Posted on 11/27/2005 6:51:42 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
The NHS in east Suffolk has announced that it will no longer perform hip or knee replacements on people classed as “obese”. Never mind that the definition it uses for obesity — a body mass index of 30 or higher — is increasingly discredited, and that a much more reliable way of measuring healthy weight is waist-to-hip ratio. (It should be 0.9 or less in men, and 0.85 or less in women; you can check it on www.healthstatus.com/calculate/whr ).
A greater objection to this denial of treatment to fatties on account of their self-inflicted fatness is: where on earth do you stop?
Should NHS dental treatment be denied to women who eat too much chocolate? Should the hugely expensive course of anti-retroviral drugs for HIV be denied to promiscuous homosexuals, or sex tourists recently returned from Pattaya Beach? For that matter, what about women who have dieted rather than gluttonised all their lives, neglecting their calcium intake and so risking osteoporosis in later life?
Fatties surely have just as much right to be treated on the NHS as smokers, binge drinkers, or any other taxpayers. Instead of threatening plump people’s already threatened health by denying them treatment, how about giving them the new bits they need, while encouraging them to lose weight with a little gentle, old-fashioned mockery?
Fatties should of course be free to squeeze out of the closet, their XXXL T-shirts emblazoned with such legends as “Fat and Happy!” “Out, Stout and Proud!” and so forth. What they cannot demand, I think, is the right to be free from teasing, either in the playground or in later life. There is and always will be something innately funny about fat people. They wobble so much, for one thing.
I was once stranded for 24 hours in Houston, self- proclaimed Fat Capital of the World, and I have never seen so many enormously fat people in my life, nor felt such a juvenile but well-nigh irrepressible urge to laugh out loud. The reason they are all so fat is that they drive everywhere, and stuff themselves from dawn till long after dusk with double choc-chip deep fried spicy pepperoni monster pizzas topped with extra cheddar-style cheese, and gallon bargain-buckets of buffalo wings on the side. This is not a dignified way to behave.
But laughing at fatties is no longer encouraged in the Land of the Fat and Home of the Brave. Take their National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. Members recently staged a demonstration in New York, dressed in grass hula skirts, tiaras and flamingo headbands, throwing beach balls around and dancing the “hokey-pokey fat liberation” song. They then solemnly stepped onto scales modified with supportive words like “stunning”, “pretty” and “beautiful” instead of numbers. This is not going to help their condition any more than the mean-spirited health services in east Suffolk.
Obesity is well on the way to becoming the No 1 cause of death in the developed world, which in itself is no joke. In a few decades’ time everywhere will look like Houston, or worse still, the Freedom Paradise resort in Mexico, which boasts reinforced beds, double-width doors, and dining chairs 26in wide but without arms in case they get stuck to diners’ wider-than-26in bottoms when they stand up.
Cindy Sabo, spokeswoman for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, has given Freedom Paradise her seal of approval. Placing herself in the “oversize” category at around 400lb, Sabo recalls “some terrible experiences with some other tourists” on a recent holiday in Hawaii. “Especially some people from Asian countries would walk right up to you on the beach, poke you in the belly and make some rude joke.” What a marvellous image: a crowd of lean little Chinese people gathered around an enormous American woman, poking and prodding her delightedly while she lies there in the Hawaiian sand, huffing and puffing with a self-righteous indignation quite lost on them.
Being overweight is hardly the greatest sin one can commit, pace the doctors and consultants of east Suffolk. But that doesn’t mean obesity is an entirely neutral “lifestyle option” either. It isn’t a cardinal or mortal sin, but a venal one. But obesity does betray self-indulgence, a lack of self-control and a habit of mostly solitary greed.
Despite the protests of fatties that it’s their metabolism that is responsible, or their genes, we all know that those among our friends who incline to porkiness are almost always the ones who chomp their way through an entire packet of Chocolate HobNobs when the rest of us make do with one or two.
A certain mockery, a certain hearty Chaucerian laughter at human weakness and venality, can have a beneficial purpose; although, like shame, it is a social mechanism rather out of fashion. It might not only provoke merriment, but also suggest to its “victims” that perhaps they ought to consider their ways and be wise; or in modern parlance, review their lifestyle choices.
Laughing at fat people might be the first step on the road to them losing weight. And then those sternly Calvinistic medical men of east Suffolk might not have to bother about fitting them with new knees anyway.
In poor countries poor people are overworked and underfed. The rich are underworked and overfed. That's the way human history has been mostly.
In rich countries, the rich are educated and know that lifestyle is a choice and being non-fat = better quality of life.
Our poor are less educated generally and, because of our nanny-scoeity the poor don't have to work and they get free food. They get welfare. So, they are IDLE and overfed....thus we have a new phenomenon in human history: the idle, obese poor.
The saddest part is that the idle, obese poor end up costing the taxpayers lots of money from their obesity (diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, the list goes on and on and on).
No, it's all genetics, no lifestyle....all from genetics. Lol. Denial, denial, denial.
Ridicule not only doesn't work, it's cruel.
Those Chinese tourists who laughed at the fat woman were cruel and unbelievably rude. They knew that. They would never do that at home but they knew they could bet away with that "on tour."
Obese people know their problem. If they want to lose their fat they know what they have to do. The change in their life has to come from within them. It won't work any other way.
It's the same with alcoholics, gamblers, whatever, the change must come from within them. Nothing else works.
Also, the only people I know who can genuinely eat "anything" and not gain a pound are those who bike hours on end, go to the beach, or otherwise engage in strenous activity for hours on end.
True enough.
And in the end they will have no knees, both hips replaced, no cartillage and aterio-arthrisis from the waist down. Oh, I almost forgot, and a medicine cabinet FULL of 800-mg Motrin.
"If you read my FIRST post, I started in with BARRING SERIOUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS............"
But you are also barring an as-yet undiscovered medical cause. Undiscovered at least in part because the medical community shares your attitude, and refuses to look.
"But to blame sloth and gluttony"
There you go again.
"You wait for modern medicine to take away ALL the blame from you and tell you "It's not your fault that you eat WAY too much and WON'T exercise."
Now, see, you are making a moral judgement based on assumptions about how much people eat. It would be better to be careful about that.
I used to be a national-level athlete (one silver) in a very active sport, decades ago. I've been sensitive to what I eat and how much I exercise for decades.
"The problem is that even if it were genetics, then what?"
Genetics sometimes plays a role. However, what is fast becoming a worldwide pandemic of obesity has microbial causes. It's infectious, and it's spreading a lot like AIDS did.
"What if the doctors say, "It's genetics. It's not your fault, but we have no cure for the genetics. You will have to eat LESS food and exercise more"???
A lot of people get told, "You can't exercise, and if you reduce your food intake you'll start suffering symptoms of malnutrition. But it's still your fault, because we insist that all fatties are slothful and gluttonous. And no, we're not going to look for a reason for the explosion of obesity in Japan and other countries."
"Sooner or later, the buck stops with you. But, you know that, I think."
Sooner or later, some maverick medico is going to discover why people can't maintain a normmal weight on a normal diet and normal amount of exercise. And it's going to be one or more (probably several) bacteria and/or viri.
Bacteria and or viri??!! Boy, you ARE desperate.
It simply CAN'T be your fault. You will simply take no responsibility for your fat.
Keep waiting and denying the obvious. Hope springs eternal in the human breast.
Of course, what YOU call "normal" diet and exercise may be way off the scale. But, then, I wouldn't be surprised. You seem to have a very different view of the world than I do.
"Lol. But, if I read you right, and I think I do, you will come up with MORE excuses, more explanations of how it's all the type of carbs/proteins you eat, your sensitivity issues and the "right" diet for your unique metabolism."
I'm not making excuses -- I've already lost weight eating lower carb.
"You will NOT discuss anything like self-discipline, eating fewer calories of a NORMAL pyramid diet and NOT, definitely NOT exercising. You will NOT go down that road."
The self-discipline comes in getting ride of grains and sugars. I walk morning and night. Didn't you read in my earlier post, that you responded to, that I used to walk 2 hrs/day?
"And so, you will continue down the same ole road you are on now--and not change."
I already did change, and I lost weight.
"So, go ahead. Don't listen; go sit on your sofa and have a bag of double chunk chocolate chip cookies, with Diet Pepsi, of course. Bon apetite! Then, go watch T.V. for the rest of the evening."
I don't eat chocolate chip cookies or diet drinks. I watch maybe 45 minutes of TV a day: Your World with Neal Cavuto.
"By the way, I am also a Republican in California. :o) I like our governator. You might ask HIM how to lose weight. He will tell you the same thing I just did...and then you will argue with him too. Oh well."
Actually, how much carbs you can handle varies with your metabolism, your age, and your activity level. At this point, the governator may be leaning towards a lower carb diet as well. When he was younger and spending hours working out, I'm sure he could have eaten all the carbs he wanted.
Maybe you should stop YELLING and start listening.
Really?
When I was in college, I worked evenings as a cashier at a big chain grocery store. I swear to you...I can't remember anyone who using food stamps or WIC that was NOT obese.
Same here. I just joined 24 hour fitness last night, mostly because walking alone in the dark (now that it's getting dark at 5pm) isn't the most intelligent thing to be doing.
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Maybe you should stop YELLING and start listening.
Maybe you should start LISTENING, stop DENYING, making excuses, close mouth and start moving butt.
I have been listening to you and I've heard YOUR excuses before. They ARE excuses, since you have no serious medical problem. YOU won't listen to me. But, why should you? You have all the answers. That's why you still have fat problems. < sarcasm >
You "blame" something besides yourself for fat. Lol. You live in the Land of 1001 Excuses. You aren't alone, by any means.
It IS amazing, isn't it?
Because of our wealth (and generosity), we have so much $$welfare$$, so the poor can eat and become obese.
Because of our stupidity, we have no work REQUIREMENT for the poor, so we have IDLE, OBESE POOR.
This HAS to be a FIRST in human history, a poor class which is OVERFED and UNDERWORKED.
Only in America .
P.S. I wonder if anyone thinks about the connection between obesity, being on welfare, not working (and fighting VERY hard NOT to work), personal responsibility and backbone. Hmmmmm.
Some of the fitness rags now say that for people who are already reasonably fit, 15-20 minutes of interval training burns fat very well. Of course you have to burn off CHO to burn fat, but the CHO depletion and fat loss happens for several hours after exercise, not just during. Also, I have read that intervals preserve muscle mass better than long moderate aerobic exercise.
Of course, intense interval training for the morbidly obese is likely to result in serious health consequences.
Also, I have read that intervals preserve muscle mass better than long moderate aerobic exercise.
I dunno, depends on the intensity of the "intervals." Aerobic exercise (cardio) and anaerobic exercise (weight training) are two different balls of wax.
Of course, intense interval training for the morbidly obese is likely to result in serious health consequences.
No doubt.
Your friends may be very accurate in their reports but a number of studies of obese people have looked at self-reported food intake. As a group obese people very much underestimate their intake. They overestimate their activity levels also.
Anecdote: the other night at Walmart(!) we had two very very large young women and their many toddlers in front of us.They were young, still in their teens, and they were so big they could barely fit through the checkout line. They each had either evacuee cards or food stamp cards that weren't working so I had 15 minutes to look at what they were buying. It was all high calorie, high fat, high sodium junk food. I felt bad for their babies. They're destined to grow up fat.
"Maybe you should start LISTENING, stop DENYING, making excuses, close mouth and start moving butt."
I just told you that I walk morning and night, and that I used to walk 2 hrs a day. What part of that don't you comprehend?
That's OK, we can make fun of all the little Chinese people that have hunched backs from osteoporosis.
Getting old just plain sucks. No matter what you do, your body will eventually fail.
I liked this quote (beacause it is so true in many ways) "Growing old is bad business, you don't get any wiser, you just fall apart".
What worked for me was the frozen dinners that had the calories preprinted on the box. I kept it to less than 1000/day with not too much problem. I am a diet soda junky. I cannot stand the taste of regular soda now. Too sweet!
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