Obesity

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I watched extreme makeover weightloss edition last night. The guy on there went from 493# to 238# in exactly 1 year. Half way through, at 317# he ran a triathalon with his trainer. 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run. During the run there were people passing him (yes he was pretty damn good in the water and on the bike) and offering congratulations and inspirations and telling him not to quit. I don't think he took it as condescending at all. I think he found it very helpful.

He finished in 4 hours and 20 minutes, his goal had been 6 hours.

Big difference between random on the street and someone doing a race. I've been in a similar situation and had someone say to me good job as they blow by (I'm not obese, nor overweight, just the usual race "good job") and take it in stride. Also been in second place in a 10km and had the people behind me cheer me on as I'm going full out as I pass them on the way back. If someone flew by me on a random day out on a run I'd probably think "WTF"

Also saw that one last night. That guy kicked ass, figured he'd drop the chick. Wasn't impressed she looked pretty heavy still at the end of the show. Impressed the family helped out too!

Regarding the above post about the biggest loser. I'd be weary of any TV show, even the one that was mentioned right before. Lots of unrealistic things for ratings, likely lies, I remember during a marathon a van apparently picked up some of the people, drove them along, dropped them near the finish. The 5km runs they do are sometimes about 3.9kms... There's probably a ton more.

Just reading the article, listening to the audio, but it's not like I'd take anything seriously from "Golda is a certified holistic health counselor and founder of Body Love Wellness"

Also agree that it's one contestant who there's a good chance had severe issues to begin with...

Meh, got bored and stopped listening to the audio. Can't really take someone seriously who went on a reality TV show thinking it would be real. Reading through and article on CBS she's quoted as talking about how it's not real, it's TV, and it's not possible to live like that. No S-sherlock. Anyone who goes on reality TV should be prepared to be completely be subject to conditions that are made to make for entertainment and nothing real.

Not that it makes The BL okay for being mean.

[SeeBass]

If somebody had given me the "good job" pat on my back when I ran I would be pissed.
Excuse me skinny who the hell are you to judge me and my ability just cause you are skinnier than me. I bet your blood pressure is higher along with your colesterol than mine too.
I tell the guy to line up and lets have a race so I can shove that judgment down his throat.

[zamler]

You might be a little too concerned about what other people think about you.

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by zamler

You might be a little too concerned about what other people think about you.

You might be giving an opinion about somebody with not enough information to give one.

[ben voyonsdonc]

I think that a far more appropriate way to show that you support someone when they are exercising is to just ask them how its going and let them know that you are always around if they need a spotter or would like some tips on how a machine might work or anything else. Establishing a friendship at the gym can be motivating to anybody...overweight or not.

Many overweight people feel pretty self-conscious at the gym or on a run and having random strangers telling them how good they are doing does come off as a bit condescending.

[Alberta_Beef]

I am pretty disgusted by some of the things said in here and I am a guy who lacks tact most of the time.

I also think I will share a little about myself.

I am overweight, if you go by any of those charts I am morbidly obese. I happen to carry it well though so most people don't realize that I am as heavy as I am. Last time I stepped on an electronic scale it actually gave me an "E" instead of my weight.

I don't eat a ton, I don't eat alot of fatty foods, I don't consume a ton of sugar, hell usually my thin friends all out eat me by a significant margin.

But I do suffer from depression, and while it's not an excuse it is a significant factor for me. I used to spend weeks on end at home in the dark eating because I didn't want to be seen in public. What these bullies in this thread fail to realize is when you are that low, the #######s yelling at you and mocking you don't help, they make you never want to leave your home. I spent the last 20 years of my life just getting to the point where I liked myself and could accept who I was.

Another factor (this may even be a factor in the depression) is chronic knee pain (I destroyed my knee at age 12 before I was too overweight) and it makes it very difficult to be physically active. I go for a walk and my knee gives out when I step off a curb, I go for a bike ride but I am suddenly overcome with severe pain and I can't continue any further except now I am stranded. After 20 years without a pain free day it often becomes difficult to go out and do the things I need to do to lose weight.

Some of you need to realize that it is very difficult being overweight and the #######s out there that mock people for it are truly a lower form of life.

[mustache ride]

Is there anyone or anything that fat people wont blame?

I am pretty disgusted by some of the things said in here and I am a guy who lacks tact most of the time

Fat people are the worst kind of passive aggressive bullies too! They feel free to say anything they want but as soon as something comes back their way ( whether real or imaginary) it's shame spiral city.
And no one does self integrity like they do! Just pillars of moral and ethical virtue. Didn't hear? Don't worry, they'll tell you about it.

[Slacker]

^ Not all of them. I've met/work with people that falls under the obese category and they are very nice people. Great attitudes too.

That attitude can be found in other people as well. I would guess that was/still is their defense mechanism. Maybe they were bullied since a young age? I think it's very unfair to put 'obese people' under the passive aggressive label.

To me, a bad attitude is the people who pokes fun of people trying to lose weight at the gym.

[ranchlandsselling]

Can't be bothered to go back and read through the thread. But has there been a significant amount of people that have actually (not sarcastically, or jokingly) been rude and critical of an overweight person that's trying to lose weight?

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by bcsoda

Or maybe, just maybe, the people who are doing the name calling are the ones who need to get help to figure out why they feel the need to do that and what they need to do to stop. Why should the people who are being bullied have to be the ones to change?

What a horrible attitude IMO. It would be great if those who do the name calling would look into their own issues but instead of waiting for them why not take things into your own hands and sort out your own issues. If you are going to wait around for others to change you will be waiting a very long time.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by HOOT

What a horrible attitude IMO. It would be great if those who do the name calling would look into their own issues but instead of waiting for them why not take things into your own hands and sort out your own issues. If you are going to wait around for others to change you will be waiting a very long time.

Especially if those people are ignorant.

Look, this isn't about any one person who said a 'bad thing' to another person one time. This is about the systematic bullying of people for ANY reason and its acceptance in society. I don't care if it is due to race, sexual orientation, weight, or other physical/mental limitations.

Society isn't going to change overnight, but to think that it isn't something that needs to change, is a rather antiquated way of thinking.

[vektor]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I am pretty disgusted by some of the things said in here and I am a guy who lacks tact most of the time.

I also think I will share a little about myself.

I am overweight, if you go by any of those charts I am morbidly obese. I happen to carry it well though so most people don't realize that I am as heavy as I am. Last time I stepped on an electronic scale it actually gave me an "E" instead of my weight.

I don't eat a ton, I don't eat alot of fatty foods, I don't consume a ton of sugar, hell usually my thin friends all out eat me by a significant margin.

But I do suffer from depression, and while it's not an excuse it is a significant factor for me. I used to spend weeks on end at home in the dark eating because I didn't want to be seen in public. What these bullies in this thread fail to realize is when you are that low, the #######s yelling at you and mocking you don't help, they make you never want to leave your home. I spent the last 20 years of my life just getting to the point where I liked myself and could accept who I was.

Another factor (this may even be a factor in the depression) is chronic knee pain (I destroyed my knee at age 12 before I was too overweight) and it makes it very difficult to be physically active. I go for a walk and my knee gives out when I step off a curb, I go for a bike ride but I am suddenly overcome with severe pain and I can't continue any further except now I am stranded. After 20 years without a pain free day it often becomes difficult to go out and do the things I need to do to lose weight.

Some of you need to realize that it is very difficult being overweight and the #######s out there that mock people for it are truly a lower form of life.

find something that is easy on your knee, I suggest swimming or shadow boxing while holding very lightweights (<10 lbs). If people look at you because you are obese, well screw them. Also I know many people will get mad, but I suggest smoking marijuana, it might help you shake your depression and become more active. Also, eat a big steak once a week, a lot of leafy green vegetables and take glucosamine sulfate pills. This is the best advice I can give in a very quick dose.

Good luck, you can turn your life around if you want. I was obese, no girlfriend, miserable. Changed it all, but, here's the catch, it's on you to do it. It is up to you where your life goes and blaming others or cyclically feeling self-loathing is a complete waste of time and energy. If you feel like laying on your bed and doing nothing but feeling sorry for yourself (not trying to be pejorative, I had depression too once) try eating something healthy and doing something active. Happiness and healthiness happens by building momentum, it's not a sudden change or a quick fix, happiness builds momentum when you dedicate yourself to a healthy lifestyle and you will never feel truly happy until you figure this out or completely medicate yourself with prescription pills

and f.uck bullies, there are more of us here that would stick up for you in real life than there are bullies. Don't spend 2 seconds thinking about them, if you were being cornered and made fun of in real life I'd force-ably help you as would many people here. Bullies are stupid human beings, they are like you said lesser forms, their brains aren't fully functioning.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Society isn't going to change overnight, but to think that it isn't something that needs to change, is a rather antiquated way of thinking.

I'm not saying that society shouldn't change and only that person being hurt by it should. But to think that the person bullying you is just going to wake up one day and say 'hey I need help' is asking way too much out of our selfish society. My point is just that sometimes, even if it isn't your fault, you need to take it upon yourself to find out why some person who doesn't like you and you probably don't like is making you hate yourself. Maybe the reason that person saying those things hurts so much because you believe them yourself. I find way too often people are trying to change themselves because of others and not doing it for the right reasons, themselves!

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by mustache ride

Is there anyone or anything that fat people wont blame?
Fat people are the worst kind of passive aggressive bullies too! They feel free to say anything they want but as soon as something comes back their way ( whether real or imaginary) it's shame spiral city.
And no one does self integrity like they do! Just pillars of moral and ethical virtue. Didn't hear? Don't worry, they'll tell you about it.

You are seriously ####ed up.

[allicat]

This whole thread is kind of sad. I was never really 'fat' or 'obese' but I was definitely overweight. I'm female and petite, and I was carrying far too much weight for my frame. I had an 'aha' moment, realized my pants didn't fit, and went for a run that day. I educated myself about nutrition (it isn't rocket science), signed up for a bootcamp and lost 40 lbs in about a year. I've kept that weight off for over a year now. I am now a member of a gym and go about 5 times a week, because I enjoy it.

I am now in the best shape of my life, am smaller then when I was a teenager and I feel great. I have had so many people ask me, after telling me I look great and how did I lose all the weight, why I still go to the gym. 'Why are you still working out, you've lost all your weight!' It's this kind of attitude that's the problem. It isn't about losing weight anymore, it's about keeping my heart healthy and doing something that feels good to me. It's about a lifestyle change. I still eat well and I constantly get ragged on at work for eating a salad for lunch, or fruit and veggies for a snack. People tell me I'm eating rabbit food! It's a whole societal attitude about health and fitness and wellness that needs to change. I can't tell you how often people who lead unhealthy lifestyles have accused me of having no fun and 'working out too much' because I choose to get extra veggies with my dinner at a restaurant, or tell people I can meet them for coffee AFTER my session at the gym. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I have a lazy day and watch a movie instead of working out, and sometimes I enjoy a good meal full of calories and deliciousness, but not all the time!

A lot of the shaming and hate in this thread is juvenille. People will make me feel bad for changing my lifestyle and trying to maintain my health, and, as evidenced, people will try to make heavier, (possibly) unhealthy people feel bad for being overweight or having poor nutrition habits. Can't we all just be supportive of one another? Why do we have to put down others to make ourselves feel better? Weight and health are just about as touchy of subjects as religion and politics, these days. No one deserves to be ridiculed or teased because of their weight or the way they look. It can do nothing but hurt (most of the time).

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by mustache ride

Is there anyone or anything that fat people wont blame?
Fat people are the worst kind of passive aggressive bullies too! They feel free to say anything they want but as soon as something comes back their way ( whether real or imaginary) it's shame spiral city.
And no one does self integrity like they do! Just pillars of moral and ethical virtue. Didn't hear? Don't worry, they'll tell you about it.

Wow, you sound like a wonderful human being.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by mustache ride

Is there anyone or anything that fat people wont blame?
Fat people are the worst kind of passive aggressive bullies too! They feel free to say anything they want but as soon as something comes back their way ( whether real or imaginary) it's shame spiral city.
And no one does self integrity like they do! Just pillars of moral and ethical virtue. Didn't hear? Don't worry, they'll tell you about it.

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits!

[vektor]

ss

[OffsideSpecialist]

nm

[ranchlandsselling]

Some pretty funny posts in the last page.

Good job allicat!
Hey, healthy fit people get harassed, made fun of, ridiculed, teased, pestered, etc. as well!