I've been avoiding this post. But, the time has come for a discussion to arise. I've seen this issue in the news on several occasions, and just recently experienced the ramifications myself.
Should we treat obesity as a disease?
The reason I bring this up is because of the recent 6 hour plane ride I took to Miami. I was sitting in the window seat, while the middle seat was occupied by a rather large man. In fact, he was so large that he wasn't able to put his legs together comfortably, therefore I (in the window seat) and the man sitting in the aisle seat had to share our foot space with him. I am not trying to be insensitive to overweight people. I understand that it's a struggle and health hazard. But where should we draw the line? I'm not sure it's fair to make people purchase two seats, or a first class seat. But at the same time, it's not fair that I have to share my space with a total stranger who probably got a better deal on his ticket than I did!
Another issue: When is it appropriate to issue people of this stature a handicapped sticker? I may be a little biased on this one since my father in-law is in a wheelchair, being paralyzed from the waist down. TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HANDICAPPED STICKERS THAT DON'T NEED THEM. His van REQUIRES a handicapped space, or he can't get out of his van.
I'm not trying to be mean to people who are overweight. I'm not making fun of you. I'm bring this up because it is a serious problem in our nation that needs to be addressed. We are slowly killing oursleves by overindulging at bakeries and fast food restaurants. I recently read a study which stated that most companies will try to avoid hiring overweight people because it poses greater health risks, thereby increasing company health insurance premiums. Do I think it's fair to not get hired because you're overwieght? No! But I also think it's not fair that my health insurance premiums will go up because of a problem that is semi self-inflicted.*
What do you think?
* I know that this statement is going to cause a lot of people to think I'm awful. I'm just comparing obesity to diseases like cancer. There's something we can all do to prevent obesity, as for cancer, it hits the most unsuspecting people without notice. I know that obesity has a lot to do with genes. But it can be controlled. See what I'm saying?
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9 comments:
I'm hungry now.
hey, i'm fat. and, i'm not knocking myself, i do own mirrors. and no, it's not a disease. it is a direct result of years and years of consuming more calories than i burn. can my excess weight lead to disease? absolutely. should you feel sorry for me if i keel over and die of a heart attack at thirty-two because of self induced heart disease? absolutely not. fatties who call their weight a disease are lazy piles of crap. i don't even care if they try to blame their thyroid or whatever. even if you DO have a thyroid problem, or even the so called "fat gene," you STILL HAD TO EAT THE FOOD. i highly doubt nacho cheesier doritoes and mountain dew were throwing themselves down fatties throat. and i don't know anyone with a "thyroid" problem who stays fat on a diet of lean meats, fruit and veg, complex carbs and a healthy amount of exersize. people seriously make me sick.
and don't you dare start talking to me about alchoholism being a disease. that is implying that my mother in law could have STOPPED HAVING BREAST CANCER in the same way that my grand dad could have put down the bottle.
okay, i'll stop yelling now, all i really meant to say was, preach on, loo, i'm on your team.
oh, by the way? i still fit comfortably in my own seat in an airplane. i hope someone shoots me before i start taking up the space of two humans.
loo - i agree with this post. it's hard for me to say this as my dad is extremely overweight. he doesn't fly much, so that's not a huge problem for him... but his weight has limited him so much in his everyday life, it's frustrating to the whole family. now my mom has started gaining the weight and ben and i decided that we had to do something. we just bought them bikes so they can get some sort of exercise each day. but, no matter what everyone wants you to do, it's still a personal decision. i don't think obesity is a disease. it's a personal choice. that sounds bad to say, but if i wanted to, i could be fat, too. instead, i get out and exercise and eat healthy foods. losing weight is hard... but anyone can do it.
I'm not sure what I think. I need to digest this one a bit more...
I'll get back to you.
you're BSC's wife!!!
I'm so quick...
Alan and I just talked about this. I know someone who is morbidly obese, and it is stunning how many things are different (and difficult) in this person's life due to weight.
My opinion depends on exactly what mean by treating obesity as a disease. In my thinking, some diseases are "caught" and some diseases are "sought."
A person is not culpable for caught diseases. They are, however, for a sought disease.
Of course nobody goes out searching and hoping to get a disease. But, sometimes they might as well be. Promiscuity, smoking, drug use, excessive alcohol, even sunbathing — all can lead to disease. And, anyone can be genetically predisposed to these diseases.
When you flip a switch as you enter a room, you expect light. Why do people try to lay blame elsewhere when they’ve flipped a switch and don’t like the result?
That’s not to say that people who sought their disease don’t deserve help, support and love. But they should take responsibility for their condition.
Someone told me recently that they believe being obese is a character flaw. That’s harsh in today’s world. But gluttony is specifically discussed in the Bible as sinful, right along with drunkenness and adultery.
So sure, treat obesity as a disease — of the body and mind.
This issue is a hard one to talk about in my family. The reason being is my husband's family (mother, father and younger brother) are all overweight. His brother being the worse. His brother is 24 years old. Has not had a job in the past 3-4 years. He has been diagnosed with gout (sp?), he has back problems, knee problems, breathing problems, depression problems, should I go on? But I think alot of those issues would go away or get better if he'd get out of the house more. He sits in his basement in front of the big screen tv all day long! His parents don't inforce any sort of rules on him. He isn't required to do anything except sleep and eat and watch TV. In away we blame his parents for not trying to help sooner, but most of the blame lies with my husbands brother. My husband sees how his family lives and wants nothing to do with it. He works out on a daily basis, watches what he eats, and is very active in all ways possible.
Sorry this is so long, but like I said we have strong opinions on this. I think yeah obesity could be genetic, but if you work hard at it and exercise and diet you can fight it, look at my husband compared to his family, you'd think he was adopted! His Mom also had diabetes and some problems with her legs that she now has to wear special nylons to hold her legs up. It's just sad!
You also have to keep every individual in mind. No matter how destructive they've been to themselves or if it isn't self-inflicted, they're still humans.
I like your blog! Very candid. My daughter is severely disabled and I know how difficult (and frustrating) it is when you can't find a handicapped spot. But what I have learned is that there are many disabilities that restrict people that may not just be physical (like breathing issues) so I try not to judge when they look perfectly fine and park in the spot. AS for overweight people, it's a hard call- like the chicken and egg theory. What came first, a medical problem or the overweight issue? I have to be honest, since my daughter was born, I've changed as a person and I truly try to look at all sides. The plane thing is unfair though. Did you know that airlines have to pay more in fuel because Americans have gotten so much heavier? It's true!!
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