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woman eats 30K calorie supper!!!
- Thread starter Keebler
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What a lot of people don't know, is that sugar is addictive. It goes the same for coffee and sigarettes. If you need coffee or sigarettes everyday to keep you going, that means you are addicted to caffeine or nicotine. If you are craving for sweets... that means your pancreas is having a hard time keeping your bloodsugarlevel in balance.
If you eat sugar, your bloodsugarlevel shoots up, and your pancreas reacts in a slow motion momentum by producing insuline to cope with that. So even when the sugar is already out of your blood, your pancreas is still producing insuline to cope with the enormous level of sugar earlier. As sugar is wearing out your pancreas, that slow motion momentum is becoming slower and slower over time.
...And that's when the addiction kicks in... as your insulinelevel is still sky high, due to the earlier high levels of sugar, that triggers some other system in your body to level out the insuline... and that is the need for sugar.
So all in all, your bloodsugarlevels & insuline are in a downwards spiral, triggering eachother...
A lot of people don't even know how depend they are on sugar, but you should really try it for yourself. Try not to eat any sugar (soda's, candy etc) for two weeks. You will probably start to notice that the first week you'll become aggrevated pretty easy... moodswings. You see the same with junkies trying to score.
The good part is that you will sleep better, lose weight, sweat less and overall will be a happier person, less depressed. AND you'll probably won't develope diabetes. Diabetes is a worn out pancreas. (there are different types of diabetes, i know but it all comes down to the balance of sugar & insuline in your blood)
Addicted to sugar comes with all the side-effects that addiction has: moodswings, denial of habit, cold turkey, aggression. But in the end, you will get & feel better, once you have accepted that you are controlled by sugar.
You do however need a little sugar for the transportation of oxygen in your blood, but a normal eating patern will provide plenty. Diabetes patients sometimes have to get some bodyparts amputated due to the lack of oxygen that the blood is not capable of transporting anymore to the very ends of the bloodvessels. (google some pictures diabetes+amputation that will make you reconsider your soda & candy addiction)
As for eating loads and loads of food: Your stomach is very flexible and can stretch a lot. Filling up your stomach every day, stretches it further and further. With that, the trigger from your stomach to your brain that says - I am full - slows down in the same rate. Getting the stomach back in the right proportion takes a few days.
If you eat heavily, you'll notice that the next day you get hungrier earlier than the day before. That is that stomach that is still stretched out, and that signal to your brain that hasn't arived yet because your stomach is stretched and thus not full. Everybody knows that after being sick for a few days, you won't eat as much as before. You start with something small. That means your stomach finally had the chance to get back in normal proportion.
The signal - full- from stomach to brain takes about 10~20 minutes. That time is the reason people overeat or feel bloated after a heavy dinner. You where stuffing yourself even when you where already full for the last 10~20 minutes of your meal.
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This woman is obviously not thinking about the pain and suffering her loved ones will go through as they watch her health fail in the coming years. Diabetes can't be far off, and that will be the least of her worries.
Some people will do anything in this country to get their 15 minutes of fame. This might be the most disgusting (non-illegal) one I've ever seen. The fact that she's a mother makes it all the worse.
One hopes she will eventually get her head screwed on straight and use whatever money she's earned from this to get gastric bypass. But I won't hold my breath.
Some people will do anything in this country to get their 15 minutes of fame. This might be the most disgusting (non-illegal) one I've ever seen. The fact that she's a mother makes it all the worse.
One hopes she will eventually get her head screwed on straight and use whatever money she's earned from this to get gastric bypass. But I won't hold my breath.
And yours about me weren't ? Look, I made my presumptions based on some facts you posted :
- Too busy to work out (which isn't an issue for weight control)
- Having to lose weight (Doctor's orders)
- Thinking Yoga is an effective weight control.
- No mention of food.
I made a presumption that you don't understand the basic premise of weight control. I hope my post at least opened up your eyes and you can go from there to learn what works for you, with your busy schedule, instead of thinking a busy schedule is a reason to stay the way you are.
It's her choice up to a point. There's nothing wrong with 20 lbs overweight, give or take a few. Doctors will always tell you to be in the "zone" (healthy weight with a BMI between 18-25) but mostly there isn't much harm until later in life. Just like there's nothing wrong with taking fast food in reasonable quantities, or smoking if done occasionally.
However, what she is doing is not just affecting her and her family. Morbid obesity affects all of society, be it through requiring services reserved for the disabled (she's not really disabled, she just chooses to be). The problem, like in all things bad for you (fast food, alcohol, smoking, drugs, whatever) is not occasional use, it's abuse. This woman has an abusive food consumption. Your examples are wrong because they try to equate what she is doing with what people are doing within reason. Your list should have been more :
- Alcoholics should be able to stay that way! There's nothing wrong with 2 glasses of gin to wake up
- 3 packs a day of smokes is perfectly fine!
- Gambling all your money away and then borrowing some to gamble more is a person's choice!
- You can never have enough Crystal Meth.
The fact is, these are abusive tendencies which stem from deeper problems or addictions.
BTW, I run about 5 km, 5 days a week. I ski (doing mostly Park, so climbing uphill on foot dragging my equipment), I do weight lifting too. I think I can sit and post on Macrumors a few times
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In a physical sense, weight loss is simple. Burn more calories than you consume. Keeping it off means burning the same amount of calories you consume. Eating certain foods (ex broccoli, tea, DARK chocolate) have beneficial effects and are proven to increase the metabolism. Yes, the mechanics behind it are easy.
Now, the psychological aspects of weight control are anything but simple. Food is addicting, especially extremely processed foods (ex: McDonalds cheeseburgers). Many people eat because they are overweight, and they are also overweight because they eat. Many people have not been taught good nutrition and there are places in which eating well is virtually impossible. A study conducted by a government public health organization that I worked for has found that obese children and adolescents have a lower quality of life rating that children in the same age bracket with terminal cancer.
Eating food often is an addictive tendency. Yes, to a degree it is individual choice, but it does cause results which hurts all of society as you noted. With that said, you have to see obesity as a problem with multiple causes and that there is almost always an underlying cause (ex: people eat more when they are depressed). The lady in this particular article however defies all logic as larger people do not want to be obese.
Most importantly, obesity will grow in both prevalence and level of negative effects until a holistic system of living healthy becomes standardized, which thus far, has not occurred to the level needed to start to lower obesity rates. Obesity is both a physical and psychological condition, and I would argue it is also a disease.
...And you bring religion into it? Seriously?
Anyway, to say that healthcare doesn't enter into the situation of someone that large is denial, plain and simple. You really shouldn't jump into such deep waters so ill-equipped, my friend. My original post and Knight's reply to yours already explain why this is a issue that affects more than just her.
It sure is. I've never said otherwise. She can eat until she bursts for all I care. But there is a pretty big chasm between being selfish, and not wanting to pay for someone else's self-inflicted stupidity. Though I guess she's backed out of the plan anyway, cleaning up the hot biological mess of someone purposely trying to be "the world's fattest person" should happen on her dime, not mine.
Which was my point. The problem with going beyond the mechanics in broad discussions like this is that every individual is different, but every individual's weight control comes down to the same basic mechanic.
I'd rather leave it to individuals themselves to work out what isn't working in their caloric balance, because in the end, they are the best placed to do that.
And I've said as much with my last posts. For morbid obesity, there's almost always something non-physical behind it which over the years has turned into physical disability. It's a "choice" in a sense, the choice to not fix the underlying issue. The thing with obesity is that it can stem from the same issues that brings alcoholism, gambling or drug abuse.
There is one interesting point I haven't brought up. For the US at least, there is one outside factor that is not 100% under the individual's control. The Corn Industry. You guys are being fed HFCS in everything if you aren't careful about the products you buy and high fructose corn syrup has been shown to cause weight gain : http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/
HFCS does the exact opposite of what it is supposed to do for you, instead of filling you up, it actually makes you more hungry, which then results in busting your caloric balance (since it is a dense calorie additive to begin with). McDonald's addiction ? Look no further than this. I'm sure everyone here has eaten a bigmac with fries, which in and of itself is a big meal (but not abusive, only sitting at 920 calories for the sandwich and medium fries with no sugared soft drink), and have felt hungry 20 minutes later. That's just insane. On the other hand, you go to Subway, eat a 6 inch sandwich and a chip, which is about the same quantity of food, you get only 2/3rds the calories and you don't feel hunger until you're ready for a late afternoon snack.
You bring up a VERY good point. The US grows over 300 million metric tons of corn each year and we pack it into every softdrink. Even 'fruit' juices have more HFCS than actual fruit. Corn is poorly digested to begin with, and corn syrup definitely causes issues. The US also allows the usage of a few major chemicals in foods which the rest of the industrialized world, and a lot of the non industrialized world, stopped using years ago. Links of these chemicals to obesity is still being studied.
Since when did a persons lifestyle choice become everyone else's business? Jesus, I didn't realize being fat was such an ethical decision...
And to actually bring in healthcare and politics into this? Seriously? Then you guys should:
1) stop smoking cigarettes,
2) stop eating fast food,
3) stop sitting on your ass typing on mac rumors (maybe go for a run?)
4) avoid ever single carcinogen on the planet, like say, the sun (UV radiation?)...
5) stop driving cars, or doing anything that involves fast or dangerous movement, like say sports?
6) be the perfect most healthy person ever...
...because it's my problem. I'm paying for it in my taxes. HOW COULD YOU BE SO SELFISH!?
This is her choice. It effects her and her family, not you. I forgot how God declared that fat people go straight to hell, because being fat is so evil...
i think you missed my point - it's about her probably having a mental issue thinking her goal is 'ok'.
Raising healthcare is an issue - it's common sense that 'fit' people will probably have a smaller impact on healthcare than someone who is unfit. Being fit doesn't guarantee perfect health, but it's like having a flat tire on a car vs a car without a flat - which one is going to go farther and requires less repairs???
You are absolutely right about her having some sort of mental dysfunction. Furthermore, she has defied logic and shows flawed reasoning or the inability to reason at all. She is opposing the norm of society, the ability to stay healthy, and the ability to have a better quality of life. With today's knowledge on obesity, she realizes she is running towards death, and runs to it with arms wide open.
People in good physical shape with a good diet, as you noted, do not always have better health outcomes, but statistically speaking, people with a healthy BMI and a good diet almost always have better health outcomes. Arthritis prevalence and severity is a major issue for people who are class 3 (formally morbidly) obese. Obesity is one of the top risk factors for death and is the top risk factor for about 7 different deadly and/or debilitating chronic diseases.
...And you bring religion into it? Seriously?
Anyway, to say that healthcare doesn't enter into the situation of someone that large is denial, plain and simple. You really shouldn't jump into such deep waters so ill-equipped, my friend. My original post and Knight's reply to yours already explain why this is a issue that affects more than just her.
It sure is. I've never said otherwise. She can eat until she bursts for all I care. But there is a pretty big chasm between being selfish, and not wanting to pay for someone else's self-inflicted stupidity. Though I guess she's backed out of the plan anyway, cleaning up the hot biological mess of someone purposely trying to be "the world's fattest person" should happen on her dime, not mine.
I think you missed the sarcasm in my God reference (God, not religion, but nonetheless IRONY MUCH?)... and no, I read every post and I understood them all, but my argument is not that she isn't a liability. It's that no one here has a right to decide where the line is between what lifestyle is so selfish that it is your personal concern.
I'm ill equipped, huh?
So I think you missed my point. I never said health care doesn't factor in, but my point was... every single person here is being hypocritical!
You can argue all you want, and would be correct to say that every decision, including the choice to be fat, effects everyone else and not just yourself, but to judge her decision so harshly like you are is almost disgraceful.
And just in case, I'll preemptive strike. No I am not arguing out of some personal defense to my own lifestyle. I am not fat, if anything I'm under weight. 5'11'' and 150 lbs.
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And yours about me weren't ? Look, I made my presumptions based on some facts you posted :
- Too busy to work out (which isn't an issue for weight control)
- Having to lose weight (Doctor's orders)
- Thinking Yoga is an effective weight control.
- No mention of food.
I made a presumption that you don't understand the basic premise of weight control. I hope my post at least opened up your eyes and you can go from there to learn what works for you, with your busy schedule, instead of thinking a busy schedule is a reason to stay the way you are.
It's her choice up to a point. There's nothing wrong with 20 lbs overweight, give or take a few. Doctors will always tell you to be in the "zone" (healthy weight with a BMI between 18-25) but mostly there isn't much harm until later in life. Just like there's nothing wrong with taking fast food in reasonable quantities, or smoking if done occasionally.
However, what she is doing is not just affecting her and her family. Morbid obesity affects all of society, be it through requiring services reserved for the disabled (she's not really disabled, she just chooses to be). The problem, like in all things bad for you (fast food, alcohol, smoking, drugs, whatever) is not occasional use, it's abuse. This woman has an abusive food consumption. Your examples are wrong because they try to equate what she is doing with what people are doing within reason. Your list should have been more :
- Alcoholics should be able to stay that way! There's nothing wrong with 2 glasses of gin to wake up
- 3 packs a day of smokes is perfectly fine!
- Gambling all your money away and then borrowing some to gamble more is a person's choice!
- You can never have enough Crystal Meth.
The fact is, these are abusive tendencies which stem from deeper problems or addictions.
BTW, I run about 5 km, 5 days a week. I ski (doing mostly Park, so climbing uphill on foot dragging my equipment), I do weight lifting too. I think I can sit and post on Macrumors a few times
Thank you for presenting a reasonable argument, it seems very few people on blogging websites can actually respond without feeling personal injustice. So yes, I pretty much agree with you. My comment was more directed to the tone of this forum and not the information.
And the examples I gave were to point out that no one can truly draw that line between reasonable and abusive behavior. When does a casual drinker become an alcoholic? When does a gambler have a gambling problem? The definitions given by professionals change consistently, and people on this forum with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever feel so sure they know the answers that they need to berate a persons lifestyle. I'm not usually such a prude, but it really pissed me off.
Your a park skier. I used to be too. I could easily argue that the benefits of the entertainment of park skiing under-weigh the injuries sustained and the cost in medical bills. In fact I could say the same thing about any extreme sport. I'm paying for it in my taxes aren't I? So couldn't I berate you about what a menace to society you are?
(FYI I'm not attacking you, don't take offense, it's just an example.)
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I would argue that accepting a lifestyle that has a much higher likelihood of illness or death doesn't necessarily mean mental illness. What about adventure seekers? Is climbing Everest a sign of mental illness? The likelihood of dying is high, and honestly, some would say that you have to be crazy to do it, but people still praise the behavior, and don't label the person with a mental illness.
Guys, it really is possible that she just LOVES food. I've met people like that. They are great chefs and are very over weight because they love food. Not because they have some kind of mental deficiency.
I'll be honest: I don't know what the heck that even means.
No. You didn't. I am not judging her, and there are many here who aren't. I merely want all people to be accountable for their impact on society. For example, you are probably more healthy than I am. That's awesome. I truly hope you have the ability to pay lower insurance premiums than me. Why would I begrudge you that - I outweigh you by 50 lbs, and smoked for 25 years. But I'll tell you one thing - I run 15 miles a week now, trying to reclaim every last smidgen of lung capacity I can find. And, I've dropped 15 pounds in the last 6 weeks. And all just because I know I should. Think of how great it would be if there was financial incentive, to boot!
Please stop assuming there is a "line." It can be a sliding scale. "Healthiness" can be measured with a variety of metrics (BMI, blood pressure, blood chemistry, etc) and there is no reason that numbers compared to numbers have to be judgmental. It doesn't have to be "healthy" vs. "unhealthy." That said, countless government agencies and private groups have decided what qualifies as "obese." The info is out there. People blow it off because there are no repercussions, no liability one way or the other.
Agreed.
I really LOVE alcohol. I have been known to drink three bottles of wine, a half-bottle of whiskey, or a twelve-pack of beer in an evening. I don't do it to get drunk, I just really like the stuff. Are you cool with chipping in for my liver transplant?
Humans function on a reward system. You may climb Everest because of the personal accomplishment or the rush. Eating to the degree of excess that lady has is far more than a love of food. There is no potential gain and she knows she is hurting herself, but does not care. She is pursuing a goal that conflicts with 'logical reasoning'. If you look at people who are class III obese, you will see a few things. First, depression and suicide rates are ridiculously high. Two, almost all want to lose weight. Three, there are often underlying conditions.
Obesity needs to be treated as a mental illness as well as physical illness/condition. Much of losing weight and keeping it off is psychological. The self-rated quality of life of obese children are literally worse than terminal cancer patients. Not everyone who is obese has a mental illness, but when people get to extreme obesity, there is almost always an existing condition or one has developed from a negative self-image.
Exactly, when I do Park skiing, I know it's dangerous, but the reward is there, the thrill, the excitement and the adrenaline rush all make you want to get back up that slope and go again. Same for climbers or any other kind of adventurous humans.
Obese people and food ? Most obese people don't do it out of love of food. Look at what your standard obese person eats while they are in a "weight gain" mode (before trying to lose weight). It's pure junk that doesn't have a particular flavor or good taste. It's usually just sugar/fat filled mouth stuffers, it's not rewarding at all, no subtle flavors to discovers.
Anecdote, this couple I know was vacationing in the states. They were eating at a local "Greasy spoon" joint (you know the place, anything and everything, grilled meats, burgers, salads, sandwichs). The guy looked over to his left to a very fat lady and she was eating a basket a fried chicken. He snickered. He snickered less when he saw that was an appetizer and she received a plate of fries with a fried chicken sandwich for her main course. He was completely dumbfounded when he saw her take a small packet on the table and start pouring it on the sandwich. That wasn't salt, she was sugaring her fried chicken sandwich which she ate after a basket of fried chicken.
Love of food ? I love food personally, but I wouldn't call what she was eating particularly appealing. It wasn't well prepared, it wasn't particular flavors (she could have just drank a glass of oil and dumped the packets of sugar in her mouth, the taste would have been the same), it was just fattening.
If you want to argue that most "Chefs" that love food and make great foods full of flavors and preparation are fat, look really closely at chefs. Most are not fat at all, I'd say the proportion is the same as in the normal population. Heck look at this guy :
Have you seen the food he prepares ? That stuff looks awesome and I'm sure it tastes awesome. He does a grilled chicken with BBQ sauce that just looks like it melts in your mouth. Yet he's perfectly normal sized.
I wouldn't say she does not care. All the fat people I've seen mostly care or start to care at one point. They also feel powerless because they don't know what causes weight gain. They don't understand the simple calorie mechanics. They eat a box of cookies, they gain pounds. The eat the same box of cookies but "low fat" and don't understand why they are still gaining pounds. TV, commercials, food companies advertising "Low fat! low sodium! High Fiber! High Protein! No carbs!" aren't making it easy. All those might sound "healthy" but many of those still contain many calories and you can't just pig out on those foods (especially the high fiber/protein stuff, that stuff is usually more calorie filled than the normal stuff and will gain you more weight).
It's an education thing. Once you educate them, once they understand what they are doing wrong, once they understand what is wrong with all the "diets" out there, usually most do start losing weight.
I have a friend would weighted 380 lbs 5 months ago. He had his stomach tied in 2005 (yes, 5 years ago) and he's never gotten his gastric ring removed. You think he lost weight in those 5 years and he must've been a monster in 2005 right ? Wrong, in 2005, he weighted 350 lbs. He managed to gained 30 lbs in 5 years with a tied stomach. How ? Sugared drinks, overeating (using liquids to bypass his gastric ring), bad eating in general (lots of calorie dense foods like fries, cheese, BBQ sauces, chocolats and other sweets).
What does he look like now ? He's 340 lbs today. 5 months. Why ? Because I showed him he was wrong to think a gastric ring was an easy fix and he needed to learn how to lose weight properly. How did I show him ? Well, I lost the weight myself. I always explained to him how to do it, eating better foods, more vegetables, making sure to keep his grain portions in check (10 per day, high fiber if possible), 6 oz of meat per day max and go for poultry/fish/eggs instead of red meats/nuts. He never believed me (kind of like some posters on this thread that have argued that I was "more or less right" or dead wrong). He did when after not having seen him for 8 months, I showed up thin and in the best shape of my life.
Well...
Let me conclude with this.
I suppose I've dug myself into a little hole with my argument, and let me just clarify in saying that I DO understand the personal and social implications of obesity. And I agree with what is being said.
What I'm arguing is that none of you know this person. Therefore you cannot judge her condition. The examples I'm coming up with are far fetched yet, and I know statistically speaking she could have a mental condition, negative self image... etc... as is common with obesity. But all the toilet jokes and people who were simply outraged at how she could be so selfish were simply making me sick.
So even though I don't have the right to be the moral police, I felt like I had to intervene. If anything I'm glad that the tone of this forum has shifted towards one of consideration and thought about the implications of obesity and not just, "What a horrible person!" and "her poor toilet!". I've met many great obese people and I'm finding that there is a growing stereotype about fat people that is growing out of control. It's becoming less of a "condition" and more of a "moral deficiency."
So I concede. You guys are right, and I am wrong.
(Btw, the God vs religion thing is irrelevant to the topic, but I simply meant that when speaking about God you aren't necessarily speaking about religion. My post was sarcastic anyway, so I was just clarifying the point.)
Let me conclude with this.
I suppose I've dug myself into a little hole with my argument, and let me just clarify in saying that I DO understand the personal and social implications of obesity. And I agree with what is being said.
What I'm arguing is that none of you know this person. Therefore you cannot judge her condition. The examples I'm coming up with are far fetched yet, and I know statistically speaking she could have a mental condition, negative self image... etc... as is common with obesity. But all the toilet jokes and people who were simply outraged at how she could be so selfish were simply making me sick.
So even though I don't have the right to be the moral police, I felt like I had to intervene. If anything I'm glad that the tone of this forum has shifted towards one of consideration and thought about the implications of obesity and not just, "What a horrible person!" and "her poor toilet!". I've met many great obese people and I'm finding that there is a growing stereotype about fat people that is growing out of control. It's becoming less of a "condition" and more of a "moral deficiency."
So I concede. You guys are right, and I am wrong.
(Btw, the God vs religion thing is irrelevant to the topic, but I simply meant that when speaking about God you aren't necessarily speaking about religion. My post was sarcastic anyway, so I was just clarifying the point.)
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Why concede? I think we are examining obesity pretty well as a group. Furthermore, the current level of obesity is really everyone's problem, as the level affects our society as a whole.
This lady in question though blows my mind as the article has framed it to appear that her goal is to gain weight. Perhaps the article misinterpreted what she meant.
Because I feel I've made my point. I'm arguing against the stereotypes and prejudices, not the effects on society and healthcare, or mental dysfunction.
I would agree that we have steered this conversation away from the "eeeewww she's a horrid, disgusting pig" comments to more abstract concepts. Kudos.
The article, like most articles about this particular woman, was quite sensationalized. Then again, the reporter didn't misinterpret by much, because this woman played along with it for a while (and has been in a feeder/feedee relationship for some time). Afterward, in an attempt at "damage control", she said that the thousand-pound thing was more of a fantasy than an attainable goal, but by then, the exaggerated perceptions about her had spread too far.
She hasn't been in the news in the past couple of months, however, so maybe she and her family can regain some level of normalcy.
There is another thing KnightWRX is right about in his last post: A good percentage of supersize people eat for reasons other than the love of food. They often get the signal that they're full, but ignore it. Food addiction does exist, and can be as difficult to manage as alcoholism or drug addiction.
I am with you 100%; one's weight bears no resemblance to one's character and no case will be exactly the same. Like most issues, there is a strong degree of individualization and how someone experiences and interprets the same events can vary dramatically.
I concur 100%. I work as a chef and I was slightly underweight last time I checked. In the two kitchens I work in, no-one is overweight. One girl looks a bit plump, but I doubt very much she is overweight as she is a tall girl. Then again... I don't really love food. Being a chef is just a job for me.
One thing I'm surprised we haven't gone into is the fact that there are starving kids in Africa, and this gluttonous woman is unnecessary gorging food that could really be going to someone else who needs it more. It isn't as if she needs 30k calories to survive.