Good Morning. Do we want to update the Lightweight Creed?

Here's the creed--is there anything we need to add, delete, change or update? Please make suggestions or chime in to support or offer alternatives to what's suggested.

We can vote once the suggestions are all in.

Thanks,
--gina
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The Lightweight Creed
(Created and approved by members of the OH Lightweights Forum, Jan 2008)

I am a Lightweight. I am only one of many others like me. Together, we are a team. Though our journeys and choices may be different, we are bonded together by the commonality of being Lightweights and the strategies, successes and struggles that entails. It is this bond that defines this board.

I began my journey with a BMI of less than 45 and/or with less than 150 lbs excess weight. My lower BMI and excess weight does in no way make me less deserving of medical intervention, and I should not be made to feel inferior or guilty.

I qualified for WLS because I have co-morbidities, or because my medical history proves that my weight is diet and exercise resistant. 

I have worked with my healthcare team to determine the best surgical option for me. I am confident that others have done so as well, so I will refrain from passing judgments. 

I will freely share the most accurate information I have, as well as my own personal journey and why I chose my surgery in an informative, educational and respectful way so that others may learn from my experiences. 

I respect the decisions of my fellow Lightweights, regardless of the surgery they chose and the nutritional/exercise plans they follow.

I will always promote health and a healthy lifestyle, whether physical or mental; and will respect alternate methods and views toward achieving good health, even if I do not espouse them personally.

I will always be sensitive, honest and respectful when contributing to discussions on this board and in my PMs. I will never flame, demean, invalidate or harass others for their questions or decisions. I will remember, at all times, the difficulties and pain I went through on my own journey and be considerate of others when discussing theirs.

I will always defend and unite with my fellow Lightweights against prejudice and hostility. 

I understand it is my responsibility to report offensive conduct to my fellow Lightweights, so that we may deal with offending parties as a united front to preserve the supportive and tolerant atmosphere of our board.

I understand that if my conduct becomes offensive, I will not be welcome to participate on this board any longer.

I like it the way it is! I always re-read it when you post it.

I love it and always re read it when posted. I think it is great and have no ideas.

No ideas here but I do read it everytime it is posted.  I like it the way it is.

Yay, Gina!

I've been wondering about an update.  I actually think it's beautifully comprehensive, except for a few things.

1.  Higher BMIs
We have some people who join the LWs who did not start out with an especially low BMI, but come to the board because it's a darned good board.  Of course these folks are welcome.  I think that there will need to be a way to draw them into the creed, as well.  
 
Just take a look at the first 3 points of the creed.  If the "bond that defines this board" is that "I began my journey with a BMI of less than 45 and/or with less than 150 lbs excess weight" then it is possible, especially if the group of folks with higher BMIs grows, that eventually that won't be the defining bond.  I guess I'm saying that we might need to tweak that bond, or make a statement about welcome and identity together.  

2.  Privacy
I've wondered about saying something about respecting a person's privacy & need to enter the conversation at their own level of disclosure, and that we will not push someone past the point of disclosure to which that person is comfortable.  I think we're actually quite good at this as a whole, though I have learned of folks googling each other for more information, etc.  which actually raises a bit of a red flag for me.  

3.  Offensive Conduct
I wonder about the last point.  I understand that if my conduct becomes offensive, I will not be welcome to participate on this board any longer.
How does this get enforced?  Has it ever happened?  How is "offensive" conduct defined?  I'm just wondering if this might need more clarity.  

4.  Creed?
This isn't a creed (which is a statement of belief or opinion).  The first few points might be creedal, especially if they read something like "as a lightweight, I believe..." but as you get into the practices (like "I will freely share..." and onwards) it becomes decidedly non-creedal.  

I think that this list is a code of conduct.  I've always been a little uncomfortable that it's been called a creed (since it's not a creed). I think it would make sense to call it the Lightweights' Code or something like that.  This might be splitting hairs, though.

5.  Amendments
I think it would be great to acknowledge that LWs can amend and modify the document through whatever process makes sense (open discussion, vote, etc.)  It would make it more of a living document, if you will.  

Can you tell I've thought a bit about this?  

As you know, I love this "creed" and believe that it is a major part of why this board is so wonderful.  I'm incredibly grateful for the care and love that has gone into its creation and its subsequent life.  

Thanks for giving this some thought, Rosa. I agree that we should add something about respecting privacy and it might fit nicely into the paragraph about showing respect and not flaming.

We struggled with the offensive conduct paragraph. We have no openly participating OH moderator (I'm sure we have one but I don't know if it's Kathy now or not), so we decided we'd ignore offenders until they just got bored and left. lol  At the time we were defining offenders as trolls and drama queens. They were running nearly unchecked all over OH at the time the creed was drawn up.

I also like the idea of stating that the creed can and should be updated from time to time. 

I think I'm hearing consensus that the "45 BMI or less than 150 pounds to lose" is ok with most folks. We could just state that all are welcome if you find the LW board a comfortable place to contribute. 

We could try again to get OH to put the creed up as a sticky. Believe me, we tried for months and even had a moderator going to OH asking to make it a sticky. OH said no.

--gina


 

I also love this and read it every time its posted.  Im a big fan of "If its not broke, dont fix it"   :)   Have a great day LWs.  Cindy

honestly,
i like it just the way that it is !!!!
i did read Rosa's suggestions and one of them is as follows i believe that if u up the bmi then it wont be lightweights anymore right? and thats what this is " a light weight forum" this is what drawn me here in the 1st place just my 2 cents worth

I like reading it again when you post it, but have you thought about making it a sticky as well?
Amy

I like it the way it is.  I think with the less than 45 BMI and/or less than 150 pounds it covers a lot of people.  My BMI was over 45 at my highest weight, but I still had less than 150 pounds to lose.  Even if someone is over both of these, they have been welcomed to the board. 

Linda