for dinner.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but how big are you?

I'm not talking about people who are slightly overweight or even fat. I'm talking about the people who are 350+. For them, it stops being a choice and starts becoming a habit.

[quote name='lilboo']Also with addicts.. usually friends/family are there to help their friend/relative with a drug/alcohol/gambling problem. However, it's "RUDE" to call someone out for them being fat". They will most likely be offended, or give a sad story about some medicine they were on.. or talk about their thyroid, or say how they just CAN'T lose weight! This of course, can be true for certain people. I am not ruling that out. But.. like.. everyone who gets called out on it? C'mon.[/QUOTE]

Really obese people are constantly ridiculed and looked down upon every single day.

The problem with that is that they already have low self-esteem, so every day they turn more and more to the thing that gives them pleasure (food). It just becomes a horrible self destructive cycle.

Also, like I posted earlier, most of these people were just raised wrong by people who already had an issue. They were raised to be fat and either the family will overlook it or the family will constantly bring it up which just drives them to get even more fat instead of getting their life under control.
 
I'm 6'4" and 220 pounds and I walk a meter to AND FROM my car on my way to work.

... God I need to get back on the treadmill...
 
[quote name='Kayden']I'm 6'4" and 220 pounds and I walk a meter to AND FROM my car on my way to work.[/quote]

Livin' the dream!
 
there are other reasons why some people are fatter than others besides diet and exercise. I was just reading an article the other day on how the bacteria in your stomach effect how food is broken down and how many calories you get out of it. Different stomachs have different bacteria so even if two people eat the same thing one might get more calories out of it than the other.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16296772/
 
Yes, but when person A has a plate of spaghetti with 2 meatballs and Person B has TWO plates of pasta and 2 meatballs per plate....
 
[quote name='Sporadic']Also, like I posted earlier, most of these people were just raised wrong by people who already had an issue. They were raised to be fat and either the family will overlook it or the family will constantly bring it up which just drives them to get even more fat instead of getting their life under control.[/quote]

The solution is clear! Fat people shouldn't have kids. Even pregnant women, if they get too big along the pregnancy cycle, fucking abort that shit right then and there. 9 lbs at birth? fuck that shit, abort post birth. Somebody get the clothes hanger.

It's 2am, I felt like being morbidly sarcastic before bed.

In all seriousness though, we as Americans have a universally simple problem, and it applies to this as well:

We put far too much thought and effort into analyzing every single facet of an issue rather than just solving the damn issue.

Case in point? Behaviorial Activists. They will bitch and whine about their individual issue til they day they die unless changes are made and the issue goes away, instead of just handling it themselves.

*Don't like what's on TV: Change the channel. (Don't demand the show be pulled)
*Violence getting to your kids: Check the rating, don't buy the game. (Don't hold others responsible for your negligence)
*I didn't vote THAT guy into office: (You didn't fucking vote, asshole).

Obesity is just as simple, you burn off more calories than you take in. What everyone whines about is the RATE at which it happens:

"I keep running everyday, but I'm not losing weight!" (Run faster, farther, longer, and wear sweats when you do it)

"I keep eating salads and healthy foods, but I keep gaining weight" (Salads are only efficient when they aren't loaded down with tons of shit such as dressing, cheeses, etc., and you still need to exercise)

Weight loss isn't a cut and dry solution to obesity, but it isn't fucking rocket science either. You know the whole "balance of the universe" thing? Well, if your food is going to be fast, guess what's going to be slow?

Your sperm.
Kidding, it's going to be your rate of burning it off.

~HotShotX
 
[quote name='lilboo']:lol: No dude, seriously. It IS a choice. You just don't become that size and one day be suprised. I gained 30 pounds within the past 2 years. I am still under 200lbs (thank God!!), but look at that. I gained 30 and I already have my fridge locked! It concerns me. My shirts are snug. Some don't fit anymore.
I don't understand how you just end up being that size!! I am at 180lbs right now, and I am having a meltdown about myself. To be over 300 pounds? I would have to avoid mirrors and be naked ALL the time to let that slip by me. Seriously. It's impossible to just casually become that big.[/quote]

Just out of curiousity, how tall are you? How old are you? What sex are you? Thanks
 
Well everyone's been saying their piece so here's mine.

First we need to stop coddling ANY of these obese people. Before you jump to conclusions and think I mean ridiculing them this would be an erroneous one to draw. I think we need to focus on concern for their health and pushing them for a lifestyle change. I would encourage most everyone, non obese people included, to take up a Vegan diet and not a junk one of course. In this you completely eliminate any unhealthy forms of Cholesterol and Saturated fat. Let's not forget how much bad Cholesterol you are eliminating from your diet as a positive if you have heart problems in your family for example.
One big thing I have to say in terms of ALL of this with Obesity is the FAMILY must participate. If you really care take up the diet with them to get them to persevere and you'll feel better in the end too most likely. I also say lets avoid the ridicule because some will just go back to eating food. For some this is their comfort crutch.
 
[quote name='BigMuffinLuv']1. I apologize for the confusion. From my experience and schooling, I have learned that obesity is largely decided by poor lifestyle habits. Recent scientific studies have indicated that there may be a "fat gene" which could potentially lead to a higher likelihood of obesity- if and only if- poor lifestyle habits form.

Hopefully this passage clears things up ->> All kinds of things are called "diseases." There's diseases of the mind and the body which are caused by a huge multitude of factors (environment, genetics, drug interactions, lifestyle habits, etc.) Is obesity a paralyzing condition? Absolutely. When left untreated can it cause a number of life-threatening diseases? Of course. To be picky and use specific terminology, I would call obesity a "condition" for two reasons.
>> Obesity is primarily brought about through the summation of life choices leading to its diagnosis.
>> Obesity is a strong indicator and causes a number of diseases (heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes).[/quote]

I can see this argument to a degree, but the word "condition" is, IMO, a useless catch-all phrase. IMO (a nonprofessional one, to be sure), obesity lives in a grey area that other conditions do not - precisely because, as you point out, it's a cause (of heart disease and the like), but it's also a result of poor choices and genes. It's not perfectly something we can blame people for, but it's also not the thing that spells an "end of life" scenario (like, say, terminal brain cancer). Compare this under the idea that it's a "lifestyle choice" to smoking, and you'll where the difference lies. Smoking causes cancer and emphysema. No middle man. The obesity, however, is an important link, or point at which overeating becomes a severe health problem. I don't think obesity is necessarily the direct result of overeating, but I also don't think that people remain obese or overweight if they truly "budget" their diet. Without getting into the "fat people are disgusting pigs" rhetoric I've seen the past page or so, anecdotally I can say you will not meet a single person who is obesely overweight (250-270+ for someone who is 5'11 or so) who is consuming a healthy diet. High fats, high saturated fats, a misdirected desire to focus strictly on "trans fats," lotsa starches, refines sugars and flours, etc. Very few fruits and veggies at all, let alone fresh.

But the debate I was trying to have is whether or not this is considerable as an "addiction."

2. I have specifically helped clients lose as much as 75 pounds. The most troubling part is that those who typically need it the most are the ones who are really the toughest to train. They often underestimate their portion sizes and report a higher level of exercise than what was actually completed. The private health club realm of personal training also requires a certain financial compensation for services rendered as well. Sometimes members will reach a certain weight goal, be satisfied, and stop training. 6 months later at New Year's I see them again and the weight has been regained and then some!

Those who achieve the greatest success are the ones who are able to stick with it and stay dedicated despite obstacles in the beginning where weight loss can be slow. Making a gigantic lifestyle change is very hard and when not met with instant results, it is very hard to justify this change for any length of time. I've seen statistics where average gym patrons (not morbidly obese, everyone)... Half of these people who buy memberships leave after ONE MONTH. Mostly this is due to a lack of patience in working hard to achieve results along with a lack of education to get from point A to point B.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I realized we're having this conversation on January 1, so tomorrow gyms across the country are going to be packed. By March, they'll be back to normal. The guy who wears zubaz and the gal who wears makeup will still be there, though. Yech.

I believe the one month stat, as I've seen it countless times (I also wonder if that's the psychological mechanism behind gyms giving "free 2 week memberships (hit them up for a membership at the height of their self-esteem, and two weeks before you lose your window of opportunity)).

That's yet another element of addiction; being easily defeated in any attempt to do away with the negative behavior, and/or the possibility of actively seeking out ways of sabotaging yourself/having standards that are too high (losing 20-30 pounds your first 4 weeks) in order to "permit" your behavior to continue.

3. I understand how using the term addiction could help in attracting a social network to help the person who perceives their situation as hopeless. A trusting circle of influence is vital in achieving success. Condition, however, I think is more effective in addressing the actual nature of what's going on. Choices --> Obesity --> Life threatening diseases
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with the ideas you're getting at here, and their ultimate link in personal choice. But I also don't think that semantic changes will fix or clarify the issue. I've seen gyms try to do "group" projects, perhaps as a means of keeping people from joining for a month and quitting - get a support group of sorts, the "everyday *real* people" approach, and have them realize that there are tons of people who stumble and fall in their attempts at changing behaviors. In some ways, that's unforgivable (sex offenders) or indirectly so (the drug addict who steals/mugs to get money for a fix) - but in others, it's something to deal with and accept as not unavoidable, but bloody damned likely. I've seen the faces of the gym regulars when I am in the grocery line next to them, and they're holding a tub of ice cream and chocolate chip cookies; I've also know what it feels like to be that guy. But I don't act as if that's the end of my life as I know it, or that I've ruined everything I've done in the gym, because it's not true. But somewhere between mockery and coddling lies a perfect median where expectations are high, tenacity is required (as is realism), goals are frequent and attainable, and support and encouragement is offered. Like with any addiction.
 
I have a better idea, why don't we just shoot ourselves now? :lol:

[quote name='Sarang01']I would encourage most everyone, non obese people included, to take up a Vegan diet and not a junk one of course. [/quote]
 
Why the crap would I eat vegan? "God" gave me canines for a reason. Not to shred through some tofu but to eat me some steak.

Here's my cure for the energy crisis/global warming BS:

Have all the people who need/want to exercise run on a treadmill hooked to a generator. Get two beenfits from that. Same with lifting weights. If we have everyone just powering turbines we could get tons of free electricity that otherwise is wasted.
 
[quote name='Magehart']Why the crap would I eat vegan? "God" gave me canines for a reason. Not to shred through some tofu but to eat me some steak.
[/quote]

Whew ... I'm glad you added that last sentence. I thought at first that you ate dogs. :lol:
 
[quote name='Maklershed']Whew ... I'm glad you added that last sentence. I thought at first that you ate dogs. :lol:[/quote]

I've been more than tempted to eat some of my neighbors rat dogs time and time again. They never shutup :bomb:.
 
[quote name='Magehart']Why the crap would I eat vegan? "God" gave me canines for a reason. Not to shred through some tofu but to eat me some steak.

Here's my cure for the energy crisis/global warming BS:

Have all the people who need/want to exercise run on a treadmill hooked to a generator. Get two beenfits from that. Same with lifting weights. If we have everyone just powering turbines we could get tons of free electricity that otherwise is wasted.[/QUOTE]

Eventually with our population somethings going to give. If you want a healthy Organic diet eventually the only affordable choice will be to go Vegan. Later even past this you'll have to make a choice whether you want your food Vegan and traditionally grown or your Beef coming out of a test tube and it WILL happen, trust me.
 
Some comical points:

Eskimo's used to use blubber for oil for use in lighting and heating. I say we kill two birds with one stone: harvest and slaughter the obese adn use thier oil reserves as a new biofuel.

Fat people are like deer. They are suffering from dehabitization (see small airplane seats). They simply don't have enough places to live so we should issue "Fattie Licenses" to allow us normies to hunt them, thin the herd, and in the end, it will help them survive.

On to seriousness:

I'm 26 and up until the past 2-3 years never really had to do anythign to keep my sexy, stylish, and metaphysical shape. Long hours of sedentary studying in law school from 04-07 and currently working a judicial clerkship where I sit on my ass all day DO NOT HELP. It actually hurts pretty bad. To worsen the scenario, I eat what I want when I want (late at night) and I am 5'9 and 170 lbs.

I am basically a huge peice of shit waste of life who completely ignores his health and smokes (not cigarettes) and I am still only, what, 30 lbs overweight? I just don't get how the fuck people get so fat, I really don't understand it. I'm not passing judgment, I'm simply trying to explain my inability to understand how some people get sooooo huge.

I should disclaim that I am a runner (not in winter though) and sometimes run 3 miles 3-4 times a week spring-fall, other months I won't run at all it really just depends on how fat I'm feeling. I usually snowboard a lot in winter so I guess it could be worse.

So I can make myself run but so far, I've had absolutely no luck in trying to control what I eat, it is a good thing wifey does the shopping.

I feel bad for fat people, there was a poignant statement made in "Little Miss Sunshine" where she is eating icecream and her dad is trying to explain how nobody likes fatties (sad but true) and her mom is trying to explain that looks aren't the end all be all.

I'm not even sure what the debat is here. Is this hte issue: Whether obesity is an addiction? If it is not an addiction, what is it? A condition? Hate to do it but I agree w/ myke that "condition" is the most amorphous bullshit term that really offers nothing probative. I really don't know if it is an addiction but surely it is an affliction.

What is the definition of obesity, over __ lbs overwieght = obese? What are the numbers?
 
Pitt, I can't agree anymore.
I'm in between 180 and 185 and I feel like a mess. I'm not huge, I'm not fat, but I have an extra roll or two that I do not need. How people can just ignore this and continue to persue this is beyond me.

I personally think the problem is everyone needs a reason. We learn eating habbits, but it's RUDE to blame the parents!! How DARE we blame PARENTS! So, to make sure nobody is offended we have to use overeating as a condition or an addiction. It makes people feel like they have something wrong with them, thus getting special treatment AND people can actually BLAME something..without anyone getting offended :D

It's like smoking. If you smoke for 40 years then get lung cancer..are you really going to be shocked? Should people REALLY feel THAT bad for you? Yes, it's sad. But you only did it to yourself. Don't blame the ciggerettes, blame yourself.
Don't blame addictions & other mental problems, blame yourself for being a slob. That's exactly what I'm doing and it's actually much more motivation for myself. I look at some clothes that don't fit (and I looked real awesome in some of them TOO!) and I realize "Why did I do this to myself?!".. Not "OMG, :cry: I HAVE FOOD ADDICTION! MY CONDITION MAKES ME EAT! :cry:"

GTFO. Sorry, got mad for a second.. :lol:
 
Much like anything else in life, there is a definite difference between mere overindulgence and something we can label a "condition."

Just as we have anorexia and bulimia on one end of the spectrum, we have mammoth obesity on the other...you can't deny that there is more to these people than simply "they eat too much." Someone who eats too much eventually realizes, hey wait a minute, my pants used to be 36, now they're 40...and they slow it down...someone who eats to 6 or 7 hundred pounds has an obvious "condition" --be it mental, physical or a combination of both.

A lot of people talk about "taking responsibility" for what you do...and while I agree, most of us do not practice what we preach. We don't post our real names and phone numbers on these bulletin boards, we don't want people directly contacting us...we post anonymously for a reason. None of us really want total responsibility for every one of our actions. We go five mph over the speed limit and make excuses when we are pulled over; we are late for work a few minutes, and our mind races to find a reason. We accept an invitation to someone's house before realizing it's the last place in the world we want to go, so the kids are sick or the car is having problems....so very few of use can truly cast stones at these people.

Should they lose weight, hell yes, they know they should. Just like some of us know we should not have bought 6 blu-rays or hd-dvds because we already have charged too much. Just like some of us know we shouldn't have had that 6th beer, or smoked that joint or watched that pron....we are a culture of instant gratification and addiction.

As a public school teacher here in Chicago I really see it. I see children who have no clue what it is to wait for ANYTHING. They can watch anything they want (more or less) whenever they want. I remember back in the day when I went to school in Italy (all pre e-mail)...I would have to wait weeks for correspondence between myself and my mom and dad; now you can connect instantly, send the pictures instantly...no waiting.

Without incredible self discipline, people in this society are very apt to fall into patterns of addiction and self-abuse, finding fleeting joy in food, drugs, games, movies without any deeper self examination. Let it be said that I have no problems with any of these things, but I also do not judge anyone. Everyone has their own baggage that they need to deal with...some are more equipped to work their problems out and never try meth or eat themselves into obvlivion; others don't have the same luck, they aren't equipped and suddenly find themselves playing WoW at 3 in the morning ignoring their duties, or stopping off for a beer (or three) after work more and more, or eating that half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream in on sitting....

It's because I'm a raging liberal that I practice a few of Jesus' most important tenets:

1) Let him who is without sin cast the first stone; and
2)Do unto others as you would have them do unto you...

So much for my ramblings...time to get back to watching porn, eating chocolate and playing videogames...
 
[quote name='loserboy']time to get back to watching porn, eating chocolate and playing videogames...[/quote]

G-d I hate work.

And as a fellow raging liberal, it is disconcerting to me to see one of us cite to Jesus. Give him to the christian right, we have ghandi and, um...education.

Wifey has been going to the gym like 5 days a week, her health care gets her a personal trainer for 3bucks a meeting and he has been really pushing her. It has started to show on her (good for me;) ) while I on the other hand have been settling into potbellydom. This disparaty has got to stop which means that I need to start running again and this thread is making me want to do it.

So I guess obese people don't think this way. They don't look in the mirror and say "Look at what a fat piece of shit I am becomming!" Im not calling em a fat POS, but I call myself that sometimes when I look in teh mirror; my point is that they just don't seem to care?

Is it possible for someone who eats healthy and exercises to be obsese? The answer to this question (IMO) is the same as the answer to whether Obesity is an addiction/disease, or whatever else you want to call it to imply it is not in within their conrol.
 
[quote name='pittpizza']Is it possible for someone who eats healthy and exercises to be obsese? The answer to this question (IMO) is the same as the answer to whether Obesity is an addiction/disease, or whatever else you want to call it to imply it is not in within their conrol.[/QUOTE]

I fail to see any link in your comparison; they can be mutually exclusive, and as many people have discussed, addictions can, if you really want to be that way, brought down to "choices." The choice to buy another pack of smokes, or the next bag of dope, or to go to the casino. One does not suddenly find himself being dragged into a Harrah's Casino, or being forced to smoke.

The "choice" is irrespective of the results. What is important is whether or not a "chosen" behavior can have addictive qualities to it (negative effects both short and long term, broken off relationships, sudden shift in quality of life, and the continuation and rationalization of that behavior in spite of recognizing all of the bad stuff above). We recognize the chemical addiction of nicotine, but ignore the psychological elements of it as well (the effect withdrawal symptoms have on the psyche).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top