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.

Drinking Coffee Will Make You Blind

Blindness was always a threat if you were doing something really sinful, like masturbating. Drinking coffee is evil as it is linked to all kinds of health issues. Try telling that to a coffee addict. If they are experiencing a bit of withdrawal, talk fast and run faster. Caffeine fiends don't like it when you threaten their addictions.



I just read this article, "Popular Drink Linked to Vision Loss" and it made me once again thankful I don't drink coffee. It says if you drink up to three cups a day, you could be at risk for blindness! Whoa! That's a lot of people going blind. I wonder if Starbucks is aware of these studies? Would they care?

Maybe this is why I have superhero vision, comparatively speaking?

The patron saint of coffee drinkers is Saint Drogo. I vote they oust him and use Saint Lucy, the patron saint of vision, for divine guidance here. She could have a cup of coffee sitting on the platter along side her eyeballs.

Here is the article for those who want more information other than my sarcasm...

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/coffee-linked-vision-loss

For more of my opinions on coffee see my post entitled, "Coffee and Caffeine Addictions: Brad Pitt is a Coke Head".

Hug-Free Zone

Years ago I read an article on the benefits of hugging. They claimed all kinds of health issues if a person wasn't hugged enough in their lifetime and cited studies on belligerent babies growing up to be mass murders who were purposely not hugged in these experiments. I'm not sure who would impose this sort of abuse on an infant, but I bought into it. I decided I had too many boundaries and was determined to be hugged non-stop regardless of the ramifications of over-hugging. (Over-hugging seems equally as dangerous, but it's very American to believe if a little bit of something is good for you, then a lot of it has to be better.) I hugged everyone, all the time. Friends, co-workers, relatives, boyfriends, religious people, plumbers, milkmen, grocery cashiers, postal people, employers and landlords.  A stranger once told me I was a great hugger. I was a very friendly, affectionate person.

Then I became chemically sensitive...and people kept hugging me! Smelly people! My self-training was so automatic not only would I let them, but my arms would go up in welcome. Even people I knew who were stinky and those who knew I couldn't be around it. They'd hug me anyway and I'd hug them back. As soon as I could smell the poison, I would wonder what ever possessed me? I knew better, but I was addicted. Many times it was necessary to remove my contaminated clothes in my car, throw them in the back seat, and drive home half naked.

I had to re-train myself not to hug. Sad, I know, but necessary. It took me a long time, too. I studied the warning signs. Timing was a clear indicator. If we were at the end of a visit or saying good-bye, beware. I'd see the it's-time-to-hug look in their eyes. Everyone has this look and often they are assessing whether hugging is appropriate or not. I'd discreetly step back and cross my arms. This sort of behavior usually screams BOUNDARIES! NO WAY! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Those who don't read body language well will begin to slightly lean toward me.  Step back again ever so slightly or turn sideways. Their hands start moving upward. If I had stepped back properly they would need to step toward me before making contact. One more attempt at getting closer and I'd have to raise my hands to block their advance or a real quick, "It was nice to see you. Bye!" wave with palms out and walk away. All these steps can happen very quickly. Don't underestimate their speed. We are hug-addicted people.

Sometimes when I see the it's-time-to-hug look, I verbalize my anti-social behavior. "I don't hug. It's dangerous."  The looks of shock and disbelief I'd get made me feel like I just confessed to torturing baby animals. Not hugging was unthinkable. With more explanation, they'd look at me like I told them I had cancer. Oh, I'm soooo sorry! It must be so difficult. I'd tilt my head, do the grief nod and reply, "Oh, it is so hard, but unavoidable."

There are events that are conducive to hugging. Family reunions, for example. Just try telling your smelly great Aunt Martha who hasn't seen you for a year you don't hug. After being reprimanded with That's ridiculous, come here! she'll grab you. At any religious meeting, hugging is mandatory. It's a spiritual-fellowship-bonding thing. Dating sometimes inspires hugging, but normally hugging starts after the dating phase while in the relationship phase. At this point, intimacy is kind of expected and hopefully they've already passed their fragrance-free training.

I've often thought about having a t-shirt or a button made which might save me some repetitive disclosure. Do Not Hug Me! But I fear this would inspire bad jokes which would annoy me greatly. Maybe someday.

WHY Do People Want to Stink?

My dad was also chemically sensitive and couldn't stand perfumes or strongly scented products .  Anytime we discussed it, he would always yell at imaginary stinky people, "GOOD GOD! JUST TAKE A BATH NOW AND THEN!"

Why isn't bathing enough? It's not like we live in the Middle Ages and hygiene is discouraged. Why do people feel they must smell like French whores?

When I was young, I wore perfume. I believed I needed assistance to be loved. It wasn't enough I was thoughtful, friendly and intelligent. I believed if I wore perfume I'd attract the perfect man. Of course, if Prince Charming was on the other side of the room, I needed to expand my personal space and stink up the whole room so he could smell...or rather, find me. In my fantasy, I was olfactorily irresistible and he'd make a bee line for me pushing all the unworthy others out of the way. Besides having an overactive imagination, my reasons for wearing perfume were 1) a whole lot of insecurity, 2) a desperate need for attention, 3) a serious case of self-centeredness, and 3) maybe a tad bit of dishonesty. My authentic self wasn't good enough. Perfume made me someone else, someone who was the center of every one's attention. In addition, like most perfume wearers, I was too ignorant to question what was in a bottle of perfume and if it was smart to expose my body to it. I'm so glad I grew out of my awkward years!

Even back then I had some minor health issues with perfume so I only wore it if going out at night, and I didn't really wear enough to smell up a whole room. Those who do are addicted. Perfumes and colognes are like any other addictive chemical only these are public sanctioned and come in a really pretty bottles.  Do you ever wonder why people who do smell up a whole room will still reapply it throughout the day? Granted, their sense of smell is shot because their brains have chemically imploded, but they also NEED it. I've asked several of the incredibly stinky why, why, why? The overwhelming response was they couldn't live without it. It makes them feel good. It makes them feel beautiful. It makes them not feel like themselves. It makes me wonder if they'll ever grow up and if psychiatric intervention would help.

What's really nasty are people who smoke, rarely bath or wash their clothes, and then pile on the perfume to try to cover it all up. These people should be arrested for being health hazards!

So, in conclusion, why do people wear perfume?

* They are insecure.

* They want attention.

* They are self-centered.

* They are dishonest.

* They are stupid and/or brain-dead.

* They are drug addicts.

Why do you think people spend so much money on a bottle of chemicals in order to stink?

Coffee and Caffeine Addictions: Brad Pitt is a Coke Head

Recently I read Brad Pitt gets his six kids out of bed by tempting them with Coke. I was really disappointed. For some reason I thought if you are willing to have six kids, most of them adopted, be constantly in the spotlight with your parenting skills being scrutinized daily by the media, you'd at least TRY be a good parent. Or TRY not to brag about your stupidity to the press. He struck me as smarter than the average air-head actor. I am blinded by his beauty, I guess. There really needs to be licensing requirements to have kids. He drugs his kids to get them moving. I wonder how they will function as they get older? I know this type of parenting stupidity is normal with people feeding their children all kinds of sugar/caffeine junk food in the morning, but I question what kinds of health issues develop if one starts drinking caffeine as a child? Is Coke a childhood precursor to Mountain Dew? Mountain Dew to coffee? Coffee to Five Hour Energy? When does the addiction escalation end?

I've been lucky. My mother didn't allow her children caffeinated drinks. She clearly recognized caffeine-induced hyperactivity could be a health issue for tiny, developing bodies. THANK YOU, MOM! She, on the other hand, was a coffee fiend. Non-stop drinking. I was about seven years old when I begged her for a taste. I assumed it must be wonderful since she drank it all the time. And it was forbidden. I had to have just one sip.  Icky, icky, icky! "Why, mom, why?"  I was told it's an acquired taste. Not for me.  I've never drank even one cup in my life and have even spit out desserts made with coffee. Yes, I've been very lucky! As bad as chocolate and diet soft drinks have been for me, I can't imagine what a coffee addiction would do to my system.

I've given my caffeine theory to many a coffee drinker. It's like asking heroin addicts to give up heroin. I've had people nearly run me over while I'm walking trying to get to the nearest espresso stand. How many of you have seen coffee fights on the freeway? People jacked up on caffeine are a danger to society. Is it any wonder we have a depression epidemic in this country with a Starbucks on nearly every corner? And a coffee addict who needs a fix? You've seen them nervous, shaking, and pacing like a caged animal ready to bite off your head. Anyone who tells me they can't function throughout the day without coffee, is clearly in need of intervention. It's worse than a chocolate addiction.

Caffeine is also secretly hidden in some health supplements and pain relievers. Energy is a sneaky little sales gimmick.

Were you allowed to drink coffee as a child? Soft drinks?

Why did you start drinking caffeine?

Do you think caffeine affects your health?

How would your life change if you gave it up?

Chocolate is Evil

Right around any holiday the chocolate companies start advertising the health benefits of chocolate. For anyone who is addicted this well-planned propaganda seems heaven-sent giving us just one more rational justification for caving to the craving. I've heard chocolate decreases heart disease, improves mood, raises energy, reduces blood pressure, can provide relief from asthma by relaxing bronchial muscles and, last but not least, has an ingredient (phenethylamine) that mimics the feeling of falling in love. Who wouldn't want to feel like they are falling in love? Who needs a high-maintenance man for Valentine's Day when we can have chocolate? I'm sold! As I'm pulling my hair and screaming, "GIVE ME CHOCOLATE," in the back of my rational mind I ask, "Who paid for this so-called research? Mars? Hershey? Nestlé?" $ Cha-ching $ Cha-ching $

What they don't tell you is chocolate may cause headaches, migraines, fatigue, nervous system overstimulation, depression, mood swings, irritability, hyperactivity, feelings of rage, weight gain, premenstrual insanity, autoimmune attacks, heart palpitations, insomnia, heartburn, allergic reactions, acid reflux, sex drive reduction, diabetes, and cancer. It makes you feel in love, but reduces your sex drive? It improves mood, but makes you depressed...at the same time? Am I the only one who sees the contradiction?

I knew someone who was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, suffering greatly with episodes of fatigue and general misery. I kept telling him, "Give up the fancy chocolate, damn it!" AS A TEST He refused citing his entitlement to just one low-cost luxury. The addiction had him by the balls. After two years of treatments and thousands of dollars in medical bills, his liver failed due to all the antibiotics. Unable to function, he was forced to convalesce on the couch and eat very little which involved giving up his gourmet chocolate. His health improved miraculously.  Soon after recovery, he attempted to go back to eating chocolate - all his symptoms and suffering returned. It wasn't Lyme Disease, it was chocolate! Chocolate is evil.

Another friend had bouts of severe depression with thoughts of suicide. After losing her insurance benefits which paid for her very expensive anti-depressants, she desperately asked my advice. Too young to die, she thought, she was willing to give up chocolate and coffee AS A TEST. She made it clear it was only a test. The depression lifted. After a few weeks, the mocha lattes called to her - LOUDLY. She couldn't resist. Within the hour she was ranting, crying, and screaming at her boyfriend for absolute no rational reason. Chocolate is evil.

I'm fairly certain my ten-year old neighbor who suffered from migraines was reacting to chocolate. His mother said the pain was so bad he would hold his head and whimper because crying made it worse. Doctors had no idea why which always sends up red flags for me. As I stood staring at the enormous, half-eaten dark chocolate cake on the counter, I told her my theory and suggested eliminating chocolate from his diet. AS A TEST. She laughed like a maniac and said dripping with addiction, "Oh, he's not going to give up chocolate! He loves it too much!" Who is the parent here? If your child was suffering so greatly wouldn't you try anything? I had a bad feeling about this, but hey, I hardly knew the woman and I wasn't his parent. I couldn't accuse her of child abuse, although I was tempted. Chocolate is evil.

Notice in every story I'm emphasizing AS A TEST. Suggesting anyone to give up chocolate is dangerous. They become hostile.  I usually find myself repeating over and over AS A TEST, JUST A TEST, ONLY A SHORT TEST. Slowly back away.

What I was surprised to find out is chocolate is a cross-reactor to gluten, in other words, it acts like gluten in your system. If you suffer from any kind of gluten sensitivity, celiac disease or autoimmune disease, chocolate will incite an attack and contribute to any of the above mentioned miseries. It is said most people are gluten sensitive in some way.

If health issues aren't convincing enough, I remember years ago some study that came out about the percentage of rat feces and cockroach anatomy found in chocolate bars due to the vermin dancing on top of the wonderful smelling vats and, oops!, falling in. Eeeww! And of course, if it's not "fair trade" then do remember those little cocoa beans were harvested by un-fairly treated children and slaves. Oh yeah! It kills pets, too. That's got to be a clue.

Face it, chocolate is evil. Personified, it would be the devil of food stuffs. It tempts and entices. Few can resist. If you do manage to fight the craving, it calls to you like any drug addiction because IT IS a drug and has been used as such since the beginning of time. The capitalistic money-making machine saw fit to making it into a dessert. Addictions sell.

Kicking the habit is torture. Even knowing all these horrible things, the smell of chocolate can still make me swoon and forget about the rat shit. If you do see the light and are so inclined to give it up AS A TEST, it takes time.  Be patient and strong.  For me it was three weeks of pure hell. After that you will fight the urge for the rest of your life. It never stops calling to you, sweetly and seductively. Your willpower will come from feeling better without it.

I change my mind - maybe a man is less high-maintenance than a chocolate addiction?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Do you eat chocolate? Suffer from any of the above symptoms? Are you willing to give up? Why not?