The real Rick's post

Life as an obese person I have heard of others that have lost a significant amount of weight and they are now living the life they thought they always wanted. I have been obese by entire life so I had no real expectation of what life would be like as a normal sized person. I also felt there was a prejudice against obese people. We were either openly ridiculed or laughed at behind our backs, but more often then not we were ignored. It seemed that sometimes people would just see right through us as though we weren't there at all. I have seen a change in society over the last decade or so. There are more obese people then ever and it seems that it is more accepted. I guess that is a good thing in that people seem to be less chastised about their size and their differences in general. I also think it makes it easier to be obese. I think I am glad to have seen the harsh side of obesity in that it gives me more empathy for what other obese people are going through. I don't think it makes me want for them to continue to be obese because now I am concerned for their health issues. Does being around other obese people tend to make you remain or become obese? I think in many ways we are a product of our environment. We have the ability to change our environment. If we are around people that make bad food choices are we more likely to follow their lead? It is a challenge for me sometimes to not adopt the attitude that I think some former smokers have. Do I look at myself as a former obese person that wants to save the world from their obesity? No, I would not even discuss my surgery with another person unless they have shown an interest in it. I am even less likely to discuss this with a normal size person. Do you think society has changed in their attitudes towards obese people and is this a good or a bad thing? Life is great, Rick

Boy you sure hit things "right on the head"!!! Yes our society is becoming more obese and obesity is I think more accepted now than ever before. I saw a documentary not too long ago on TV - can't remember if it was a show or news cast - saying that hanging out with obese people can make you obese - in other words if you consider that person a dear friend or relative and you hang with them you pick up their bad habits - bad food choices, no exercise, etc. You like that person and want to do things with them and that can lead to your own obesity and/or bad habits. I think the younger you are the less you worry about health issues. Maybe I am wrong about that, but younger people do seem to develop the co-morbidites at a later age because age is on their side to some degree. Prior to my WLS I was in the beginning stages of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. THAT worried me perhaps more than the fat body. I don't want to save the world from obesity, but wouldn't mind helping out a bit! I am not sure what the answer is - this is definitely one of the most obese countries around and it doesn't seem to be changing. Fast foods and our busy life styles seem to be contributing. Schools don't offer physical education like it used to I don't think. I do think society is changing their attitudes about obesity and I suppose it might be a tiny bit good for those obese people who have been discriminated against, but a bad thing for our national health crisis. I think we don't need to discriminate against obese people, but I wish we could spend more time and $$$$ on prevention and save all the $$$ we are spending on health care for obese people and their diseases. Good tought provoking post this morning Rick....Barbara

Barbara, Thank you for your reply. You have added some wonderful additional information and I agree with you perspective. I think the only reason the insurance companies started to cover these procedures is they finally realized it was more cost efficient to pay for the procedures then to cover the life long additional expenses associated with the co-morbidities of the obese. Have a great day, Rick

I do think society doesn't look at obese people like it did years ago. When I was in grade school it was a big deal to have to buy my school clothes in the "husky" department, hidden in the back of the store, but now it seems as "plus" sections are in every store you go to. Is it a good thing that obese people are not ridiculed like they use to be by cruel people in the world yes, but its a bad thing that people are becoming so obese (espically young kids). I've been watching a lot of documentarys news clips on obesity, foods, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Its so sad to see what America is becoming all because of these products. Hopefully its a wake up call and people start becoming more cautious of foods they eat.