Brookhaven Clinic (or whatever the name is)
Does anyone else watch this show that comes on after Big Medicine? I know Shari has seen it. I saw it again last night, and I have very conflicting emotions about this “clinic”. I’m appalled and fascinated at the same time. What appalls me is that these super morbidly obese residents don’t seem to be getting much, if any, help with their problems. They seem to be able to do whatever they want. They can watch their diet if they want or they can order out from any fast food joint in the neighborhood. They can exercise or they can just lay around all day. They can meet with the in-house psychologist or not – doesn’t matter. The “doctor” that is in charge seems not to be too concerned about whether or not he’s helping anyone until one of the patients died from complications from sleep apnea. Now all of a sudden he’s concerned about the residents’ terrible eating habits. He installed cameras to spy on them as they have fattening, unhealthy food delivered (although he knew what they were doing all along). He put a guard on the floor who’s supposed to monitor any food that may be being sneaked in, but yet the residents seem to have no problem getting around these safe guards that have been set up. Now he has decided that he’s going to separate the residents who follow the meal and exercise plan from the residents who don’t. I think he’s putting the two groups on separate floors. During the show yesterday, Richard Simmons got into the act. It seems that he visits the clinic once a year to “cheer-up” and motivate the residents (he came with a full camera crew in tow). One resident who Richard had befriended had regained a lot of weight, and Richard chastises the man’s wife about it. WTF. I’m just totally mystified by this show. Am I the only who one who feels like these super morbidly obese people, who need help are being used and abused like circus acts?
"Accountability first to yourself, then nobody else matters"
I watched that too. Brookhaven is in Queens, Long island - about 30 minutes from my house.
I didn't think the "manager" of this program was doing such a good job either. I think he should have been much more strict with this program. The residents were free to do whatever they wanted and how is that any sort of "program"? It must be a state run project because all of these people don't work, so they can't have health insurance to cover this. There was this one incredibly unappreciative man who got an $8,000.00 chair made for his big ass to get wheeled around in, and he did nothing but complain about the food in the hospital. He barely got out of bed. It was incredible. That one girl would help the cheaters cheat, by going downstairs to pick up the take out food. It was horrible. Why were they even there if they weren't going to work at losing weight? Hiding food in the ceiling tiles - common now.
I understand the manager didn't have the authority to tell these people what to do, but something should have been done to keep these people from sabotaging their program.
Quite frankly these people are so large that I think they can qualify as "diabled", so some of them may be getting disability. What struck me about that $8,000 chair was how often they mentioned the cost of the chair. I think they mentioned the cost at least 10 times. Being the cynical person that I am I got the feeling that they kept mentioning how much the clinic spent to have this chair specially made because they wanted to give the impression that they were really going out of their way to help the residents. There's no doubt though that the chair recepient was ungrateful as hell and complained about every little thing. Well, at least the woman who was helping the cheaters cheat stopped and got on the band wagon when the one resident died. My question is what is the purpose and/or mission of this "clinic". Is it just to house the super morbidly obese until they die?
on 7/10/07 3:56 am, edited 7/10/07 4:01 am - Houston, TX
Tali: I LOVE this show. I don't see them being used as a circus act. I thought the same as you did when I saw them ordering take out when I firs****ched it. I was shocked because I'm like they let that happen! The director said when he first got there he was strict on the cheaters, but his efforts were fruitless. Last night he said something very important.. you can't treat an addiction without them having access to the substance. That makes sense. In the real world (when they leave the clinic), they will be the ones accountable for their actions, will have to take responsibility for their health. I believe the repeated offenders are ungrateful. The clinic provides them with meals, exercise, social activities, psychological support, and other things like that $8000 custom made wheelchair you saw in the episode last night. I think the wife had a valid point about not being able to see the weight come back on her husband. She said she couldn't see 50lbs, but 100lbs...I believe that would be noticeable especially in clothing and also just observing what he was eating. I don't think Richard was right in chastizing her, and no its not her fault he gained the weight. However, I do believe though she could have interviened earlier.
Eat to live, not live to eat!
Hi Bud -- here are my thoughts on your statements: "...The director said when he first got there he was strict on the cheaters, but his efforts were fruitless." A few weeks ago I took my mother to visit a friend of hers who lives in a state run senior citizens facility. When we got there a guard was at the front desk who stopped us immediently, asked to see our I.D., called my mother's friend and asked her if it was okay for us to come up and then they made us sign-in. So, I don't buy the notion that they can't keep the fast food delivery people from coming into the facility. "Last night he said something very important.. you can't treat an addiction without them having access to the substance. That makes sense. In the real world (when they leave the clinic), they will be the ones accountable for their actions, will have to take responsibility for their health." My thoughts on that are, yes, these people are addicted to food and of course you can never totally abstain from food. But don't you think the director's response and attitude about allowing the delivery of food is kinda like people who are in rehab for a drug or alcohol addiction being served drugs or alcohol while they're in rehab because they're going to have to learn to deal with it once they get back out into the real world? Yes, of course, they will have to take responsibility for their actions once they live the clinic, but geez help them help themselves while they're there. "I believe the repeated offenders are ungrateful. The clinic provides them with meals, exercise, social activities, psychological support, and other things like that $8000 custom made wheelchair you saw in the episode last night." Yes, I agree, a lot of the "offenders" were ungrateful as hell, but if the clinic really wants to help the residents, I think there should be some rules that should be followed while they are there, and consequences when they are not. "I think the wife had a valid point about not being able to see the weight come back on her husband. She said she couldn't see 50lbs, but 100lbs...I believe that would be noticeable especially in clothing and also just observing what he was eating. I don't think Richard was right in chastizing her, and no its not her fault he gained the weight. However, I do believe though she could have interviened earlier." Yes, the wife probably was/is an enabler and I would hold her totally responsble if we were talking about a child. He is an adult, not a child and therefore the ultimate responsibility for what he eats or doesn't eat is in his hands.
