Fat People programs

[freshair 135]

I guess I must be @@Folly

Edited January 31, 2015 by freshair

[gowalking 10,790]

I didn't watch The Biggest Loser but, based on the comments on this thread I was curious about this Dr. Here is an interesting article about his theory with a very good rebuttal.

http://doctorsofweightloss.com/biggest-loser-medical-director-claims-results-better-surgery-8432

Well, the first rebuttal was from my bariatric surgeon.

[Folly 308]

I guess I must be @@Folly

Lmao!!!!!!!!

[sassy14 178]

I watched the 600 lb life where are they now episode about Chuck and Paula last night. I was stunned to see a bottle of coke-- with sugar no less-- at chuck's seat. It was half gone and he was sitting there eating! Soda! Drinking while eating??? Then Paula has a sweaty water bottle sitting right next to her plate.

My hubby yelled out- what are they doing with soda? Why are they drinking with food?

The only person I know personally who had wls and regain drinks soda all the time and drinks when she eats. I don't think that's chance.

[hstrayorn 26]

I love what you have posted. It's very real and raw in how society see people of size. I'm not sure if I agree with you about your last statement concerning the lady on My Big Fat Life. I think she could be very happy with herself. I believe that's why we have self esteem...you literally love and esteem yourself. I'm going for WLS in less than a month. I've always been over weight I was even an 11lb baby as well as you know, the struggle is real! But I'm not getting WLS because I'm unhappy with me...i have some health issues that need to be resolved by WLS. But i loved me at my size. I was 427lbs, ive lost 30lbs to prepare for my life after and maintenance after surgery, but I loved me all of me at 427 and my wife does too. and people talked and talk about me, but I love me baby, and talk is cheap and I'm confident in who I am. So society didn't lead me to want to lose weight. But self love did. Because I loved my life enough to say there are now complications so I need to look at ways to prolong my life and to be healthy. And maybe it's just me, but maybe it's just me, but I think you have to love yourself where you are to make the changes you need for healthy choices in the future

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

"Your experience must be the same as my experience, because my experience makes so much sense to me that it must be the only one that makes sense to others, too."

Nope.

[Wynnie 186]

The passion in each of these posts certainly illustrates, at least in my mind, the overwhelming need for forums such as this. Each differing point of view is insightful, and even those that don't specifically apply to me still resonate deeply, and confirms my hopes of long term success and fears of back sliding. I, like many, have told no one outside of my immediate family of my sleeve, why you may ask... The knowledge that the perception it was oh so easy will diminish the actual hard work I have placed into each and every step of this process. My 600 pound life provides insight into the struggle, and every episode I watch keeps me firmly on track. Whitney, the girl in her big fat fab life, she is, in my opinion, at the end of her self acceptance, and may well be on the path to a life change. She seems to have the desire to make changes, but hasn't quite yet found her own specific path to success.

[freshair 135]

"Your experience must be the same as my experience, because my experience makes so much sense to me that it must be the only one that makes sense to others, too."

Nope.

Totally agree every peroson is unique. And every story is different. Even if we share similarities.

Edited February 1, 2015 by freshair

[lisacaron 5,075]

OK I admit I have Fast Forwarded to the end of this chain and only skimmed the last few pages. Mostly because the topic Liz started about my big fat fabulous life has been on my mind since I saw the show.

Whitney is a beautiful girl. She has a pretty face and for the most part I think it's easy for her to be in denial when she looks in a mirror. Her body as big as it is seems well proportioned...that is about all I can say about that.

All that said, the fact that we are watching this girl live a life in denial looking for excuses of PCOS to blame and not the amount or choice of food being the reason for her obesity is just sad! Why exploit this lovely girl and not HELP her? Yes you can be fat and happy. I was very fat and very happy in fact at my highest weight I was the happiest in my life at the time. However I was never happy with my weight or my health. My life as a fat lady was a happy one, I knew how to dress and keep myself in style so I didn't think about my weight or what I ate or how much I just did it.

When I was upset about something I ate, it was my coping mechanism. Being sick, being a fellow suffer of PCOS,needing major organ removal, feeling like I could not walk from my office to my car without feeling like I was going to have a heart attack in the parking lot...not being able to walk up a flight of stairs or down the hallway without being out of breath all this things made me NOT happy.

This girl is talking about her chin hair and chub rub, and not going out because she can't fit in a movie theater seat...yes all these things are reality. You can say yes to life but the reality is that even the handicapped chairs are not meant to hold a 400 or 500 pound person. I was/am a very active fat person I work at 150 mile an hour speed, I dance I work out I do all those things. I admit though as I gained weight those things became a bit less and less as I got older they became harder to do so I did them less and less and got heavier and heavier.

I would like to see TLC take this show and bring this lovely girl with the positive attitude who is trying to make the best of her life as it is to see a WLS doctor. Working out and eating right sure that's a start but when you are "craving" (sorry barf reflex here) banana and Mayonnaise sandwiches...and eating like no body's business...you need an intervention not more people to enable you by putting you on display on TV.

Help this girl, educate this girl her friends and her family. I would love to see some WLS doctors come to meet her some friends who are supportive of a change in her life not enabling her. Most of them could use a bit of intervention as well.

Fat people can and are beautiful chubby chasers or no...but it's just not healthy. She does not need to become a Barbi doll but she needs some intervention for her health and to make that smile reality in all areas of life.

[samuelsmom 670]

@Follly Interesting idea, though I can't agree with it completely. Obesity is a multifactorial disease. A symptom of something else? Maybe in some cases, but certainly not all. My sister and I ate exactly the same food growing up. We had a traditional family and my parents served food from the stove so our plates were about the same. We also got small Desserts and rarely had junk food. My mother did not buy soda or chips. In high school she was 5'2" and weighed 105lbs, I was 5'4" and weighed 180lbs! What was the difference? We ate similarly and had similar activity yet she was ALWAYS thin and I was ALWAYS heavy. When I asked my NUT about this, and she heard that I was 10 1/2 pounds at birth, she said it was a metabolic disease that I inherited from my mother. Guess I was the unlucky one.

[highdesertblue 70]

TLC actually has a casting page where you can propose a program based on your life. I don't want to be on TV, but I would love to see a program about people having WLS. There are plenty of interesting and wonderful people who have gone through this process who could be a great inspiration. I watch some of the programs and I enjoy the ones that depict the specific problems of obesity along with giving me a glimpse into the lives of people who live with it. Especially when I can relate to problems they have such as worrying about whether there will be any chairs I can sit on when I get to someone's house. Whitney on My Big Fat Fabulous Life is an upbeat person, I am sure she does not like her weight, but I can relate to many things in her life.

[Sharpie 3,306]

okay I watched 600 lb life last night,, Amber was the patient. She is a young girl 23 I think. I almost cried when I saw her. Her legs are so huge her feet look like little hands. I am praying she does well with her surgery. Her parents bless their hearts moved her to Houston and then left so she could gain some independence. Of course she has a boyfriend, not sure what he does other than help her but apparently she needs him. at the end of the program she had lost 100 lbs and was driving again. She is a intelligent young woman and I feel strongly that she will be successful. It's motivating and inspirational when we see someone with such a long way to go and the struggle they go through. I like the idea of TLC doing a show about Weight loss surgery patients but instead of the drastic cases like hers I would like to see everyday cases like most of us who live in the real world of work, family, etc.

[Wynnie 186]

I saw this episode as well, and poor Amber. I hope they do a follow up on her, and I hope she can lose weight. She is far too young to be in such pain..

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I hate these shows. I think Ann's post about how fake, circus like and demeaning they are sums up my views well.

I used to think i hated them because I was obese and felt uncomfortable with it. I haven't been obese for awhile and my feelings haven't changed.

I actually see these shows as cruel. I see no redeeming value at the shows that portray people as damaged train wrecks (really - a hugely obese lady splits her pants out in public, is completely immodest about changing in a parking lot as she just so happened to have spare pants with her... say what?). Shows like Biggest Loser are less about "train wrecks" and more about the physical torture, injuring inducing extreme exercise etc. I think it is absolutely awful and send the wrong message and I can't stand watching people suffer like that when I know it is so unnecessary.

I have a friend who has never been fat but LOVES Biggest Loser. She says it is because it is about the fantasy of "turning your life around" and very inspiring. Maybe that is it's one redeeming value, but the cost to the contestants seems way too great. If I believed even 10% of the contestants acheived lasting health benefits I might change my tune - but when you consider most are elimintated before making it to a normal weight and the ones that do make most likely regain as they lost their weight in a very artificial environment.

Anyway, I vote with my viewing time and it isn't on reality TV (except sometimes project runway!) and it certainly isn't a show that demeans or tortures obese people.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I hate these shows. ..

Anyway, I vote with my viewing time and it isn't on reality TV (except sometimes project runway!) and it certainly isn't a show that demeans or tortures obese people.

I agree with a great deal of what you say but had to comment on this.

I love Project Runway, too but it has its own set of issues with people whose bodies are anything larger than a sample/dress mannequin size.