Sad story today in local paper about 800lb man

[Margie122 845]

I saw a story today about a 30 something year old man who was kicked out of a hospital weight loss program in RI after being there for 4 months. He's "lost 20lbs" and went to Celebrate by ordering a pizza. The article said he was living "in the back of his father's SUV" and they were trying to get him into another hospital or an apartment in Massachusetts.

I wanted to see if the article had any more info so I googled it and the NY POST had the exact same article and a picture of this super morbidly obese man in the back of his father's truck. It made me sad on so many levels...

The hospital is saying no comment but I'm sure they discharged him for his lack of compliance. The media is not kind to fat people.

It's just sad.

[RyansGirl89 67]

Oh, I pray he gets some help. It is so sad to see someone struggle like that.. I will say a prayer for him.

[Titaniumsleeved2014 42]

????????????????

[Babbs 14,681]

Breaks my heart How hopeless he must feel...

[liannatx 897]

So sad. It sounds like his dad wants to help, but I bet he is the enabler. I hope they both find help.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

sounds like he's got addiction problems big time. He doesn't need to be kicked out of the program, but needs to be given a good psych to help him work through his addictive behavior. How sad. I remember how lifeless I felt at my highest weight of 429 the day I gave birth...I can only imagine how he would feel at 800lbs. ????

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

It's sad but you know what? If you go to rehab and get caught using, they put you out. This may be the tough love he needs. Hopefully he finds another program to take him in and he can manage his addictions. I feel for him but I can't vilify the hospital either.

[BigViffer 3,544]

I saw that article as well. I did not find it sad per se, but I am not an empathetic person. Ordering a pizza while staying at the hospital was monumentally stupid.

The part that has me the most dumbfounded was the dad. He said taking his son home was a death sentence:

"If he comes home and I do get him up the stairs somehow, someway he's going to go right back to his eating habits," Veillette said.

There is no way that man is going to be going up and down the stairs to raid the fridge. If it is a death sentence, it's because the dad is the executioner. Only take him what he needs to survive. If he calls and orders a pizza, don't take it up to him. I get it, I really do. I love food, I love being lazy sometimes. But to exist for the sole purpose of eating just is no way to live life. Right now, all I see is a person that is a burden to all who have to suffer him.

I know, I know... I'm heartless and caustic and yada yada yada. I just cannot see the point in spending so much time and money on someone who obviously doesn't want to change.

[lark60 431]

I have a friend who is caring for a 725+ lb female and has tried to help her loose weight so she can get the bariatric surgery. Her "skinny" husband is the enabler and though my friend fixed her a proper portioned high Protein low carb meal, her hubby went and got her a larger second plate (said it was for him) and mixed her a double portion Protein shake for her "drink". I estimate that one meal was over 3000 calories by the time he finished "feeding" his wife. She is only 27 years old. I tried to talk to her and her husband about changing things so she can succeed with loosing the weight. I doubt she will meet this goal though since she and her husband "justify" her meals as necessary.

[MIMISAN 404]

Its hard to stay 800 lbs without someone helping you.

[RyansGirl89 67]

That, to me, is abuse! At that size, the person is disabled and for an enabler to keep providing unhealthy amounts of food after knowing it is bad, is abuse and adult protective services should be called in to remove the person.. But that is just my opinion.

[justme29 76]

This reminds me of the movie from childhood, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Sad but true story of how obesity can control ones life. I really hope this man can get some help for himself.

[Debbieduck4 399]

Adult Protective Services won't help unless someone meets the criteria for a "vulnerable adult" meaning they are elderly, living in a facility, mentally incapacitated, or physically disabled AND they consent to assistance OR they have a guardian or the court appoints someone to act on their behalf. In this case, this person is physically restricted but may be making decisions with what the court considers a sound mind, and they may not be asking for assistance. Therefore, he gets to choose to have his father bring him food until he is no longer with us. Sad, sad, sad. What he needs is counseling in my opinion.

[Djmohr 6,965]

This is sad, mostly because this person has to be disabled and clearly has an addictive personality.

His care givers have to be strong and only give him what he needs to survive. I have, like most of you watched so many real life stories when the people around them enable this addiction.

Most of those situations end in that person ultimately dying of complications of obesity.

I really hope and pray this man gets the help he truly needs and begins helping himself. His Dad needs to do exactly what the doctors are telling him and not what his son wants.

Very sad!

[MIMISAN 404]

Another thing I always wonder about is how are they financing that amount of obesity. They aren't working so that must mean that my taxes are going towards this and that gets on my last nerve.