MovieChat Forums > Hairspray (2007) Discussion > Obesity, unlike race, both CAN and SHOUL...

Obesity, unlike race, both CAN and SHOULD be changed !

posted 13 years ago by JustMammal
26 replies | jump to latest

I am OK with people being different, I am NOT OK when other people's choices costing me money (through the skyrocketed healthcare costs). I am not saying it's easy to stay lean, and that metabolism is not greatly affected by ones genes, however it can be done.

Some people, myself including, put a great effort to stay bellow 25 BMI, and due to their body complexion & genes, they still have problems losing enough weight & stop being overweight. However, at least they put a true effort into this, they check news and upon hearing that drinking sugary soda pop (and even juices) is a speedy way to gain weight, and they avoid it. They also steer away from ice-cream & pies for deserts, & instead, for deserts, start eating fruits, low-fat yogurt & high-fiber cereals.

Then there are people, like my obese former roommate. He complained that fat people are discriminated against, & that he can't do anything about it due to his genes. However, then he buys cases upon cases of classic coke. I ask him, why can't he at least buy diet variety, he answers that sugar substitute is harmful for the health. And this may be true, but before that sugar substitute would harm him, his extreme weight would harm his health ten times over! Besides, why not drink water, or sugar-free tea instead ?

Anyway, I can sympathize with overweight people, since it may be just their genetic baggage, and while in an ideal world anybody can get fit, with the stressors of the real world, those 10-20 extra pounds may be extremely difficult to loose.

On the other hand, except for perhaps some rare illnesses, any obese person can become merely overweight had they just stop eating those cakes & gulping that coke! And I am not talking about crash diets here, just consistently & permanently putting a reasonable effort to control ones weight !

Finally, big may be beautiful to some people, but it's certainly not pretty to the taxpayer who has to foot their BIG healthcare bill !

[–] bilbob20 12 years ago

More people receiving healthcare in the UK are doing so for self inflicted conditions caused by unhealthy lifestyles, drinking alcohol, smoking, drug-use, wreckless driving, careless DIY, the list is endless. I'm sure you yourself Cinematicexplorer will one day need healthcare due to your own actions, directly or indirectly. I hope you get a very unsympathetic nurse who tells you frankly that you deserve what you get. Maybe you'll think twice and have some compassion for others.

Obsesity and its many attached-illnesses is given even less consideration, compassion and sympathy than drug users.

[–] rudykawa 12 years ago

"I am OK with people being different, I am NOT OK when other people's choices costing me money (through the skyrocketed healthcare costs)."

That's true. I agree with you.
Although, if you're coherent and not hypocritic, you should campaign also against smoking, drinking alcohol (any amount of alcohol, not only alcoholics), radical sports (climbing, rafting, etc), using motorized transportation, sex without protection (oral, penetration), not using sunblock everyday to protect your skin, etc.

All of this costs money to the people that really takes care of oneself.

[–] JustMammal 12 years ago

Actually smoking is no longer glamorous. Moderate quantities of alcohol are healthy. Motorists are "organ donors". Sex without protection is only glorified at XXX sites. Suntan booths fall increasingly under scrutiny.

[–] john-tyra 12 years ago

I'm so glad I'm not as superficial, selfish and hypocritical as people like you. This is sad. I feel really bad that there are more people out there that think like you, actually. I hope you get slapped in the face by reality sooner or later.

______________________________________________________________________________
"Gore isn't scary, sex isn't love, spoofing isn't comedy, and remakes are no fun."

[–] lavenderspirit2005 12 years ago

OP, I agree that severe weight issues (when harmful to one's health), would be best changed both for health and appearance. But I disagree that anyone's health problems are costing you or anyone else any significant amount of money. This is a lame excuse thrown out by people who usually want to rant about other people's looks...come on, let's be real here. Nobody really cares about the 'money' angle; it's impatience with those who are not looking as what some feel they should look like. To put so much focus and scrutiny on an issue that solely resides with nobody but the individual itself, is intrusive and busy-body'ish. I go through life solely focusing on my own concerns--I don't worry about the poundage of strangers. It's called maturity; with all due respect, it is immature to concern yourself with the private affairs (such as fluctuating weight gain or loss) of others. Some people lose their sense of propriety and personal boundaries, I have noticed, when it comes to this topic. What's the point of that?

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[–] Erin-Leigh-14 11 years ago

where are you from, Lavenderspirit? my guess, and there's always the possibility i'm wrong, is the United States, or another country without universal health care. and if that's the case, you're right - other people's weight problems do not cost you money. the thing is, in Canada and the UK, and any other country that has universal health care, they definitely do cost the taxpayers. speaking only from my experience, i put on a lot of weight over the last couple of years - 60 pounds, to be precise. i went from being a healthy person to a severely unhealthy one, developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and a slew of bodily aches and pains. i went from yearly check ups to monthly check ups and a couple prescriptions, so my weight problems definitely impacted taxpayers. when you live in a country were everybody is responsible for everybody else in terms of health care costs, people who choose to live unhealthy lifestyles (people who gain weight, like me, for no reason other than poor nutrition and no exercise) are not only affecting themselves.

i disagree with your premise that people who complain about the 'money angle' are actually bothered by what the person looks like. overweight people do not offend my eyesight. i never look at an obese person and go, "oh come on! why aren't you doing something to make yourself look better??" there are more than enough beautiful people in society that i'm never left wishing i could see just one hot guy in the midst of all these fatties. mind you, i don't really think about what they're costing me, either - the group of people i *do* judge are smokers, and it's not because their teeth are yellow and they stink - it's because we're all footing the health bill for their 'private affairs'.

[–] futurethinking 11 years ago

If you think Obesity is just a matter of will or choice you never really had to deal with the problem.

I have been overweight my entire life. Nothing worked, diet exercise. After I dropped few pounds the pain was so insufferable that I had to break it. I don't know how much I spend during this time on nutritionist, doctors, various diets, etc.

Finally, I decided to study the medical journal myself. I found the most likely scenario to be deficiency of Thyroid hormone. I west to doctor and they refused to run any test on me. I had to go to Italy to have the tests done. Sure, my T3 & T4 level were much lower than they should have been. I came back to us. Two Doctors not refused to prescribe anything.

Finally, I said screw it and went underground. I have lost 80 pounds in less than 6 month and never filled any better.

Two conclusion, the medical community is just screwed up. I am a scientist and I had access to the same information which my Doctor had and I cannot see any rational cost benefit analysis which justifies their position.

Second, it is not just psychological. There are many physical conditions which are easily solvable but they won't since the medical community has no interest in solving them.