What do you think about morbidly obese people?

Question

i am morbidly obese myself and was wondering what society in general thinks about it. Do you think it's disgusting, or that we're fat and lazy or would you think about the reasons behind the weight? Or maybe you would feel differently. Enlighten me.

Answer 1

i think you are just like everyone else but you have to drop the weight so you can be healthy and live a long life.

Answer 2

I've watched Richard Simmons with morbidly obese people and so I know there are reasons (bad metabolisms, etc.) that they are that way and they need medical intervention. I think there are a lot of procedures now (gastric bypass, lap band, etc.) that can help and the obese person has to be aggressive in finding the right doctor and solution. When I see a severely overweight person, I see that as a kind of medical condition not necessarily their fault.

Answer 3

I think it's disgusting.

That said, I also realize that there are sometimes medical reasons, but more often, I think those "reasons" are more like "excuses". Having been overweight myself, I know that the main component of maintaining a reasonable weight is mental attitude. If you don't eat too much, you cannot gain weight. If you exercise, you can eat more and still not gain weight. The more muscle you build, the easier it is to keep the fat off.

It's a slow process at first, but the more you work at it, the easier it gets.

When I need to lose weight, here's what I do: I decide what I WANT to weight. I decide a reasonable time to get to the target. I draw a graph from now till then - a straight line. If I go over that line, I do not eat until I'm under it. Daily exercise (more than once a day) can make it possible to achieve a very aggressive schedule. I once lost 1 pound a day for 40 days by eating very little and running twice a day - in the snow! A more reasonable rate (for me) is about 1/3 lb a day with 30-60 minutes a day on the elliptical - increasing both time and load as the days go by. At first it's really hard. But after a couple weeks, it gets easier and I work into a routine of doing more than I could possibly have done at the start.

Bottom line: I believe if you are grossly overweight, it's probably by choice. Somewhere, you've made a mental decision that it's okay.

Answer 4

I feel sorry for morbidly obese people. It's easy to pass judgment and say "Why don't they diet and exercise?" etc. etc. But it's possible that some people have a medical problem contributing to their excess weight. I'd like to see obese people become healthier. I think they'd be much happier and feel better about themselves if they could get the weight off. But losing weight is easier said than done.

The person on the inside is truly the one that matters most. Yes, image is important in our scociety. But I have known many thin people who are terribly arrogant and rude and mean. And I've known many overweight people who are kind and considerate and funny. The weight doesn't define the person, if you know what I mean.

Answer 5

I'm not sure how big you are but my sister is considered morbidly obese she is 5'3" and weighs 275. The first thing I think about when I see a morbidly obese person is how do they become that way. How does one see that they are getting fat and not want to do something about it. I know people that are very over weight say that there are health related reasons as to why they are this way, but there has to be something they can do to not get as large as they become. When I see someone like this I try to think about how it would be to be that big, and then when I see them eating fattening foods in public, it's like watching one of those people with a voice box in their throat smoke a cigarette. It hurts me to watch or look at them because I tend to empathize very easily.

Answer 6

In general I feel sorry for them, although for the most part their obesity is usually something they can take control of if they practice discipline.
Sometimes there are emotional reasons why people end up morbidly obese, and for those people I really feel for. But, it's important for one not to allow these issues to overtake them and lead them into apathetic self-pity.
Somehow I feel like I can relate to the ridicule though- not because I'm obese myself, but rather because I'm extra skinny (due to my genes). We have to deal with the same types of awkward looks from "regular" people. It's a general feeling of being "different" and "abnormal" that society places on people who don't fit the ideal frame.
However, our bodies aren't something we should be enslaved to, we should do all that we can to achieve our ideal *healthy* weight, whether that means a little pudgy or a little slim. I don't believe that morbid obesity is anyone's healthy body weight, and neither is being severely underweight.
I don't believe it's right for anyone to blame their weight problems on outside sources though, such as fast food restaurants. No one eats at McDonald's because they are being forced to- they make a conscious decision to eat there and support the corporation with their money. If these people really care about their health, they won't choose fast food as a means of nutrition.

Answer 7

Its not always easy to stay thin ... and thin is not exactly beautiful anyway. Morbidly obese ...well that depends what you consider morbidly obese. I think that people who do not have any self control over food are disgusting yes ... but there are times when it can be medical and well then its not your fault. Obese people are not always lazy people. You have to ask yourself other questions and not ones like you are asking today. Do you have self control? Do you do anything about your obesity? What can you do to help yourself?

Answer 8

I guess generally I think about the problems behind their weight. Sometimes if they smell I feel that they are lazy, but I mean I know that's judgmental of me. They could possibly have depression, and that is why they are overweight and can't practice proper hygiene, because that can sometimes be a symptom of depression (though certainly not always a symptom). There is always a reason, whether it be caused by a health problem, lack of education, or something else.

Answer 9

I think it must be frightening to be morbidly obese. Just imagine trying to consider losing that much weight ... it sounds like a hopeless task. BUT, I have a friend who weighed almost 300 pounds at the age of 24. She joined Overeaters Anonymous and got her weight down to 132, and kept it there. So it CAN be done! Far from easy, but possible.

Answer 10

I feel bad for people that are morbidly obese...there's obviously some reason they are that big and I'm never sure if it is that they are depressed or they have an actual medical problem wrong with them........I feel overweight myself and I have no self esteem so I can only imagine what they go through everyday.....people are so mean to them sometimes...

Answer 11

I don't think the reasons are as important as the solutions. I think it would be wonderful if programs existed which would seriously help overweight people lose weight, and maintain a healthy long life. Overweight people are so restricted in what they can participate in, in the way of physical events, and excercise can help them stay healthy. I have a close relative who is obese, so I wish there was something she could do. There are programs like methadone treatment and such for drug addicts, why not programs for food addicts?
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