[desirae]

Yesterday I watched the episode of "Half Ton Man" on Discovery Health. I was shocked at the sight, and amazed the man was still alive. He was over 1,000 pounds and when he needed to go to the hospital the paramedics, and others, had to tear down a wall in his house to get him out.

When they showed him he looked as though he was trapped and had been laying on that bed for years. When they turned him over, with the help of ten men, his stomach was flat on his side from where he had been laying that way for months. His skin was torn from being stretched beyond the limit, and he was unable to lay on his back because he would suffocate under the weight on his chest.

It was a horrible sight. His wife who had been caring for him said that she had no idea he was that bad till she saw him on the news. What?!? She's the one that feeds him all day long because he's unable to move.

I brought this up because I wanted to talk about whether some believe their is a gene that humans adapted to many years ago that did not allow them to feel full. Scientist say this gene was adapted through the famine so people would eat as much as they could to store the energy. Unfortunately the gene stuck through time and stayed with some even when the way of life became less work. That's the gene that makes an super morbidly obese person (900 lbs +) never feel as though they are full. They eat continuously through the day non stop.

Do you believe this gene is fabricated through science to explain food addiction? Or do you believe this gene does exist and many Americans who suffer from morbid obesity posses this gene?

[Sir_Hugzalot]

This is a pretty painful subject for me because I was heading in the same direction as the guy you saw. I seem to remember there was an episode of Jerry Springer that had a man in a similar situation. I'm in the UK so I didn't see the show you saw.

At my heaviest I weighed about 408 pounds and I've often wondered how I could have gotten that big and how much bigger I'd have got if my Doc hadn't intervened. I'm now 206 pounds and maintain that weight through excercise and eating lots of fruit and veg. I really struggle to feel full though. Sometimes I think if I let myself I could eat till I passed out which is pretty scary.

Is it my childhood or this gene you spoke of? I'm fascinated. My feeling has been that my mother always taught me that if I cleaned up my plate I was being a good boy, so eating a lot became a way of getting praise. I'd not really considered the possibility I might have a dodgy gene.

I'm shocked that guys wife didn't get him help a long time ago. Denial on a huge scale? No pun intended.

[mymindistoast]

Genes? Hmm. That stuff is beyond me, but something tells me that a person can't become 1,000 lbs from eating, alone. Some metabolic abnormality in addition to consuming large quantities of food?

Is the explanation that you read about genes and adaptation to famine only in theory?

[BooRadley]

this is a subject that is very close to me, in ways i guess i'm not really ready to reveal as yet.
What you are really asking is "what is the cause of morbid obesity?" All of the reading i have done indicates that it is a complex disease, with genetic, behavioral and environmental factors. It can't be attributed to just one cause. There are many many as yet unexplained biological factors that impact overeating: leptin, the stomach hormone grehlin, brain chemicals, genetic predisposition.
I have seen the show you talked about, and remeber, the man was already suffering from moribid obesity BEFORE he met and married the woman. I don't doubt she also played a part, as many in the show seemed to notice.
Morbid obesity is a terrible disease, and the sufferers often are regarded in the same way as those of us with depression: just get over it: just stop eating: etc etc.

I have watched several of those shows profiling people with morbid obesity and just like us, each one is an individual with a painful disease, you can just see theirs on the outside.

Boo Radley

[desirae]

I believe there are some sort of genes that effect the way our bodies react to food. Every-body's body is different, and I'd say that the genes we possess are just as normal as big feet, brown hair, and blue eyes.

I also believe that decades of family members influenced the next generation and their eating habits continued on.

Personally in my family I cannot think of one person who is not obese. Every person on my mothers side is severely over weight and on my fathers side their obesity was easily covered by thier height. I watched my mother change over the years and I see that she is beginning to get larger and larger every year, just like her mother did when she hit mid 30's. I personally fear that I will be just as large as my family members when I turn 30, I already possess the horrible eating habits and lazy life style, my age and metabolism has kept me relatively thin, but that will eventually fade and my body and I will be on our own.

I agree that food can easily become addictive as well. If you think about it food is available where every you go, on every corner. When you watch T.V advertisement for food is thrown in your face every ten minutes. Then in grocery stores they purposely set up the junk food isles in between departments such as bread, dairy, frozen, and produce, so that you have no choice but to walk past pies, chips, pop, candy, and premade dinners.

There's obvisouly so many factors that could contribute to this problem, but out of the entire world the majority of obese people live in America. So it's very likely that food itself, and not necessarily genes and influence, have the most power.

What do you think?

[TheOrganicAngel]

The whole phenomenon is pretty astounding to me. Genetics might very well play a part in the weight gain, but I have to say that I truly believe food addiction and lack of exercise is mostly to blame for this morbid obesity. You know, I have to wonder who keeps feeding these people once they become bedridden....I mean, if I was responsible for their diet after they became too fat to even walk on their own, they would only be getting salads, tuna, & vitamins until they could physically get up and fix their own meals.

You only live once, you know? I hate to think of people wasting away their entire lives by digging their graves with a fork. Overeaters need help before it gets this bad. I hope more of them find it.

-TOA

[Lexicon78]

I think that many things contribute to the factor of being overweight...leading to obesity.

I'm sure that lack of exercise, eating the wrong foods, etc. do play a role in many people's weight problems. But I also believe that excessive weight can be medical/genetic.

Another thing I've found that plays a part is how quickly someone is eating their food. I know my mother always ate extremely slow...and now so do I. But I do notice that people who seem to "inhale" their foods eat much more and stay hungrier for longer while eating slowly and much less food makes you feel fuller. I think that has to do with the amount of time it takes your body to send the message to your brain that it is full. (I read that somewhere, actually.)

In my family on my dad's side, many of us are a little overweight. I weigh 230 at 5'5". My dad's also overweight, as are many of my other relatives. Now on my mom's side of the family everyone's slim...something that I don't have the pleasure of experiencing. Both my brother and sister are thin, also.

Something that I think also contributes to a person's weight is if they were abused or not. I know many people who were abused gain weight to comfort and nurture themselves. Some of us who are sexual abuse survivors try to cover up our bodies by putting on the weight. (This does NOT work, I tell ya!)

Ok, there's my take on the whole situation.

[Rhapsody]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
desirae said:
Do you believe this gene is fabricated through science to explain food addiction? Or do you believe this gene does exist and many Americans who suffer from morbid obesity posses this gene?

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I guess it is possible.... Do they have the data to back it all up with (or not)?

But all in all - the ones of us that are over weight (me being one of them) do know that we got this way mostly due to our continuous poor eating habits.... and if you do watch these shows and listen carefully to what the people were eating on a daily basis then you know that they remain the way they have become due to poor eating.
If they have emotional problems they use food to numb the pain with then they need to seek professional help as well.


LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[blackdragon]

what i beleive is that these people who are feeding the obese person to stop feeding them doughnuts and chips and all. I dont think its the gene because look at the food these people tend to eat. doritos, pop, cookies, icecream, doughnuts, etc... all processed fatty foods. Seriously if you stick to the natural foods like chicken, fruits and vegitables, and limit your grains, i do not see anyway you can get fat over it. Another thing that i strongly beleive is the people who are super obese should take better care of them selves, they must have seen it coming... if you are weighing 1000 lbs now, what did you think when you where 300, 400 or 500lbs? that it will go away with no efford. I understand depression can play a role but where is that smack in the head when you realize i cant fit through the door, i cant sit on a toilet without busting it, and make a change... Igot the smack on the head when i was 10 lbs off from 300 lbs and guess what im down to 220 and still loosing. i have no feelings of sympathy towards the super obese, just pity.

I know im very blunt but this is a subject that tweeks me off due to the fact its totally preventable....

I mean come on some medical problems can cause weight gain but usually a doctor will catch it if they go to one or again get the smack in the head.

[BooRadley]

I'm certainly not trying to be argumentive or contentious. I'm continually surprised at the level of contempt directed at those who suffer from morbid obesity. I think it relates back to our cultural perspective in the West, that emphasizes the Puritan beliefs.
If you are truly interested in learning more about this disease and its complexity, here is website that explains thing well, citing studies.

http://www.goodsamsanjose.com/cpm/ca...d-obesity.html

Boo Radley

[Maven]

I don't know what causes morbid obesity, and I don't think anyone knows yet. There are just theories. I believe a gene may be responsible, at least in part, but not necessarily in all people who are morbidly obese (or just overweight). I think some people are conditioned that way from the time they're young, even from birth. Some parents feed their children when they cry, even if the child is crying for some reason other than hunger.

Many parents feed their kids "easy" foods, like stuff you can eat right out of the bag, microwave, or are quick to fix. Perhaps some children are predisposed to addiction for certain types of foods, and once they get that food, the addiction begins. I'm addicted to sugar. I need to control it, but I did have it under control previously. The desire is still there, though.

Some parents reward their kids with food and/or console them with food. I don't think food should be a reward or a comfort. I think treats should be treats, meals should be meals, and snacks should be snacks. Most, if not everything, of what one eats should be healthy, with the occasional treat.

I've seen morbidly obese and generally obese people on shows, fictional and non-fictional. Nip/Tuck had a show about a woman who was so obese (enabled, of course, by her loved ones), they had to cut her away from the couch on which she'd sat for several years, because her skin had joined into it. I don't know if that can really happen, but it wouldn't surprise me.

The prospect of becoming like that scares me, and I certainly don't want to be an example for others that way. I feel very sorry for people who end up that way, even if it's their fault, in that they should have done something before they got that way.

There was a man who was being sent to another country from the United States (if I recall correctly), who weighed over 1,000 lbs. (might have been the guy you saw, Desirae), and Jay Leno, on The Tonight Show, made a joke out of a photo of this man. He showed the image (twice!), which had a computer in it next to the man, and said, "This is who you're really talking to when you're having computer sex!" or something to that effect. It really angered me.

[BooRadley]

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Maven said:
I I've seen morbidly obese and generally obese people on shows, fictional and non-fictional. Nip/Tuck had a show about a woman who was so obese (enabled, of course, by her loved ones), they had to cut her away from the couch on which she'd sat for several years, because her skin had joined into it. I don't know if that can really happen, but it wouldn't surprise me.
.

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Maven: a woman named Gayle Grinds died last year. She was morbidbly obese and was living with someone who severely neglected her. She became fused to the couch she'd lived on for 4 years. The rescuers had to take the couch and all to the ER, she could not be cut away. Needless to say, she died shortly after arriving at the hospital. It was a horrible story.

B

[desirae]

It's understandable that super morbidly obese people can be gross and unattractive.

Personally I believe that food addiction is what causes these people to become so large. Just like with drug addiction, alcoholism, and even sex addiction, there's the phases of denial and even a blindness to what's deteriorating around them. Sure we could easily say, "Hell if I saw my *** getting that large, I would notice". I don't think these people were aware of what was happening to them because of denial.

Also to compare food addiction to drug addiction, I think these people receive some sort of "high", a comfort that soothes them physically and emotionally, just like a baby with a binky I suppose.

I do feel as much pity for these supers, as I do for junkies and drunks. I know they're feeling some sort of pain and they suppress that by consuming themselves to death, it's even been compared to a slow suicide because most of these people do not want to live.

[January]

This thread, which contains a higly volitile topic, needs to stay supportive. Kindly do not personally attack someone because he/she stated his/her opinion or the thread will be locked.

January
Moderator

[(JD)]

Part of our problem, here in the USA, is that we overeat and undermove. Portion sizes of meals are way more than the average person needs.

[jbug]

This is my take on the issue. I am morbidly obese still. Last year I was on my way to being super morbidly obese. But as most of you know I had gastric bypass surgery. I know this isn't the cure all because I still battle with my food addiction and my eating disoder. I suffer from Compulsive Overeating. I am working on this but wow it still comes up to bite me in the butt. I know that now I can't eat much at one sitting but I find myself eating more often just not a lot. I know that this also is not helping my depression.

I think that there is a prepostion for this as much of my family is overweight and my mom wanted to have the surgery done but her insurance told her she was too old. My aunt wants to have the surgery done but her insurance has a rider in that doesn't cover gastric bypass so she is trying to find other ways to do it.

I am proud of myself for how far I've come last year I was 442. This year I'm 292. My waist was 67 inches and now its 52 and my hips were 65 and now they are 54.

Jbug

[radio_flyer]

WTGOOOOOOOO janiebug.. I am proud of you too.....

[nothemama8]

Jbug sooooooo proud of you, I too am obese, my problem is mostly scar tissue after my hysterectomy, I have asked many Dr if this fatty area can be removed and the cost is sooooo much, Janiebug if ya want to send me your old clothes I'll take um lol
Angie

[(JD)]

Yep (((buggie))) it's a tough battle you're winning! Actually, eating more often is probably helping your depression, as it maintains a steady insulin level. Eating more often (and small portions) is how we are made to live...grazing... it's quite healthful.

[Maven]

Boo, are you saying that episode of Nip/Tuck was based on real case? It was so sad!

jannie, that's great! Congratulations!

I'm not sure desirae meant to hurt anyone's feelings. I didn't really think her post was unsupportive. I know some people feel very fat people can be attractive, and there's nothing wrong with that, but not everyone does, and I think desirae was just being honest in how she feels. Sometimes it's better to keep an opinion to yourself to spare someone's feelings, but I really don't think she meant it in a mean way.

I know I qualify as obese, and I think I might qualify as morbidly obese. I don't know my exact weight, but I'm around 220 lbs. I don't think I'm attractive--although I don't think I'm the worst around; I think I have a nice face. I believe being very overweight isn't healthy, and being unhealthy isn't attractive. It's ok to disagree, but that's how I feel.

I will partially disagree with you, desirae, in that obese people aren't aware of what they're doing to their bodies. I know what I'm doing. I think a lot of people aren't fully aware of how bad they've gotten, perhaps because of an avoidance of mirrors and scales, or just that they happen to not see themselves in mirrors much. We don't have any full-body mirrors in our home, except for one that's put away, and I rarely see my whole body in a mirror. I can look down and see part of it, but you don't see the whole until you look in a mirror. I will go for months without seeing myself, and when I do, it's a shock.

But I'm fully aware that what I eat and how much I eat is killing me. I don't want to die, but the food does give me a high. I feel antsy and anxious when I don't at least have food I want available. I can resist eating the food with less anxiety if I have it available, rather than having no such foods easily accessible. But I usually give in, because it makes me feel good, for the moment.

Notthemama, forget the old clothes...wouldn't you rather have the new body?

[eskielover]

Jbug, I want to congratulate you on your awsome weight loss. What a great accomplishment for you to be very proud of. Taking care of yourself like that is wonderful.

Good post.....The possibility of there being a gene that allows the tendecy in a person to gain a huge amount of weight because they don't feel the full sensation could probably be real. There are many gene issues that are just now beginning to be learned about &amp; understanding is growing with studies.

I know from my experience, the concept of being over weight was something I looked at my Mother &amp; grandmother &amp; swore when I was young that I never wanted to look like that. They weren't that morbidly overweight either.....however in my mind, 160 at 5'2" was way too much overweight.

Growing up, I listened to what was being said &amp; there was talk about the fact that once they were married, they didn't have to worry about having a guy find them attractive. They didn't have time to be active anymore....no time for playing tennis. It was important to dust the house &amp; cook dinner. Cooking was the most important part of life. They had to cook breakfast, lunch, &amp; dinner to take care of their husbands. My dad grew up on a farm &amp; having the meat &amp; potatoe dinners with fresh baked pies &amp; deserts was what being a wife was all about. For some reason, I looked at them &amp; swore that I would never be like them.

From the time I was young, I swore that that would never happen to me. I know when I was in school, I could eat a whole batch of fresh baked brownies, a pound of M&amp;M's, or a whole bag of BBQ potatoe chips &amp; would end up loosing 5 pounds. For some reason, when I was stressed, no matter how much I ate, I would loose weight. I have no idea how that happened. Even when I was pregnant, I only gained 10 pounds with 8 pounds 2 onces being my daughter. I was still in college at the time &amp; stress was still controlling my weight along with the fear of having a c-section to deliver my daughter which I found out 1 month before her due date. Then when I started my career, I got involved in playing racquettball with the guys at lunch everyday. That also helped me keep my weight down.

After I went out of work on disability 12 years ago, it turned out that the psych meds I was given caused me to loose weight to a dangerously low point which was 20 pounds below my minimum safe weight. My low weight wasn't caught until I was continually passing out &amp; then my pdoc forced me to go to an ED treatment center. It didn't do any good &amp; I stayed at that weight for over a year, in &amp; out of the medical hospital every month for IV nutrition. While in the treatment center, they treated overweight &amp; underweight together. We were all forced to go to Overeaters Anon every week. It was interesting to listen to everyone there. The people who were overweight didn't remember much about how they got there. They remembered being that way always. Many had been abused. Some just loved food, &amp; most ate food for comfort. Then once they gained the weight, they were afraid to loose the weight because they did't want their skin hanging on them. That was the basics of what I remember from that experience.

I don't remember too much after that period of my life, but I do remember my migraines got really bad. I had some other horrible side effects to meds &amp; ended up laying in bed. I remember getting onto the scales once &amp; they read 175 pounds. That was right at the time when a med was found to help my migraines &amp; allowed me to get out of bed &amp; start riding my horse again. With the exercise, my weight started to fall off at a safe rate until just about 2 years ago. With me, stress acts just the opposite of what is does for others. Stress causes me to loose weight. I end up feeling nausea &amp; because I hate to get sick to my stomach, I don't eat. The experience I had catching the RN stealing my mothers ID &amp; dealing with the threats was when my stress became horrible &amp; again, my weight just started to fall off. If felt like I was going on adreneline. At the time my mother was dying, I was with her 24/7 &amp; was only able to catch 5 minutes of sleep every once in a while trying to keep her comfortable once we got her back into the hospital. My nausea was so bad that my weight loss became dangerously low &amp; ended up in the hospital for about 2 months with IV nutrition again just at the time my mother died. My weight has stabalized at a fairly safe place now, but it is continually fluctuating as it follows my stress level. When I lost all the weight this time from my higest weight I was at, my skin looks horrible. It had been stretched out &amp; then there was nothing to fill it out so it just hangs....my face, arms, &amp; stomach. I looked worse this time than the last time since my weight gain had stretched my skin out so much. I really don't remember my highest weight or even how got there or how long it took me to get there. I don't even remember how I looked. I only remember looking at the scale at the highest weight, swearing that I had to loose weight. Even though my weight wasn't morbidly obese, in my mind it was. I can understand the feelings &amp; the lack of understanding how we get there until we are there.....then we wonder how it happened. It doesn't make sense to not realize that the weight gain is far out of control when you can't get through a doorway &amp; I would think that there would be a knock in the head with a baseball bat at some point in the weight gain, but I know with me, I ignored the whole weight gain as much as I ignored my weight loss.

I had always heard that our bodies get a set point weight they get used to. From that point, they vary in the different directions depending on what we do. I had also heard that when loosing weight, it was important to slowly get down &amp; stay at a lower weight for a while to change the set point. Then from there, weight can again be slowly lost. I don't know how much truth there is in that concept either.

I watched a Dr Phil program a few weeks ago about a guy who was also about 1000 pounds who finally decided that he had to loose weight or he would die. It could have been the same guy that you are talking about. The mother had constantly fed him &amp; he had his friends bringing in food when ever he wanted it. It is rather sad that the person caring for him didn't care enough to stop doing the food thing long before him reaching the point where he couldn't get through the doorways.

I found that Dr Phil has an interesting weight loss method. He takes what is being eaten &amp; then tells the person that if they just cut out one item how much weight they can loose in a month &amp; how much it adds up to over a year. I know for me though, that even though I cut out something, there is quite a delay in the actual weight loss....I am sure I am not alone with that situation either. The one thing I have found in my experiences is that weight issues in either direction is dangerous &amp; also difficult to control without alot of determination. Right now with my low weight, eating has become a difficult thing. I can eat only so much &amp; then if I take just one more bite, I end up feeling extremely sick &amp; have to stop eating immediately. I don't know if this is going to be a constant battle the rest of my life or not.

Debbie

[jennie]

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desirae said:
It was a horrible sight. His wife who had been caring for him said that she had no idea he was that bad till she saw him on the news. What?!? She's the one that feeds him all day long because he's unable to move.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

When I saw this show, I was so angry at that wife for not helping her husband get the help he needed earlier.

I thought that wife was like the enabler spouse in an alcoholic relationship. The spouse enables the addict and the disease of alcoholism to progress, sometimes pouring the drinks.

After the show I asked my husband how could that wife allow him to get so big. My husband made a very valid point . . . he said that you get used to looking at your loved one as big, and you don't notice another 100 pounds have been gained because they've already stopped being as active as they were once a person reaches a certain point.

My hubby has morbid obese family members. My hubby and I are overweight. This is really a big issue for me. I have enough intimacy issues because of past sexual assaults.

TMI Warning: I'm not able to overlook weight and still desire sexual intimacy. My cutoff point is 170 lbs. . . . which me and my hubby have exceeded. My hubby still is attracted to obese me . . . ick!

I don't want to reject my hubby. If I'm not having a panic attack, I have trouble saying no to sex. I always want to say no because we are fat.

I'm sure morbid obesity is a disease.

How does a spouse help their spouse get the help he/she needs?

[desirae]

That's a good question, I definitely think it would be difficult because it would be hard to say "Hey honey you're getting huge, go get help" without hurting them. If I was the wife making the meals I personally would have cut all fats out and made him healthier meals and encouraged him to go on walks with me. But then again if he was to the point where he's unable to even get to the bathroom, I would definitely have to give him the reality......I'd say "get help, or you will die".

I was shocked when she said they had been married for years and never once had sex.....what?!?.......his body was so large that his sexual (you know) was hidden under access amounts of fat. I feel awful for them, I wonder how and why she stays with him, it must have something to do with her own insecurities.

I know for a fact there are over weight men and women who are hot. It's not neccesarily there bodies that make them hot but the way they represent themselves can be a turn on alone.

[blackdragon]

congrats on the weight loss..

[mlyn]

Walk a mile in the wifes shoes than comment on it.
Gene? It is so easy to go either way in eating disorder and be there before you can blink an eye. Getting out of it is the struggle that so many think it is just matter of will power and they/we should get over it now. That is easy looking from outside in.