OBESITY

I just watched the television series My 600 lb. Life which is about the four most obese people in the United States. They are all located in Texas which doesn't surprise me as every thing I've read states the southern United States has the heaviest people on the planet. I think Texas and West Virginia are the top contenders for this honor, however, honor is not what I'd call it.

The stories are about four people who are all over 600 lbs., and in one case over 700 lbs. They opt to have gastric by-pass surgery to save their lives and the narrative follows the procedure, recuperation, and weight loss progress. Each case starts with the people complaining how all this extra weight impedes their ability to function. Walking or standing is painful. Moving is painful. Employment is impossible. Recreational activities are non-existent or challenging. Some of them spend their day sleeping or sitting in front of a television. And, of course, eating non stop in great quantities. They are told if they continue being overweight there is a good chance they will die.

This program had to be the most horrifying I've ever seen and has haunted me now for two weeks. I've had appetite control issues all my life and have struggled with weight control for just as long so seeing the worst of what can happen is my ultimate nightmare. I feel really sorry for these people, but I am horrified anyone would allow this to happen to themselves. I know we aren't supposed to victim blame or "fat shame." It's not politically correct. We are supposed to accept people as they are and celebrate diversity. I guess we are supposed to celebrate drug addicts and alcoholics, too. It's a confusing world. But really who is to blame if not themselves? If you've read my previous posts I also blame drug addicts and alcoholics for their choices. There is a difference between diversity and indulgence. How can anyone let themselves go to such extreme and accept such an unhealthy, miserable life?

There were only two vague theories for their obesity. One woman said it was all because she was molested as a child. She believes she purposefully gained weight in order to be unattractive to men. I've heard this before. I don't buy it. First, this woman is married so clearly she wasn't opposed to attracting all men. Second, if sexual abuse is the cause of her obesity, what's the excuse for the rest of her family? They are all obese. The excuse doesn't fly.

The other so-called "cause" for this extreme obesity is a "food addiction". That's what the doctor kept calling it as he instructed them to learn to control it as a life-long affliction. Maybe. But no one ever asks what is the mechanism for the addiction? WHY are they addicted. WHY will they be addicted all their lives? WHY are others not addicted? It's shocking to me obesity is such a common problem in our society, but doctors don't know why or what to do about it other than to cut them open.

So here are my theories:

I used to buy into the excuse that I overeat because of emotional issues. When a doctor informs you as-a-matter-of-fact this is it, the whole reason, you take a pause and consider it. Yeah, OK, maybe I have some childhood trauma I'm holding onto. Maybe self-esteem issues? The problem with this easy theory is everyone in the world has emotional issues so it never made sense because not everyone is fat. I think this is the easy explanation for doctors because it's so universal. Doctors know we can't contest it so it makes the perfect diagnosis for health care providers who are so incompetent they have no other idea. However, a lot of people I know have far more emotional baggage than I could ever imagine and they still manage to stay skinny. Maybe it's gene mutations that affect some and not others?

I had an epiphany when I attempted to poison myself with thyroid medications. I switched from an overeating tendency to ravenous, non-stop, out of control starvation eating. I would make large pots of stews or casseroles and inhale the whole pot in one sitting. I didn't feel good after and I thought I would vomit from the fullness, BUT I was STILL hungry! If there were two pots I probably would have continued eating. I read the medications might have caused "hypopituitarism" which caused my pituitary gland which controls appetite satiety to go wonky. Not one doctor knew what the hell I was talking about. In fact one of them decided I needed dieting advice. She obviously wasn't listening and didn't have the medical experience or cognitive function to understand something called hypopituitarism. As soon as I stopped the medication, it all went away. This was an eye-opener. Doctors are bullshit.

This makes me wonder about the chemicals in our foods, water, and personal health products not to mention the polluted air we breathe. Are they causing our appetite control organs to go haywire? Are they making us addicted to foods that are grown and manufactured with these chemicals. It's a researched fact that gluten makes people hungry. This is why the food industry has added it to nearly every product on the market. It makes us eat more and they make more money. Are people allergic to these chemicals and/or food additives and it makes them ravenous unable to control their appetites creating a "food addiction"?

My first observation was their diets. Everyone of them ate nothing but processed, junk food loaded with chemicals. The worst kind of garbage. Their methods of cooking were anything but healthy with lots of deep-fried saturated fats and sugar-laced sweeteners. I don't think I saw one vegetable or fresh fruit in the entire program. When the doctor stresses they need to eat "healthy", he's not giving healthy dietary advice. They need to eat protein. Protein for these people is going to the refrigerator and snacking on processed cheese or luncheon meats. From the moment they get out of gastric-bypass surgery they are fed JELLO. Eeewww! I wanted to vomit. There was one story where the patient lost a lot of weight and his mother says, "Well, he only eats junk food now but he's lost weight so I don't think it matters. He loves sour cream!" No one in the whole program including the doctors had any concept of nutrition. There was never not a moment I wasn't disgusted knowing how junk food affects one's health. Unless they change to a more nutritious diet, I don't see how they can be successful and this made a quick-fix surgery the only option.

My second observation is the amount of food they eat. Food piled high and so densely the plate surface is not to be seen. Even after they go through the surgery and become used to their small stomachs their portions are still larger than normal. What was really sad is watching them suffer with smaller portions while be forced to watch their inconsiderate family members shovel in bucket loads of junk food right in front of them. That was just cruel. How could these people control their appetites and take charge of their lives when the people they live with are bad influences and lacking in support? One of the mothers kept babbling about how disgusted and angry she was at her daughter's weight gain. First, the mother was incredibly fat, at least 400 pounds, and second, watching her make jokes and humiliate her daughter's effort showed exactly how difficult it would be to successfully overcome a weight problem with that horrible woman for a parent.

My third observation. One of the patients showed the TV audience her purse, or rather large suitcase of emergency supplies for when she leaves the house. She pulls out a bottle of perfume and says she must have it handy at all times because as large as she is, she smells all the time. If you've spent any time on this blog site, you know how perfumes are made with toxic, addictive chemicals that are hazardous to everyone's health. Are they contributing to the obesity epidemic? It wouldn't surprise me.

My final observation was on the incompetence of health care. One of the patients loses a large amount of weight and decides to celebrate with some crystal meth. He begins to lose all muscular movement in his body, then becomes paralyzed, then ends up in a coma. No one knows what's wrong with him until later when someone finally reveals he was using recreational drugs. So on top of all the chemicals in his food, he poisons himself with meth, and pays the price with his health. He ends up in the hospital for a year and they diagnose him with Guillain-Barre syndrome which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the nerves. I just nodded my head not surprised. He's in a wheelchair for the remainder of his story (seven years). What raised my hackles was the statement printed across the television screen that said something to the effect that the autoimmune disease has no connection to his past drug use. WHAT???? I screamed at the television, YOU IGNORANT, INCOMPETENT BUFFOONS!

If these doctors knew anything about autoimmune disease, which they don't, they would know the cause is thought to be 77% environmental, or toxic chemicals. The drugs certainly could have triggered the autoimmune disease and paralysis. The ignorance of medicine never ceases to shock me.

In conclusion, their families are often loving and caring, but rarely supportive for weight control as they are struggling with bad diets and overeating as well. The obese people don't seem to have the cognitive ability to understand nutrition or the capability to read and research to gain knowledge in order to help themselves understand how to eat for health. Do chemicals affect brain function? They sure do! They are addicted to chemicals and junk food and kicking the habit is not easy. They've been stuck in a vicious cycle of failure. Taking steps to rectify the problem is limited to quick fix methods such as surgery which is dangerously life-threatening, but at the time of their decision with death looming due to the obesity, it seems to be a better choice.

It was very sad and disturbing. I kept wanting to scream, NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS FEELING GOOD FEELS!! but they couldn't hear me. I know how hard it is to eat healthy and stick to a diet, but it can't be more difficult than being unable to walk, stand, work, function or being told you could die at any moment.