<p>Zoosermom, I wanted to let you know that I don’t think there’s anything wrong in asking the question in the first post of this thread. You’ve been open and honest about your challenges with regard to your commute, and I’ve agreed based on my experience on airlines. You are not at fault or responsible for the hateful comments on this topic. I’m just surprised at the level of prejudice against overweight people, who must have enough trouble without dealing with the intolerance of others. You are always fair and rational, and I enjoy your posts.</p>
<p>Thanks SJmom. This was NEVER my intent and I find many of the posts on this thread sickening. I appreciate your kind words and Curmudgeon’s understanding of my aversion to being sat upon. But I’d rather be sat upon than have my feelings hurt like others on this thread have had theirs hurt.</p>
<p>MBK: I have huge compassion for people like mythmom, who struggle with the genetics and other health problems, to stay as healthy as possible. I never said that I didn’t, and if you think I did then you’ve misread something or read into it too much.</p>
<p>My point is that mythmom is an exception; most obese people don’t have severe asthma and the kind of metabolic issues that she has. When I meet someone who does, they fully get my compassion. </p>
<p>But most obese people don’t have as many obstacles as mythmom, and if you think they do, you need to get out more. Go to a food court and watch people eat for a while - the amount of obese people coming in and STUFFING huge amounts crappy food down is revolting.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How do you know whether a person has some issues that might affect his or her situation? Do you ask? I hope you don’t expect a person to volunteer that information. And certainly there are issues, such as psychological ones, that you could not discern from observing someone at a food court.</p>
<p>I don’t know any particular person’s situation, and have never ever claimed to. I just know that on an aggregate scale, most of the new obesity in America is a result of lifestyle changes, not uncontrollable genetic factors.</p>
<p>Well, maybe we should have people with a BMI of 30 or more wear some kind of insignia if they have a “good reason” for being obese. Then we’d know which ones to be kind to. Then you’d know who to harass and demean. Does that work for you?</p>
<p>For God’s sake, do you think I go out and make fun of fat people in the street, or are you just so incapable of separating reasoned debate from insults that you take everything I say as some kind of personal insult?</p>
<p>I never make fun of people, harass, or demean them based on their appearance, weight, ethnicity or anything else. I have lots of fat friends, and I never give them any kind of trouble over it.</p>
<p>But hey, better to just dehumanize me and make me out to be some kind of bigoted, mean-spirited person who has nothing better to do than belittle people, than to actually address my arguments.</p>
<p>mythmom,
I’m very sorry for being so crass. I took a long walk this afternoon and was thinking about my words. I think that MBJ was right when he said that I was angry. It should not really matter weather or not you can help it and I truly am sorry.
Curm. I don’t think that people walk down hospital hallways deciding how to feel etc. Feelings are a product of our experiences.
When I was working as a nurse I worked the 3-11 shift, sometimes as a float nurse but mostly in orthopedics. 3-11 on Ortho often meant a fair amount of lifting and fresh post-op patients. It also meant a smaller staff. The work was absolutely exhausting and so stressful that there were often times I when after finishing my charts I’d have to call a cab even though I’d driven to work. Unfortunately, obese pts. often made my work much harder and I obviously have some anger about it. Thank goodness after I got injured we decided that it was not worth the income and I stayed home full time with our kids. My experiences unfortunately led me to be angry and resentful against obese people and I’m sorry.
Fortunately this CC experience has helped me to see that I do have anger issues and that I need to deal with them.
Once again, I’m very sorry that you and others were hurt.</p>
<p>I’m glad they let this thread go on as long as it did. (Sometimes they’ve been known to “off” the threads.) It just goes to show how inherently good, compassionate, and human people are.</p>
<p>Signing off, but hoping the wounds are healed.</p>
<p>I thank everyone for their compassion coming my way. It’s been quite a struggle. But most of us have difficulties in life, whether it be over weight, a really difficult and unpleasant commute, difficult cases as a nurse. This planet Earth is not an easy place to be.</p>
<p>I consider my lot very easy when I think of my friends who are watching their fifteen year old son die of muscular dystrophy. He went into a wheel chair at eleven. I’m sure his mom would gladly weight 400 lbs. to spare her son this fate. </p>
<p>We who have children at college, going to college are so blessed.</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>Thank YOU mythmom!</p>
<p>We are all in this leaky boat together. We are all just getting by the best way we know how. </p>
<p>Good job, Sarahsmom. Peace.</p>
<p>… :)</p>
<p>Sarahsmom, I admire your courage. </p>
<p>Mythmom, I am one of those who will perish in the first wave of a famine. </p>
<p>And I really like the leaky boat analogy.</p>
<p>My sister lives in Latin America, and she said that when people from where she lives come up to the States they’re appalled at the size of Americans. (Alot of them go to Disneyworld). They literally have never seen people that size and her country is not particularly poverty stricken so its not like they don’t have access to food. I just don’t buy the hormonal aspect to obesity. I’m sure that it exists, but in VERY RARE cases. I myself am a lifetime Weight Watchers member. It can be done.</p>
<p>padad: I hope not. We don’t want to lose you.</p>
<p>I work some fairly long hours and it was easy just to shovel food in my mouth and just succumb to the exhaustion at the end of the day. </p>
<p>Two months ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. At that point, I weighed 260 lbs. but have lost 15 pounds since then through diet and exercise. There is still a long way to go. But there is no real alternative.</p>
<p>“Two months ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. At that point, I weighed 260 lbs. but have lost 15 pounds since then through diet and exercise. There is still a long way to go. But there is no real alternative.”</p>
<p>Congratulations on getting moving. I wish you all success and health! as you move forward. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step… or something like that. :)</p>
<p>Dadguy,
My mom was overweight for a good part of her life. She was diagnosed with diabetes in her fifties. Through diet and exercise she has lost weight, is completely off insulin and other related diabetes meds. She does have to check her blood sugar daily but otherwise she is doing great.<br>
Part of her motivation was that diabetes runs in her family and she had family members who had limb amputations, blindness, etc. as a result of uncontrolled diabetes.
So, it can be done and it is important! Keep at it :)</p>