Overly sensitive???

No one at my job (I am a 1st year teacher in an Elementary school) knows I have had gastric bypass surgery. Sometimes things are said about morbidly overweight people or "the surgery as an easy way out" and I get SO offended. I'm not one to let out my biz, but I could still burst into tears when I see or hear things said about obese people. I will forever be a fat girl in my head no matter what the scale says.

And you SHOULD be offended and your co-workers SHOULD feel bad because it IS offensive to say those things.  We are just more atuned to it because we lived it.  Be a defender and if you can, as politely as possible, let your coworkers know that it isn't okay to say derogatory things about the obese.  It just isn't and if they are going to insist on talking like that then you aren't going to stick around.  Making fun of the obese is just as bad as making fun of a blind person or a person of a different color.  They don't need to know about your bypass, just that you are compassionate. 

No one I work with knows about my surgery either. I have never been put in that situation though and I would be very offended if I were. People that have never struggled with obesity have no clue what it is like. No matter how small I get I will always be that fat girl too.

No sweetie, I don't think you're overly sensitive at all.  I have blogged about how I will NEVER make derogatory comments about myself once I lose weight, as in "Man I was so disgusting, look how nasty I was."  I say this because I (we) know what it's like to BE the fat chick (or guy) and how much it hurt to hear that even if the person wasn't speaking about us directly. I also mentioned to Amy how obesity seems to be the last "safe" prejudice.  People think nothing of being downright cruel and terrible to another simply because of their weight.  Most especially, those who have never been overweight are usually the worst about verbalizing their hate.  Like the others have said, I think you could make it known that you will not tolerate that kind of rudeness without necessarily telling them you've had bypass.  One well-placed sarcastic remark about their childishness should do the trick lol.

OMG, girl.. I was sooo going to post something like this after work. I went on a date recently with someone I've been talking with as friends for a while.  He's been bugging me for a date for awhile... so I decided to give him a chance, ya know?  For some reason, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't feeling anything more. Well at dinner, I cautiously mention the surgery and how I had it two years ago.  He already knew I couldn't do sugar, etc... so I just clued him in since we were at Red Lobster, lol.  The first thing out of his mouth was "that's stupid" I immediately became livid and hot.  Oh wow, I could have killed him.  He then started the wonderful back tracking... the media only pushes the cosmetic end, make overs, etc etc.  I firmly educated the ignorant about the wonderful enhancements to my life as well as others' due to the surgery... cosmetic is just  a perk. That was Friday... the guy brought up how bad he felt about his remark.  Hello!?  Why bring it up again?  I pounded into him again, he he. I don't know why I became such a fighter.  He totally offended me- he's trying to date me and he insults me?  Yaaaa....  oooohhhh, he has lots of butt kissing and protein shakes to make, he he. On a brighter note... we can be advocates for the surgery without letting the whole world we had it ourselves.  We're just educated :)

Oh that is my biggest fear! So you tell guys up front? I am terrified to tell a guy about my surgery. I never know when is the right time and I usually end up blowing them off before I ever get to that point so I don't have to tell them.

No, not generally.  He's the first one to know since the ex broke it off in July. I told him because I thought we were really good friends and I just thought he could deal.  He couldn't... I don't mind being friends, but I don't see a relationship coming out of this lol. I'll tell someone about my surgery if we go out more than once ha ha!  They don't need to know everything on the first date.  Once things start to get a bit serious, then I'll spill- ONLY if I want to.  If there isn't any pressure, no worries.  Of course if intimacy comes into play... I might have to explain the huge anchor scar from my tummy tuck lol.

I DO get offended when anyone acknowledges that surgery is the EASY way out! You might enjoy reading this: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/LapBand/a,messageboard/act ion,replies/board_id,5359/cat_id,4959/topic_id,3349398/

I'm a teacher also. I tell everyone at work I've had it. MANY of them have come to me wanting to get it and wanting to hear more about it. Also a friend at work has had RNY so we compare notes. It's just not a big deal to me and  nobody has ever said anything negative to my knowledge. Are there not many large teachers at your school? I'd say almost half of our teachers are morbidly obese. I would be offended if anyone made comments like that at work too. Might it have to do with the age of the teachers? Do you have many young teachers?  All I can say is I've never had anyone say "it's the easy way out" to me...and heaven help them if they did. Linsey

There is only 1 overweight teacher at our school....some are a little chubby, but that is about it. They more joke about it sometimes, like maybe I should try that. The whole conversation that got this big debate started and caused me to post (the ARE FAT PEOPLE GROSS posting also) started out in my classroom last week with a fellow teacher who was telling me about a friend who does sonograms for a living. I said I thought that would be such a cool job and she said, "It isn't that great. She has to do a lot of sonograms on really fat nasty women. They smell and she has to lift up their fat rolls to take the sonograms......etc. etc." I was horrified. For several reasons, but I found myself thinking did any healthcare professional that took care of me in my heavy days ever complain about it to her friends later? It saddened me greatly.  Who knows....