Is this pathetic or what?

Go see Shallow Hal. Perhaps an epiphany will come unto you.

Consider: If you are an American adult in 2003 and are NOT overweight, you are in the MINORITY. The media likes to talk about the haves and the have-nots in many areas of our society (economics, political power, even access to information). One of those areas is now health vs. non-health. I don't like the picture I see of the future with hordes of overweight and out of shape baby boomers straining our medical system. I have far less sympathy for folks dealing with major self-imposed medical problems compared to folks with just plain bad luck (or genes). It cracks me up when I go to a meeting at work and instead of gobbling down some doughnuts and coffee, I bring along my own food (like a carton of yogurt). People have said to me "Hey, you're a skinny guy! You can eat the doughnuts!" Duh. I'm skinny because I DON'T eat the doughnuts you fool. Yes, it would be easier for me to eat them, and yes, sometimes I do like a plain old fry cake, but I have learned that it is perfectly fine to not fulfill instantly every urge that you ever get. Besides, I have come to the consclusion that the desire for "bad food" is a learned behaviour, due in no small part to the constant advertising of its purveyors. Fast food breakfasts in particular make me howl. I drive by the MacD's on the way to work and see folks lined up in their cars getting a sausage McHeartattack. What's the deal here? Fast? Convenient? Huh? Are you telling me that you couldn't down a bowl of decent cereal in the same amount of time for a fraction of the cost (and a fraction of the fat and calories)?

Fast food marketing has proven to be too effective for our own good.

That's funny... I have no sympathy for weekend warriors and joggers who overburden the medical system with ridiculous injuries they inflict on themselves. Quit jogging and running up our bills!

That's a specious argument. Look at the numbers. Joggers and weekend warriors don't contribute much to the load on the medical system.

Consider the long term costs. Local jogger trips and falls, twists his ankle. Winds up going to his doctor or some emergency/urgent care unit: $. Same person, does no workouts, never twists ankle, saves $. Several years later requires acute or chronic care for high blood pressure, bypass operation, etc.: $$$$$. A penny for prevention or a pound for cure. Take your pick.

Jim,

Good post. I'm with you all the way. I'm one though that was once fat but now am not because I saw the light. I got it in my head back in college that since I was a runner and thin that I could eat anything and as much as I wanted. While I never really did eat too much crap, I ate more than I should have, and I ate too much of the good food too. Gained a ton of weight even while a high-mileage runner.

Now, I don't run the super high mileage I used to, but I have better eating habits and am much thinner - and decently fast again too.

JimFiore wrote:

That's a specious argument. Look at the numbers. Joggers and weekend warriors don't contribute much to the load on the medical system.

ha ha ha

I guess that's why orthopedic specialists rub their hands with glee at the onset of warm spring weather and all the attendant injuries that pour into their offices! Who do you think keeps them in business?

It's genetics, man, genetics (see - Jim Fixx).

So apparently, you don't quite grasp the concept of an overall load on a system versus a specific one.

Further, by your logic oncologists must absolutely love the tobacco companies and industrial polluters.

Stick to selling cars, Bostonian. How can you presume to judge the background of every single person who wants to get that surgery done? Here's an anecdote that may enlighten you, if it somehow gets through: I work with a guy who used to carry just under 3 bills when he was a football player in college. 10 years later, he was near 400 and big as a damn house. Not a good situation at all, his knees hurt, he couldn't play with his kid, all that. The thing of it is, he tried every diet plan imaginable short of starving himself. The best he could do was to lose 20 pounds, not much of a dent when you weigh 400, and he was miserable doing that because even at that weight, HE WAS ALWAYS HUNGRY. Without a doubt, he hit the bad luck lottery when it comes to genetics--the guy is hardwired to put on pounds.

So he got the surgery. It nearly killed him. 6 blood transfusions later, the worst was over and his stomach was a fraction of its former size. He can't eat more than a really small amount now without feeling uncomfortably full, whereas before he never felt full, even after polishing off a large steak and cheese. In fact, he eats so little nowadays we all wonder how he doesn't faint from lack of blood sugar. Anyway, he's lost close to 200 pounds in a little less than a year. The before and after pictures would make your jaw drop.

His experience with the surgery, its complications, and its effects are quite similar in fact to those of Charlie Weis, the Patriots assistant coach who got some press this year when he nearly died in post-op. Like the guy I know, Weis tried every diet imaginable with only modest weight loss to show for it. Even a restricted, 1500 calorie a day diet (think about how tough that is for a minute) didn't make a dent.

Guys like Weis and the dude I work with may not represent the majority of people requesting the bypass surgery, but there are people like them out there. Idiots like you would instantly judge them as being lazy, undisciplined slobs. What's interesting is that if you asked the guy I know if he would recommend the surgery to someone else with similar weight problems, he doesn't say "oh yes absolutely." Far from it in fact. He was scared shitless when they kept pumping blood into him and it kept leaking out his stomach staples. His wife had some doubts about how safe it was beforehand, and he reassured her that it was no big deal. He says that knowing what he knows now he wouldn't have been so quick to agree to being stapled, but he can't argue with the results.

Moral of the story: don't lump everyone into your preconceived categories based solely on what you see. Get to know the person before you judge them.

You are soo freaking right. I have a brother who had the operation so it did him a lot of good--I have another brother who needs the operation even worse--but he won't get it. I tried to get him to smoke so he will have chance to lose some weight. His overweightness and resulting diabetes is costing insurance company lots of money--he just won't listen and won't change. but there is no way he is going to lose that weight off of some diet. He cannot really exercise on account his weight his ruined his legs--he cannot stand for 5 minutes straight. So, I applaud those getting the operation who have suffered so greatly. And, yes, the operation is very risky.

A lot of fat people are fat due to being on welfare.

the people you cite are indeed lazy unmotivated SLOBS

eat more calories than you burn and you gain weight

burn more than you eat and you lose weight

very simple

Ya I think the lesson is that diets don't work. It's as simple as above, you excercise and eat right and the weight will come off!! A diet by itself doesn't do jack.

Be careful... the definition of overweight is a strict weight/height ratio that was changed recently. In essence, tens of millions of people woke up one day a few years ago and were "overweight" when they weren't the night before.

By the new standards - some world class sprinters are "overweight" and most football running backs, quaterbacks and wide receivers (people I would generally consider in great shape) are "extremely obese."

So, the majority of Americans may be legally "overweight," but they're not fat.

That said, the only reason you have to pay for their fatness is because of the National Health Care system being put in by the Republcrats...

Actually if you look at the girth of gorillas you will come to the intelligent conclusion that humans are genetically suppose to be fat. If they are not fat it is a freak of nature or through very hard work. Some people cannot be anything but fat no matter how much they go hungry, fast, or exercise. I know this for a fact and anyone who thinks differently is a pervert.

Well not really. If I was to compare humans to apes I would at least go with the closest genetic relatives- Chimps not Gorillas. Muscular and low weight. Even a Gorilla is only thick through the midsection, not all over. Fat people are nothing but fat. The people who have a true genetic disposition to carry fat carry it totally differently than an obese person. Bushmen have rear ends like a Camel hump and Eskimos have pot bellies from an enlarged liver. That's about as far as it should go.

We need some natural selection!

This is what happens to a species when it has no natural predators and a limitless supply of food. It eats itself to death.

The Fatter you are, the Sicker you'll be, the Sooner you'll Die.

He tried every diet that was out there? Did he think of getting off his fat ass and burn some calories. The facts are the MAJORITY of fat people are fat because they are frigin lazy. For the record I am retired and THIN!

Come on out to San Diego..if you arent in shape, basically your are looked down upon and are not allowed out of the house...and they run ...eat right...and for some plastic surgery to enhance....but for me..its run..eat right and not alot..and it will keep me in-shape