I am obese, same as Chris Christie. I am obese because I have an addiction

[applegrove]

to fatty food and sometimes sweets. Like most addictions it comes with an element of denial. Denial that it will kill me, denial that I am as big as I am, denial that I encourage those around me to overeat too. Obesity is catchy they have just found.

Aside from the fact that people of Chris Christie girth regularly die at a young age, I don't think we want a President who has issues of denial.

[Ishoutandscream2]

1. Best thread addressing this issue

Thanks, and good luck to you and your fight against your addiction.

[DontTreadOnMe]

2. Time to get off the cheeseburger diet

You only get one life... protect it.

I was always skinny my entire life, when I hit 40 I gained about 20 lbs over 10 years. I now don't drink any soda.
I think that was my downfall, I drank about 2-3 cans of soda per day.

And who cares about Christie, he is NOT going to ever be the President.

[applegrove]

3. That is what I should do. I do have a selection of teas on hand. I should try that instead of pop.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. I gave up sodas, the HFCS in them is deadly.

It was hard to kick a Coke Cola habit, but I knew that stuff was not what we used to drink.
Fortunately as I got older, my body turned on me and a lot of things I used to eat and drink now have side effects, sort of an early warning system.
they say it takes about 6 weeks to adjust to cutting out a familiar food or drink....

[Iwillnevergiveup]

53. Me, too

For me it was Pepsi - probably 2 a day, then Diet Pepsi which is garbage, too. You definitely go through withdrawal, but after awhile sodas taste waaaay too sweet. Ice water is pretty good - 4 or 5 cubes so it lasts. On a cold day, hot tea with a small drop of honey isn't bad either. All the best to you in your endeavor to get healthy - my Dr. says it's never too late and I believe her.

[emcguffie]

91. Iced tea with lemon or lime is great, too.

I haven't had soda for years, been drinking water, which is great.

Lately my daughter and I have been drinking tea. Trouble is, it is sweetened, but with lemon or lime added. I think the constant supply of vitamin C is good.

I'm trying to change the sugar over to agave sweetener. If we can manage that, I think we'll be okay. But fresh iced tea with lemon or lime is truly delicious, really refreshing in hot weather, and has good things in it as well.

It is also quite inexpensive, if you brew it yourself, which we do.

[RockaFowler]

76. I gave them up, too

And I feel so much better

[K8-EEE]

14. Dear applegrove

All anybody has to do in this country to be fat and sick before their time is eat the typical American diet. Only, it wasn't typical 50 years ago! This new era of (addicting) high-salt, high-fat, high-sugar food that have billion dollar ad campaigns that send us a million messages a day to consume, consume, consume....it's really not your fault!

You can't abstain from food but you'd be surprised, if you go even a few days without processed food, you will start to like other things.

That being said all human beings have weaknesses, even presidents; I don't think it's impossible for a fat person to be a good president.

[eridani]

18. Given that 2/3 of the population is not fat and sick--

--something else has to be going on.

[K8-EEE]

31. They get that way though. People over 50

Seem to be overweight (if not obese) and on some kind of medication more times than not.

[applegrove]

38. I'm on medication too.

[eridani]

50. In what century were 50 year olds ever healthier than 25 year olds? n/t

[K8-EEE]

54. None but look at some old "crowd films" from baseball games etc.

Or even family photos. We as a people didn't used to be so fat, period. And what is not considered "the American diet" wasn't AT ALL the American diet 50 years ago.

[eridani]

67. We didn't live as long either

Life expectancy from birth has been steadily increasing since those crowds were filmed. Mainly reduced infant mortality, to be sure. Heart disease is down by 2/3 since the mid 60s.

[idiotgardener]

37. We don't consider them sick til the end

But they're finding the beginnings of heart disease in children these days.

[eridani]

51. Personally speaking, it's nice to be able to get old enough to be more likely

--to have chronic diseases. That didn't used to happen as much.

[K8-EEE]

55. Well my grandpa lived till 98 and died in his sleep in 1995

So what can I tell you, I aspire to be like him -- he lived mostly on his garden, his chickens, trout fishing, and brandy. He was walking, hiking and fishing, socializing and having fun all his life;; he worked til age 88 and gardened his last day here.

For somebody in their 50's to be incapacitated from weight and junk food -- I just think it's sad.

[DrunkenBoat]

59. The longer you live, the more you come to realize that where longevity is concerned,

genes have a lot to do with it.

After you've seen a number of skinny lettuce eaters die from cancer while a number of fat smokers just keep chugging along, you change your thinking. and permutations thereof.

I was over at a family friend's tonight: 80 years old & just built a chickencoop by himself. Ex-smoker, hard drinker, outlived two clean-living wives. His family runs to longevity.

My great-gramma was a squat roly-poly woman who was a hard-living woman in her youth. She smoked cigars and went to bars. She lived into her 90s. Again, her family runs to longevity.

[K8-EEE]

64. It's not so much living long but HOW you live

Genes have something to do with it of course, that's the part you CAN'T change; smoking and junk food and the like you can change. It just seems to me that other places people don't get AS fat/sick. We are all gonna die but while here we DO have some say in the quality of our lives. Sleep, laugh, love, celebrate, stay active, stay away from smoking/soda/jund food, excess food, drink, drugs and you will have a better quality of life for longer.

[DrunkenBoat]

65. There are all sorts of so-called "paradoxical" populations in the world.

Populations that smoke more or drink more than americans but live longer; populations that eat more fat, and are even fatter, yet live longer:

http://www.good.is/post/chart-the-united-states-is-no-longer-the-fattest-country/

according to their statistics, the only "normal weight" populations are in africa & asia.

you should also know that the us redefined its obesity guidelines (if i remember right, sometime in the 90s) so to some extent they made the population "fatter" with a stroke of the pen. they did the same thing with diabetes and cholesterol guidelines (diabetes i think three times). so there's also an element of sleight of hand in comparisons with the past. you really have to dig into the historical record to get a sense of it. you can't trust current reports (especially in the media or popular books) to give you this.

I think you can't underestimate the extent to which we've been brainwashed with the "it's all about your individual choices" message and the extent to which that has affected what you believe about health & diet and how much control you have over your health.

also, i think you can't underestimate the extent to which these things play into class distinctions. just as in the 19th century the upper-class ate meat and fat and white bread and was pleasingly plump, while the lower classes ate whole grain bread and greens and scant meat and were generally thinner -- yet still died earlier -- and those foods were considered unnutritious and "hard to digest" and above all 'declasse' -- there is definitely a class component to all the modern hype and obsession with diet.

i say this as a person who was obsessive about such things from the time i was a teenager until i hit 50. especially nutrition. it was almost a religious obsession, i think, in retrospect. and it was certainly a way of feeling myself more "au courant" and superior to the benighted masses. i was an early adopter of vegetarianism, an early adopter of then-exotic foods that are now routine (like tofu)... i knew all about free radicals & cholestorol and methionine and phlegm and flavonoids and i even read nutrition journals...

when my friends and relatives started dying, and i found no pattern of health v. non-health in their deaths, i suddenly became less obsessive about all that. not consciously, but i did.

i now weigh about 8 pounds more than i did when i was 20 & obsessively watching everything i put in my mouth and exercising more than a hour a day + leading a more active lifestyle.

in retrospect i look at myself & think -- what a nut. what a waste of time. what a brainwashed, stupid fool.

all those messages were coming from the ptb and the media, in one form or another. even the ones that seemed to be "alternative".

it's not that i believe there was no truth there. i actually feel better when i eat vegetarian, for example. however, that's me. other people say they feel better when they eat meat.

what i've come to believe, though, is that the bits of truth there was didn't in any way justify the intense chunk of my energy that was devoted to following the information & trying to practice it in my own life. it was a distraction from the things that really mattered.

and these days i more and more often run into people that are so much worse than i was -- positively rude to people who don't believe as they do, for example.

it goes nowhere, just another market segment.

[eridani]

69. Good observation about class and fat

When it was hard to get enough to eat to get fat and most work was physical, fat was thought to be a good thing. Now that most work is sedentary and cheap junk food is so readily available, being fat is bad.

You see exactly the same switch in the attitude towards suntans. When the proles worked outside, tan was lowclass and bad. Now that the proles mostly work inside, and the privileged have the time to play tennis in the summer and ski in the winter, being tan is the sign of a healthy outdoor life. In your average phone book there are still more tanning salons than health clubs, despite all the educational efforts on the subject of skin cancer. It's obvious that these switches over the last 100 years in ideas about what "healthy" people should look like have jackshit to do with health, and everything to do with class snobbery.

[eridani]

68. People who are overweight, but short of obese, actually live longer

You don't have to aspire--you have his genes, which is the single mose important factor in longevity.

[DrunkenBoat]

58. Taft topped 300#. Grover Cleveland couldn't have been far behind.

Cleveland got two terms & Taft became a Chief Justice.

The ruling class of the 19th century ran plump to fat.

Cleveland & Taft weren't particularly worse than other presidents on average -- & were fat despite not eating modern processed foods.

[otohara]

8. Toxic Coke

My doc hold me years ago...not even one, it's toxic!

[Marrah_G]

25. Its really not that easy

[Abq_Sarah]

44. The burgers were never my problem

It was the buns and fries. Once I got rid of them, I could eat cheeseburgers every day if I want and stay slim.

[DrunkenBoat]

60. People tend to gain weight and fat mass after 40. This is true even of tribal people living

a "natural" lifestyle.

It could be that there's something protective about a little weight gain in middle age, as the body seems programmed to do it 'naturally'.

[Hippo_Tron]

101. Peoples' metabolisms slow down with age

So if they keep eating the same amount of calories, they will gain weight.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. ...

:hug:

[catabryna]

5. You do what's best for you, when you are ready...

don't let anyone guilt you into anything. Just keep being you. :)

I know many overweight honored citizens. I'd rather see them live their years out happily as opposed to being thin and miserable, even if it means they might pass on a few years earlier than they might otherwise.

[DontTreadOnMe]

7. "thin and miserable"

what planet are you from... being healthy is not miserable.

[catabryna]

10. As the wife of a man who passed away...

I am glad that he was happy rather than constantly worrying about his weight. It would have made him miserable. Just my perspective. YMMV.

eta: He died when he was 38. And, he didn't die because he was overweight.

[HockeyMom]

19. I am thin

The difference is I don't eat when I am depressed. I get very physical and hyper. I have to DO something. Mostly cleaning the house from top to bottom until I drop. Then I SLEEP for hours; not to mention being as sore as hell. No, food is not a comfort for me. Physical activity eases my depression. I guess we all have different ways of coping with depression.

[catabryna]

21. I walk a lot...

and I typically drink iced tea as opposed to pop. That seems to work for me.

For me... I have to watch the beer. :)

[roody]

41. I overeat because I am a glutton and I love the taste.

[DrunkenBoat]

61. I'm thin & over 50. I do the same thing. Also, when I get involved in projects I don't

like to stop to eat. I do them until I'm exhausted or nearly passing out from hunger -- like for 8-10 hours -- then chow down & go to sleep.

Sounds like a speed freak, but i'm not.

[catabryna]

26. And btw... I'm Mother Earth.

Don't ya know that? :P

[eridani]

28. Being hungry and unable to focus on tasks sure is, though n/t

[Scout]

87. yes, it can be. if you can't eat any of the foods you really like, and you have

to schlepp yourself to the gym every day.

i may be in "good health" but if would be miserable.

"If you become a vegetarian, you will live 10 more years!"

"Who wants to live 10 more years if all I can eat is vegetables?"

[roody]

122. Vegetarians eat many more foods than only vegetables.

[Canuckistanian]

20. +1

I've recently lost a lot of weight. Almost 40 lbs since June. But no one guilted me into doing it.

You have to come to that decision YOURSELF. It's more of a lifestyle change rather than a regimen or "diet" (I hate that word) and outside pressure alone will almost guarantee failure.

[catabryna]

22. +1,000 nt

[gateley]

6. When I'm depressed I waaaaay overeat and pack on the pounds -

Almost punishing myself for some reason. I found myself wondering if he was feeling how I do. I THINK he's become larger.

[RebelOne]

11. I understand. I am addicted to cigarettes.

I am 72 years old and have been smoking since I was 16. And I like smoking.

[catabryna]

12. And, I understand you as well.

I'm in the same boat, though not as old as you.

You do realize you should have died about 15 years ago, right? :7

[DrunkenBoat]

62. he "should" have? if you think most smokers die at 57, you must have led

a sheltered life.

I know more non-smokers that died young than smokers. Two in my immediate family, one from a one-in-a-million disease, one from a heart attack at 45 (my non-smoking, non-drinking, straight arrow grandfather). also one that nearly died at 30 from hanta virus.

Most of my family is very clean-living, but all the smokers save one are either still alive or died in their 70s-80s. And the one smoker that died at 67 had a hereditary disease.

[catabryna]

93. Perhaps I needed the sarcasm thingy?

lol!

Best wishes. :toast:

[RebelOne]

99. Well, all the women on my mother's side lived to their 80s, so I plan to live another 10 years.

Plus, I think helps that I am also a vegetarian.

[RebelOne]

98. Yep. According to all statistics, I should be dead now.

When I was 44, a doctor listened to my lungs and told me that I had better stop smoking because I would be dead in a few years. But I plan to live at least another 10 years and will die happy with a cigarette in my hand.

[onehandle]

13. Fat, schmat. He's an asshole. He would lose by more than Mittens will. nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. Keep a detailed log of what you eat each and every day.

It won't take long to figure out where your weakness is. Then concentrate on addressing/eliminating it.

Mine was milk more than anything else.

[raccoon]

73. Milk's supposed to be good for you. What are you, a communist? nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

74. No, comrade, milk is good - but it's a food, not a beverage.

Too many calories.

[efhmc]

16. I am good to go with whatever you are if you're not a rw.

[pipi_k]

17. Well, not everyone

who is obese has an addiction.

There are many reasons for obesity. Addiction and denial may be your reasons, but that doesn't mean they're someone else's.

It may be true that he is a food addict in denial, but without his medical history how can anybody say for sure?

[eridani]

30. Everyone is a food addict. And a multiple substance abuser to boot

I'm addicted to water and oxygen as well.

[pipi_k]

46. I think not

An addict is someone who can't function physically or psychologically unless he has the thing or substance that he ordinarily would not need in order to survive.

People don't NEED to gamble to survive. They don't NEED to drink alcohol to survive. They don't NEED sweets, cigarettes, overspending, or heroin to survive.

Oxygen and food are up there on the basic list of needs.

Needing them in order to survive, and ingesting them in order to survive is not addiction.

[eridani]

52. Sorry. Forgot the sarcasm tag n/t

[pipi_k]

78. Oh...OK. Just can't tell these days... ;) n/t

[treestar]

23. No, not necessarily

I just don't think it's that big a deal. He doesn't look all that big in comparison to many middle aged Americans. We don't drop like flies. Skinny people die too.

[Historic NY]

24. Lets send Christie donations of bacon.

[MerryBlooms]

27. I am in awe of your bravery

Know that there are many who you have helped with your printed words. We are more than just our physical selves... hold your head high, walk with a spring in your step, and continue to be a blessing to someone each day. ((hugs))

[Bragi]

29. I lose then gain about 40 lbs every decade

I know that roller coaster weight isn't good for my health, but I'm 60 now, and I figure it's better than carrying an extra 100-150 lbs around with me.

[Historic NY]

40. I know what you mean...down 11 in the last few weeks.

[tularetom]

32. I don't care what happens to Chris Christie

but I sure as hell don't want to lose people like you. Do whatever you need to do to overcome this addiction so that you can be sure of being around to help turn things around in this country.

[Yo_Mama]

33. Our current president is a smoker

I don't think your logic is very good. Whatever opinion one may have about Obama's performance as president (surely in one of the more difficult historical times for ANY president), I do not think his personal addiction disqualifies him for the office.

I do think a potential president's health records should be released, but I have yet to meet the person perfectly in control of his or her actions.

I wish you the best of luck on dealing with your own addiction and the best of health in the future.

[Blasphemer]

34. I've been addicted to food, nicotine, to another person.....

Heck, I've even been addicted to dieting! Interestingly, the only time I think that I was actually in something close to denial is when body dysmorphia so distorted my ability to physically see myself that I absolutely could not tell the difference between my 150 pound body and my 250 pound body. The weight gain didn't mean anything to me because in my head I had always been 250 pounds. Chris Christie may or may not suffer from denial but it's possible to be obese and not be in denial and to not be obese and experience denial or some sort of weight or body related disorder. I think that's my big problem with the weight issue. A thin or average-sized person could have an eating disorder that they are in denial about but only those on the two extremes are called out on possible health problems because it can't be hidden in their cases. Thanks for sharing your personal experience. It's really hard sometimes to talk honestly about these issues.

[REP]

35. Being fat killed my poor grandmother very young; she was only 98

I know you mean well, but you couldn't be more wrong. You may have some mental health issue that needs to be addressed - I cannot make that determination - but you are not "addicted" to food. I do not know why you or Christie are fat; I do know weight is not why neither one of you would be a good president (you, being Canadian, are not qualified:-)).

[applegrove]

42. Oh I do have ptsd which makes me seek solace in food. That is certainly true. fact is I am not in

reasonable control of my life, because, for years, I was harrassed and not in control of my life. But things are looking up and admitting to myself I need to watch what I eat is a first step.

[UTUSN]

36. *nothing* about CRISTIE is worthy of discussion regarding his weight. n/t

[markpkessinger]

39. Unfortunately, denialism can be found among those who are not obese as well...

... Just look at George W. Bush.

[pansypoo53219]

43. HFCS should be banned.

it's just bad. i switched to lemonade in summer + grapefruit-ade in winter. trying to figure out how to make pineappleade

[applegrove]

45. I don't drink regular soda. I drink diet. But I read that diet soda will add

inches around one's waist and I drink a lot of it.

[pipi_k]

47. I only used to drink diet soda too, and...

gave it up this past January in favor of three 20 oz. bottles of water per day. Plus chamomile tea at night and the occasional green tea (no sweetener).

Haven't noticed any change in my waistline, though, even though my diet is the same.

Discouraging. :(

[applegrove]

48. That is too bad.

[DrunkenBoat]

66. try not eating meat. good for 8-10 pounds with me.

[eridani]

70. Or being a female of reproductive age. Gain and loss of that amount of weight

--during a typical menstrual cycle is not at all unusual. Some women even have to have two sets of work clothes.

[pipi_k]

79. Haven't touched beef

in over five years.

We do chicken and turkey here with occasional pork. Often hubby and I will split a chicken breast or large pork chop.

Fish/seafood is my favorite.


When I was a kid and during my 20s and early 30s I could eat literally anything and not gain weight. Mid 30s all that changed.... :(

[Hippo_Tron]

102. There are theories about how it can make you crave actual sugar

Since you're tricking your body into thinking you are consuming sugar and then when it catches on, it craves it even more.

Personally I think it depends on the person. I drink plenty of diet soda and don't crave food any more than normal after drinking it. Fact is that pretty most flavored beverages, even nutritious ones like orange juice, are going to have plenty of calories, unless they are diet. And while I like my morning coffee and afternoon tea, I can't drink it all day. And while I do drink plenty of water during the day to hydrate for my evening runs, I need something with taste to drink as well.

[Scout]

103. my experience is that diet pop just makes me want more pop.

i'm trying to not drink ANY pop, but if i absolutely can't stand it, i get a mt. dew/pepsi throwback, or the coke with real sugar. then buy just one bottle.

[Hippo_Tron]

104. I think it's different with me because my parents never allowed me to have sugared soda

Except maybe on a special occasion. So I grew up with diet coke and I've become accustomed to the taste. Sugared soda is something that I never really crave.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

49. Millions have glandular/metabolic disorders that are untreated.

Adrenal and thyroid and diabetes.

You never hear doctors talk about thyroid disease on TV or the prevalence of untreated hypothyroidism, which is usually an autoimmune disorder, Hashimoto's disease, and strikes females either as pre-adolescents or in middle age.

Oprah said she had a thyroid problem, and then said she didn't. She refused to talk about it although many begged her to.

It's not always an eating problem.

I was nagged constantly to eat by my mother and grandmother, and they swore I would die. I am talking about them yelling at me at the dinner table because I wouldn't eat my grandmother's crappy Southern cooking. Some of it was being a picky eater, and some of it was food allergies, I found out later.
I was not fat as a kid although the thyroid problem started at age eleven.

I just gradually gained weight through the years. I've been changing my thyroid intake and it has done wonders. My doctor refused to deal with my adrenal and thyroid problems. I decided to deal with them myself, since he and his Nurse Practitioner refused to deal with them. They don't care if I'm bedridden due to my fatigue from fighting my allergies, or need to sleep 14 hours a day because I am not taking enough thyroid, or the right kind.

:banghead:

[6000eliot]

56. I hate him like poison,

but it has nothing to do with his weight. He's loathsome, dishonest, whiny, and a bully.

[DrunkenBoat]

57. I don't think weight has much to do with how well someone can do the job of being President.

Christie seems to be quite actively destroying NJ: Doing a great job for his paymasters, and his weight doesn't impede him a bit. Similarly, a fat person could also do a great job on the side of "good".

When we make weight an issue, we're colluding with the ruling class -- who would like to divide everyone by such minor things so they can discriminate & have us discriminate & fight each other.

[Warren DeMontague]

63. Believe that you CAN improve your situation if you want to.

Seriously. It's very easy (I know from experience) to say "screw it, what's the point". Oftentimes it may not feel like you're making any progress.

Like some others, when I was younger I could eat whatever I wanted, and I did. About age 25 my metabolism seemed to really slow down, and it kept slowing down. I put on a ton of weight. Felt like crap. Looked bad.

If you were to see a picture of me now vs. one from 12 years ago, you wouldn't think it was the same guy. First thing I did was the diet; I had spent enough time around hippies and granola types to have a clear idea of how to go about eating healthier, and I've always liked vegetables. So I cut out fried foods, french fries, red meat, pizza, all the heavy, artery clogging stuff. Completely eliminated them from my diet, because I'm someone who does better with not touching certain foods than only eating them a little. I was and am fortunate in that on the West Coast it seems to be easier to get fresh, organic produce and less processed foods, even in some places eating 'out'. But I think all that stuff has improved in the last decade, too, no matter where you are. There's more awareness.

Then, exercise. I lost a lot of the initial weight through exercise, but I didn't have the commitment at the time to make it a regular thing. For a while, just managing my diet strictly kept me at a good weight. After some years, though, I started to put back on pounds. When my 2nd kid was born, I made the decision to exercise regularly. Most days of the week, if possible. Set aside a time and do it. I got myself a recumbent Exercycle where I could do other work, or read, etc. while on the thing.

I made it an obsession, yeah, and I freely admit it is one. But now I'm by far in the best shape of my life. I weigh about what I did at age 20, but this time I'm actually taking care of myself, too. And with regular exercise I've found that I can loosen my diet a little. I'll eat berries and nonfat frozen yogurt after dinner, that kind of thing. I'm not starving myself by any stretch.. but I also notice that, especially with regular exercise, the food and sweet cravings are greatly mitigated.

One of the hardest points for me was getting past the idea in my head that it was pointless and hopeless. It's not. It's a lot of work, but it's completely worth it. Good luck.

[eridani]

71. It's pointless to expect significant weight loss from that kind of regimen

There are hundreds who make similar changes and get nowhere near "normal" weight. Somehow being a fat person who weighs less just isn't good enough.

[Warren DeMontague]

86. I'd suggest anyone who WANTS to lose weight try rigorous (at least 1 hr/day, 5 days/week) exercise

and a low fat, mostly plant-based diet.

I'd be surprised if that didn't improve the situation for MOST folks, and even if it didn't lead to 'significant weight loss' it would make them healthier by any yardstick.

Anyway, I was just sharing what worked for me and (hopefully) offering some words of encouragement. Maybe you should ask yourself why that seems to piss you off.

[eridani]

95. No way in hell is it "encouraging" to be told that you are a failure for merely

--being healthier instead of becoming a person of average weight.

Rigorous frequent exersise, IMO, is nothing but passive navel-gazing. Precinct walking isn't nearly as intense, but it accomplishes far more politically, so that is how I prefer to spend my time.

[Warren DeMontague]

96. Uh, yeah. I would suggest perhaps consulting a therapist for whatever issue you seem to have.

And perhaps someone who teaches reading comprehension.

Where, exactly, have I told anyone they are a "failure"? Please, find me the relevant quote. I'll wait.

Wow, I called her a failure. Geez, I'm a dick!

So let me guess, because obviously you seem to have a personal emotional investment in this issue- you've tried frequent rigorous exercise COMBINED with a low fat, mostly plant based diet, and you still haven't become a "person of average weight"? I mean, you've tried it for a long period of time- like a year? Rigorous?

Really?

Honestly?

Anyway, I don't care if people want to be fat, I don't care if people don't want to be fat.. I clearly directed what I said at people who WANT to lose weight... people are allowed to feel that way, aren't they? Because lots do. If you read what I wrote and see a bunch of insults and fat-bashing, like I said, you probably have bigger problems than obesity.

[eridani]

109. I don't want to lose weight MORE than I want some of my other goals

--like doing enough precinct walking and phoning to keep a local public hospital from being sold off in bits and pieces. And building my local party and issue organizations. This is not about wanting to be fat, but by thinking that other things are a lot more important.

I don't have time for the individualistic navel gazing that a rigorous weight loss program would require. There is a website somewhere for people who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for at least 5 years. One woman posting there said that the secret of her success is "It's what I do." IOW, no other major interests in her life other than maintaining her weight loss, which required a strict 1100 calorie a day and 15-20 hours a week for weight training and aerobic exercise. I don't call that living.

[Warren DeMontague]

110. And more power to you.

But that wasn't what you said. You said it was 'pointless to expect weight loss'... whether or not rigorous exercise/weight loss is "navel gazing", it's what medical professionals recommend people do, and people who DO want to lose the weight, that's how they recommend they do it.

My point was only that it CAN be done, and the feeling that it is pointless and hopeless is what keeps a lot of people who DO want to lose weight from getting started.

I'm pro-choice. I think people should be free to run their own lives, make their own damn decisions. I don't judge people for being fat, and unlike you I'm not going to judge people for doing what they do to stay healthy, either. I know plenty of people who spend 15-20 hours a week watching crappy tv, or sitting in bars. Do I "call that living"? It's not how I want to spend my time, but to each his or her own. I feel great after exercising, and I sleep better too. :shrug:

[eridani]

112. My point was that whatever regimen you undertake, you have NO control whatsoever

--over the results. You can possibly predict the midpoint of a standard curve mapping the results, but there is one HELL of a huge standard deviation. People at one extreme of the bell curve are no better or worse than those at the other.

Any statment to the effect that "I know you can lose X pounds if you do this" is a statment that people at the high weight loss end of the curve are better.

[Warren DeMontague]

114. I don't think I made that statement. There is a huge variation in metabolism, body type, etc.

Some folks can eat whatever they want, stay thin.. some folks its extremely difficult to lose weight. It's been a tremendous amount of work for me.. It's no one's fault, it's evolution; I suppose it's the price folks like us pay for having ancestors who were better adapted to surviving famine.

[eridani]

120. Sometimes I do see implied statements that may or may not have been

--anyone's explicit intention.

The following is a quote from an article in the New York Review of Books "Godot Comes to Sarajevo" (Vol XL #17, pp 52-59, October 21, 1993) by Susan Sontag. She went there to put on the play "Waiting for Godot" when Sarajevo was under daily bombardment--people wanted artistic diversion as much as they wanted food. The quote is an aside from the main topic.

The only actor who seemed to have normal stamina was the oldest member of the cast. Ines Fancovic, who is 68. Still a stout woman, she has lost more than 60 pounds since the beginning of the siege, and this may have accounted for her remarkable energy. The other actors were visibly underweight and tired easily. Lucky must stand motionless through most of his long scene but never sets down the heavy bag he carries. Atko, who plays him (and now weighs no more than 100 pounds) asked me to excuse him if he occasionally rested his empty suitcase on the floor throughout the rehearsal period. Whenever I halted the run-through for a few minutes to change a movement or a line reading, all the actors, with the exception of Ines, would instantly lie down on the stage.

Another symptom of fatigue: the actors were slower to memorize their lines than any I have ever worked with. Ten days before the opening they still needed to consult their scripts, and were not word-perfect until the day before the dress rehersal.

It's pretty obvious to me that Ines is energetic not because of weight loss, but because she had the extra weight to lose. Note that she is still fat after having endured severe famine conditions for a couple of years. It seems to have been much easier for her to tolerate going from 300# to 240# (my guess) than for Atko to go from 160# to 100#.

This is a good illustration of why people are fat--more of their ancestors than usual had to withstand conditions like this. It pays to have at least a few people in every society who are still mentally alert and physically capable under high stress conditions, instead of being turned temporarily weak and stupid, even if they have major health disadvantages when times are good.

If you have a metabolism like Ines, the only hope for coming close to "normal" weight is a lifetime commitment to recreating the famine conditions your ancestors experienced, and for some people even that isn't going to work. Society in general seems to think that fat people ought to be required to live under a lifelong state of siege in order to be treated with common respect. I for one would rather have a real life.

[Dorian Gray]

113. It will for most folks

(It did for me, as well.) Sure, there are some people with metabolic disorders or other medical conditions that would prevent them from losing weight. But, the majority of people eat way more than they realize that they do. Seriously.

Example... I went to dinner with a friend the other night who was complaining about not being able to lose the 20 lbs that she had put on over the last 5 years. She said she eats healthy (she's a vegetarian and never has meat). She proceeded to have 3 (restaurant sized) glasses of wine and finish off the majority of the 5 small plates that we shared. Most of it was healthy food, but there were sauces and oils and other high calorie additions to the meal. Calorically, dinner probably cost her 1500+ calories, at least, and most of that she didn't realize.

Which is why food journaling is probably the most important tool for the majority of people who want to lose weight in a healthy and realistic way. Acknowledging the food you eat daily and finding the hidden patterns of overeating (that we brush under the carpet) is really important.

[Warren DeMontague]

116. Alcohol packs a lot of calories.

I don't drink anymore, so I don't have to worry about that one. I'm sure it didn't help, when I was younger.

[seabeyond]

72. if a person was smart, and i thought they could do the job better than the rest, i would not even

consider the weight.

well, i wouldnt consider the weight if the person was stupid either. i wouldnt vote for them

so i guess the wieght really is not a consideration

go figure. i look for the best for the job.

[Chorophyll]

75. People are fat (or thin) for all kinds of reasons.

And if Christie dropped 50 pounds he'd still be a selfish repuke.

If we adults (liberals? progressives?) resort to attacking Christie for how he looks, what are we teaching our kids? "Don't make fun of people if they're gay, don't make fun of people if they're foreign... but fatties? Go for it!"

I don't think so. Wrong is wrong.

[applegrove]

97. I wasn't making fun of his looks. I was pointing out he is outta control in one part of his life.

[Chorophyll]

107. You don't really know that for sure, though.

And I guess I was responding to the myriad "is Christie's weight fair game" threads that have popped up over the last few days.

Again, if he were skinny, he'd still be a nightmare.

[applegrove]

108. That's true. The more I hear about him the more I don't like him.

[closeupready]

77. Amen. K&R

nt

[dawg]

80. You are nothing like Chris Christie.

You are open-minded, curious; a lover of books and knowledge. He's a close-minded, selfish, bully of a man.

Many of us have problems with food. As hard as it is to kick an addiction to alcohol or cigarettes, it is possible to eliminate them 100% from our lives. Food, on the other hand, is a necessity. We cannot give it up. We cannot go cold turkey. We must find an accommodation or compromise with it; something that is very difficult for many of us to do.

All of us have our problems. You, me, Chris Christie, President Obama - all of us. We all have our different demons to battle.

Don't put yourself down. We are all in denial for something.

Chris Christie would make a terrible President.

But his weight has nothing to do with it.

[Worship Money]

82. Eloquently stated, and accurate n/t

[Lynx]

81. My mother was obese, big time

She, too was in denial, often saying, "I'm not fat." Guess what? If you take a dress size 20, you are fat.
She hated to go to doctors, because they didn't even bother to ask, "What brings you here today? What are your symptoms?" Instead they'd take one look at her and rag on her about her weight.
Our relationship was deeply conflicted on every possible level, and made worse by her addiction to eating junk. She'd turn on me and say, "You are the reason my blood pressure is so high." But as a child, surrounded by so much pathology, I learned to diagnose. I'd say, "No, you blood pressure is so high because you are too fat, because look at what you eat! Candy, ice cream, soda pop! Yuck!" Then she'd spend days in bed, feeling sorry for herself, not even moving except to come out and eat more.
There were also problems in her marriage. I know that she embarrassed my father in public, on several occasions, because of her weight. And yet, every time he went to a store, he'd stock up in the candy aisle and leave that crap all aound the house where she could easily find it. And did.
She retired from her Civil Service job early on disability. They wanted her to take a psychiatric exam to get to the root of her overeating, but she absolutely refused, as to deal with a psychiatrist was a great disgrace. Besides, she was not fat! And being retired was a great way to get to eat even more.
She died early, too, of colon cancer after decades of stuffing herself with carcinogenic trash. By the time the cancer was discovered it was too late, because she no longer went too doctors, because they could not stop telling her to lose weight.
Governor Christie is not headed to a good end, either.

[Scout]

88. well, i have found in my 52 years that often, "you're fat, lose weight"

is the LAZY doctor's diagnosis and solution for everything.

perhaps if those doctor's weren't so lazy and such fat bigots, then they would have been able to actually help your mother find out what was wrong and fix it, rather than berating her so she would avoid them.

:eyes:

most doctors know SHIT about nutrition and weight loss.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

90. They refuse to treat thyroid and adrenal problems.

More info about incompetent doctors and what patients are doing:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

http://thyroid.about.com

[Odin2005]

83. I'm 25 and have struggled with my weight all my life, too.

:hug:

My big problem is that my appetite is simply too big. :(

[Locrian]

84. wheat belly? - you sure it's not a wheat or carbs addition?

Wheat is a known food that *really* does cause addictive behavior. Not to mention a whole host of problems - well documented evidence, nothing new either, just not something people want to believe.


Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health
http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317309869&sr=8-1

A renowned cardiologist explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly bulges, and reverse myriad health problems.

Every day, over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat. As a result, over 100
million of them experience some form of adverse health effect, ranging from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventive cardiologist William Davis calls “wheat bellies.” According to Davis, that excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: It’s due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.

After witnessing over 2,000 patients regain their health after giving up wheat, Davis reached the disturbing conclusion that wheat is the single largest contributor to the nationwide obesity epidemic—
and its elimination is key to dramatic weight loss and optimal health. In Wheat Belly, Davis exposes the harmful effects of what is actually a product of genetic tinkering and agribusiness being sold to the
American public as “wheat”—and provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.

Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who
have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat, Wheat
Belly is an illuminating look at what is truly making Americans sick and an action plan to clear our plates of this seemingly benign ingredient.

[JNelson6563]

85. Very insightful.

Thanks for posting that. :toast:

[LanternWaste]

89. Hence, smokers should never be elected President?

"Like most addictions it comes with an element of denial. ..." "...I don't think we want a President who has issues of denial."

Hence, smokers should never be elected President?

[Romulox]

92. The current President sneaks cigarettes. nt

[Major Nikon]

94. You could just be more highly evolved

Some people are just genetically disposed to overeating. The reason is because thousands of years ago food was in short supply. People who gorged themselves on high calorie food when it was available and stored fat efficiently had a better chance of surviving famine conditions.

[totodeinhere]

100. You are greatly exaggerating the effect that obesity has on life expectancy.

A study by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago printed in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that "obesity currently reduces life expectancy by approximately four to nine months." Christie is currently 49 years old. All things being equal according to actuarial tables, a 49 year old American man can expect to live until age 77. But since he is obese, Christie can expect to die four to nine months earlier than that. So he will probably survive many years after he leaves the presidency if he is elected. This concern about his weight is bogus.

http://seniorhealth.about.com/od/prevention/a/obese_ife_ex.htm
http://www.efmoody.com/estate/lifeexpectancy.html

[johnaries]

105. I am obese, AND I smoke. "Outsiders" simply don't understand.

have tried dozens of diets that don't work. I have tried nicotine gum and I have been on Chantix twice. for all those who say "just lose weight and quit smoking" -

FUCK YOU!

You have no clue. Seriously, no fucking clue. Fuck you and your "lucky" status that makes you feel superior to the more unfortunate.

[applegrove]

106. Chantix worked for me 3 years ago. I went for long walks or logged onto the

quitnet.com when I had a crave. I then smoked herbal cigarettes a few times a week. Now whenever I think of smoking I think of those godawful herbal smokes and I have very little in the way of craves. Smoked for 27 years.

[BeHereNow]

111. Oh my honey- come over here and get a hug!

What a brave soul you are to share such a thing.
My sister has struggled with food addiction for YEARS.
She finally talked with me about it about five years ago.

People need to understand that it is every bit as real as
any other addiction on the list.

There are neurological studies being done right now
by a doctor in San Diego, Brain imaging, to identify
the neural activity in food addiction, anorexia-bulimia; all of it.

My sister opted for a Lap-Band operation which initially
worked very well for her- however there were complications
and the whole thing has needed to be adjusted and monitored more
closely.

Even with the surgery, the neurological misfires seem not to have
been addressed- as the urge to consume still arises when she is
stressed or emotionally upset.

Currently, the leading physicians are looking into the role of
5HT receptors in the brain and how they are connected to food addiction.
I am extremely hopeful that this research will one day help
my sister and my cousin who is severely anorexic.

In the meantime, love yourself- be good to yourself and
contemplate the fact that you are not responsible for what ever
misfiring your brain may be engaged in.

You are loved!
BHN

[applegrove]

115. Thanks for all the good information. Bookmarking this.

[BeHereNow]

118. Link for you- Dr. Walter Kaye pioneer in brain imaging and eating disorders

http://eatingdisorders.ucsd.edu/research/imaging/

Since I found out about Dr. Kaye, I have read everything I can
about his research and findings about the relationship
of neurotransmitters and various eating disorders.
He is a pioneer in the field.
http://eatingdisorders.ucsd.edu/research/imaging/

BHN

[Scout]

121. great links, thank you!! n/t

[deaniac21]

117. It's much eaiser to keep that weight down if you start smoking.

[applegrove]

119. I quit smoking 3 years ago. That is one of the many reasons why I am obese.

[NNN0LHI]

123. Want to hear a weird story?

I love fatty food and sweets too. I was obese almost my entire life. Was up to wearing size 40 pants. I looked like Buddha. I was obese even when I was a kid. I hit 40 years old or so and my entire body chemistry must have changed because I began gradually losing weight. Lost a couple pounds a month until my weight was about exactly where it should be for my height and it held there. That was without no diets or even trying to lose weight. My eating habits never changed. I still eat lots of sweets every day and my weight stays the same now. And I was under a doctors care the entire time so there was no health problems causing the weight loss. I have been at a normal weight for so long now people can't even remember when I was heavy any more unless I pull out an old picture and show them.

Anyone else ever see anything like that happen to someone before?

Don