How is this possible?!

Re: How is this possible?!

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:39:36 GMT

I think you just answerd your own question there loupy..... you had issues with weight and addressed it..... this guy obv never reached that stage, until now. We dont all get to the same stage, we all have our own limits, thats what makes us all unique, otherwise we would be as well living in stepford!!! and I have never heard of a crazy addiction...... addiction is addiction , no matter what it is you are addicted too. Food, Cigarettes, drugs etc.

Re: How is this possible?!

loopylou711 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:30:24 GMT

actually i have exprienced being obese, when my dad died when i was 10 i wnet forma healthy child weight to being 17 and 13 and half stone, manage to stay at a "normal" weight for the last yr or so now.

And maybe have not exprienced a high crazy addiction but thin i would wise up to the signs before it got out fo hand

anywayss!!

Re: How is this possible?!

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:03:41 GMT

[quote user="loopylou711"]

[quote user="sal the 1st"]

I hope you never find yourself in a similar situation

[/quote]

Am not some silly lil girl who think she knows everything, I have seen addictions 1st hand!

My mum battled with food for years and still does instead of being a size 20 shes down to a size 8 and now instead of eating everything she scared to touch food incase of putting weight on!

I watched my dad smoke himself to death lying to himself every day that today was the last day.

and then I watched my mums husband drink himself into a state for a year then tell me that his addiction was my fault and then watched as my mum chose her husband over me,so his addiction cos me my family.

I think people with addiction can be very selfish!

It's not that I think people with addictions are all the same and don't need help. I agree they do need help and I agree money should be spent helping them before the problem escalates (sp) to a story like this man. But well why does the NHS have to deal with the burden of the effects of obesity, smoking, alcoholism ....there all self made problems! I am glad the nhs is free but sometime you gota wonder if it does more harm than good!

Anyways like i say jst my opinion what the hell do i know eh?

[/quote]

I think what you have to remember loupylou, is yes you have seen it first hand.... but you have not experienced it.... it is not that same hun!!!! by any stretch of the imagination. It is one thing empathising etc but is a whole new world actually experiencing it. Now before you go off on one.... think for a minute... what you have been thorough, now this is monumental to you, and is no slight on you... but others on here may well have been through the same or similar.... or a helluva lot worse, and they may be a lot older and wiser.... so dont necessarily feel the need to use that as an excuse to say "they know" if you get my drift!

Re: How is this possible?!

loopylou711 — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:54:39 GMT

[quote user="sal the 1st"]

I hope you never find yourself in a similar situation

[/quote]

Am not some silly lil girl who think she knows everything, I have seen addictions 1st hand!

My mum battled with food for years and still does instead of being a size 20 shes down to a size 8 and now instead of eating everything she scared to touch food incase of putting weight on!

I watched my dad smoke himself to death lying to himself every day that today was the last day.

I think people with addiction can be very selfish!

Anyways like i say jst my opinion what the hell do i know eh?

Re: How is this possible?!

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:48:49 GMT

[quote user="loopylou711"]

I understand its an "addiction" but what i can never get is that fact the health warnings are there so why don't people sit the hell up and take notice? Like no am not going to smoke that cigarette while i eat that big beef burger because i don't want heart disease or cancer!

Am sorry I have such strong opinions on this, but when i think of smoking and that as an addiction, i think of my dad and the 10 years so far that he has missed because of his addiction to cigarettes and him always saying "i will give up tommorow", I always think how selfish he was to smoke when the warnings were there!

But its the same with ever addiction always an excuse and then when it has gone too far thats when they will seek help! or turn to something else!

Sorry jst my opinion!!

p.s not saying am not an addict ... i love chocolate and have gone cold turkey for 5 weeks now!!

[/quote]

I rest my case!!

Re: How is this possible?!

Sal the 1st — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:42:42 GMT

[quote user="loopylou711"]

But its the same with ever addiction always an excuse and then when it has gone too far thats when they will seek help! or turn to something else!

Sorry jst my opinion!!

p.s not saying am not an addict ... i love chocolate and have gone cold turkey for 5 weeks now!!

[/quote]

I hope you never find yourself in a similar situation

Re: How is this possible?!

Vicky RVN — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:29:56 GMT

True, people can't be helped until they're ready to be helped. Maybe something should be done to help people realise they're addicted and so therefore encourage them to ask for help sooner? I don't know though, i've not felt the addiction myself. The only thing i could see myself getting addicted to is food, i love it! I could easily spend all day eating. The thing that stops me getting obese (am a 12/14) is that i don't like my size now, so would be utterly miserable if i were obese.

Re: How is this possible?!

loopylou711 — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:27:40 GMT

But its the same with ever addiction always an excuse and then when it has gone too far thats when they will seek help! or turn to something else!

Sorry jst my opinion!!

p.s not saying am not an addict ... i love chocolate and have gone cold turkey for 5 weeks now!!

Re: How is this possible?!

Fiona Leathers — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:26:51 GMT

I struggle with my weight but I also manage to hold down a job and pay taxes, so therefore if I need treatment on the NHS for whatever reason, I am entitled to it whatever my weight is.

Having discussed my weight with the doctor, I have been told I am not fat enough to qualify for a gastric band or bypass, therefore stupid rules stop people getting help before it becomes a real problem, like the 70 stone man!

Re: How is this possible?!

Sal the 1st — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:23:58 GMT

I have battled with my weight for years - anything between 5st 11 - 16st. I know I have a problem. I know what triggers it - dealing with it? well if I had the answer to that it wouldnt be a problem would it?

Re: How is this possible?!

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:17:33 GMT

[quote user="Vicky SVN"]

With ANY addiction (be it cigs, drugs, alcohol, food) the money needs to be spent catching the problem early, to stop people finding it so difficult when their addiction and habits have been going on for longer. That doesn't mean to say that if they're badly addicted, as the man this is about, shouldn't be treated, just that money should have been spent to help him MUCH earlier so that his body would have less irreversible damage. The same goes for smoking, drinking and drug taking, they should be helped at any stage, but the sooner the better, surely? That's what i think anyway.

[/quote]

I agree Vicky, but the people have to come forward to be helped and ask for it first..... until then there is nothing anyone can do.dont get me worng i know I have an addiction, but I am not ready to stop yet.... although I have done so 3 times, and the longest was a yr... I know I have an addiction though... some people dont yet.... and obese people a lot of the time dont know it ... my friend never saw her food consumption as an addiction until I pointed out that what she was saying was so like, a smoker..... that made her think in a different light

Re: How is this possible?!

Sal the 1st — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:16:27 GMT

I know you werent Loopylou - and I didnt want to single out a single poster - its a widely held opinion and not just on here so no offence taken just wanted to even things up a bit. This gentleman has actually been receiving treatment for years (his weight is now 53st - not the 70st that some sites are reporting )

I do a lot of voluntary work with addicts of various persuasions I suppose ?thats why I get a bit defensive. You are right sometimes it is hard for a person to admit they have a problem and until that happens they come in under the radar. Its really destructive for some of these people when they start out on a recovery programme to read comments about them being a waste of money. You can spend ages helping to build up somebody's self esteem so they value themselves enough to want to do something about their problem and then it is flattened by them reading just one comment or article and you are back to square one.I can only help support an addict - I cant do the hard work for them, that is down to them

Re: How is this possible?!

Vicky RVN — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:12:35 GMT

Re: How is this possible?!

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:08:05 GMT

[quote user="sal the 1st"]

[quote user="STRVN"]

Ok, I am going to play devils advocate again on this one......... I am a smoker, and had the unfortunate parents evening on drugs and drug taking to spend my time with an obese parent.... who also happened to be a teacher at the school... and all she did was slag off smokers, saying how they cost the NHS sooo much money and how they were bleeding them dry etc etc....., now I happen to work with someone who has fought obesity for years and has actually won... but talking to her one day I found that she was addicted to food, just like I was addicted to cigarettes.... the way she spoke about food etc and how it basically ruled her life.... I was actually shocked!!!. What I took form that parents night though was I will never have an overweight person slag me off or berate me for my addiction........... because they are in the same boat.. but their addiction is food. I did say to her that she had a cheek slagging off smokers when she probably would cost the NHS just as much to treat her diabetes, heart condition and arthritis in later life.... that soon made her think !!

[/quote]

I agree with you - that was the point I was trying to make - morbid obesity is nearly always (but not always) down to an addiction to food, but if people turn round and say that money spent on morbid obesity could be better spent then how do you decide if treating another addiction is money better spent?

[/quote]

Agree Sal, I was always of the belief that obesity was basically stuffing your face for the hell of it.... until I spke to a friend at work, and I actually understood it better. I think If I was not a smoker though I would still be inclined to think they were basically stuffing their face for the hell of it.... like non smokers think I smoke ..... for the hell of it.

Some peeps overweight though just eat the wrong things.... my sis is overweight, but cant admit that her diet is actually crap!!! she thinks that because she does not eat a lot... but what she actually consumes she shoul;d not be fat.... she starves herself then pigs out on carbs!!! and sugar rushes... I am not diet guru, but I can see when a diet is all wrong!! especially in my sisters case.

Re: How is this possible?!

loopylou711 — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:57:42 GMT

[quote user="sal the 1st"] how do you decide if treating another addiction is money better spent?[/quote]

A question which could be debated over and over again!

I wasn't haivng a go at obese people really, I just wonder how a man can allow himself or why nobody else thought that he needed help. But I guess the 1st step to solving a problem is admitting you have one! But what do i know!!

Re: How is this possible?!

Sal the 1st — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:52:26 GMT

[quote user="STRVN"]

[/quote]

Re: How is this possible?!

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:37:10 GMT

Re: How is this possible?!

loopylou711 — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:32:01 GMT

[quote user="sal the 1st"]

[quote user="loopylou711"]

Makes me mad though, now am not a hater of fat people and i get that its an addiction but think of the cost it takes to put him in hospital, the staff needed and the operation, should have got him help when he started weighing more than 40 stone! That money could be used for more important things!

[/quote]

when anybody makes comments like this it makes me mad - using these criteria, ie money could have been used for more important things where exactly do you draw the line.

drug addicts - waste of money to treat them? Does that apply to people who have become addicted through no fault of their own because the GP has just carried on signing the scripts with no adequate patient review.

Smokers with serious smoking related illness - waste of money to treat them? They have done it to themselves after all (but also take into account that the govt of this country helped support the tabacco industry in the past and ironically the VAT on the fags that has caused the disease has helped fund the people who they now need treatment from

Drink related illness - waste of money to treat? people have the choice to drink or not to drink.

Anorexics - waste of money to treat? they are doing it to themselves after all, and if they want to starve themselves to death why not let them

Sorry not picking on you Loopylou - there are lots of people who think this way.

[/quote]

No offense taken sal, I think we should help people to a point and am not saying turn away once that points crossed but its about education really, people should be shown where there going wrong and given help. Why a man was left to get to 70 stone before any help was given is jst baffling!!

If people saw the cost of things then maybe they would think twice of getting into that state!!

Sorry but when you think the nhs is made of taxes, its ur taxes thats paying for this guys treatment! Don't even get me started on people who don't work out of choice grr!

Re: How is this possible?!

Vicky RVN — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:26:52 GMT

More money should be spend trying to discourage/help people before they get this bad, rather than trying to fix them when they're broken. It would be easier for the people i would have thought to be helped earlier, and so much better for their health. It makes me so sad to see obese young children It's the parents doing, they only eat what the parents feed them, what chance do they stand if they're obese at such a young age?

Re: How is this possible?!

Sal the 1st — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:23:01 GMT

[quote user="loopylou711"]

[/quote]

when anybody makes comments like this it makes me mad - using these criteria, ie money could have been used for more important things where exactly do you draw the line.

Drink related illness - waste of money to treat? people have the choice to drink or not to drink.

Anorexics - waste of money to treat? they are doing it to themselves after all, and if they want to starve themselves to death why not let them

Sorry not picking on you Loopylou - there are lots of people who think this way.

Re: How is this possible?!

Vicky RVN — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:02:05 GMT

I staying away from the choc...but it's calling me from it's high place...

Re: How is this possible?!

Kerry Spain — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:59:06 GMT

lol just eaten 6 huge pancakes smothered in golden syrup and lemon

Re: How is this possible?!

loopylou711 — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:56:59 GMT

i was going for some starburst but er think am goin to hit the grapes and apple instead!

Re: How is this possible?!

Vicky RVN — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:54:15 GMT

I was about to eat some choc when i was reading this...instead have eaten some grapes!

Re: How is this possible?!

Claire Cameron — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:53:31 GMT

Yeah I could rant about this for hours. arrrgh lol