Is obesity a disability?
- Thread starter Nancy_Winks
- Start date
The auto assumption that anyone with problems is taking the piss amuses me given that we live in a society where those who are actually taking the piss are revered.
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
This part should have fuck all to do with anything.
Care and compassion should be extended to everyone. A hierarchy of worthiness of disability is a tory and a cunt's game.
Nancy_Winks
Well-Known Member
Sorry mate here you go http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27809242
Nancy_Winks
Well-Known Member
It's not just mobility though.
It would include seating, and provide more leaverage if someone felt they had not been employed or had been sacked cos they were obese ie discrimination.
I know BMI is crude. I don't know a better way to classify people as morbidly obese mind you.
bubblesmcgrath
Well-Known Member
Certain meds can lead to significant weight gain. Steroids for example
Take them long term at mid to high doses and it is very difficult to keep to normal weight.
Well it's definitely an illness. Can it lead to mobility issues?
Anorexia and Food addiction are kind of two symptoms of the same thing. I might get shot down for that. But one is the desire to over eat / self medicate with food and the other is to obsessively control it. They're centred around the same feelings though. I'm happy to be corrected on that if anyone thinks i'm talking shit though/
It's not a valid comparison. Anorexia nervosa is a specific, and serious mental health condition. People get fat for a variety of reasons - only some will be the result of mental health issues.
The pill aswell iirc.
Nancy_Winks
Well-Known Member
I have a bit of a problem with the kind of 'all shit things are equal' way of looking at the world. But that's probably for another thread. There are clearly degrees of disability and impairment. But that doesn't mean those with a lesser disability shouldn't be treated with compassion.
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
But we're not talking about that. We're talking about whether someone with a 'real' disability like blindness should be/can be/has the right to be offended by something like obesity being called a disability.
The answer to that is no, they shouldn't/don't.
Edit: any anger should be directed at lack of funding/provision for disability across the board, not turned inwards towards other people who also suffer.
Nancy_Winks
Well-Known Member
Yep fair point.
A guy trying to get a job in my department was overlooked for being overweight. Despite being interviewed by managerial chubsters. They hired some useless but slim Walter Mitty type instead.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
Welllllll... Ok, right. "Food addiction" is clinically covered by two main psychological areas: Binge Eating Disorder (which is, as of not many years ago, an official eating disorder in its own right, alongside anorexia nervosa and Bulemia), and "compulsive Overeating" which is categorised as "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified", iirc.
Both BED and Compulsive Overeating are similar in many ways to addiction, and also to OCD, and to self harming.
And that's not far removed on the psychological family tree to anorexia / Bulemia, in that, as you say, there's an element of creating a locus of control, and the compulsiveness - sometimes even to the point of endangering health and life - is, of course, pretty much the defining factor of most kinds of disordered eating.
But there's a huge, huge difference between anorexia nervosa sufferers - the people they are most likely to be, their contexts, the way they present, other elements of their personalities (anorexics are often perfectionists, whereas BED patients can be more chaotic/careless/lazy etc) - and other ED sufferers. And root feelings can be very different (eg, body dysmorphia is fairly unusual in BED sufferers).
Not that any of this makes a difference to the point of the op. But it's interesting.
Welllllllll, again - yes and no.
Firstly, it's also true that ppl can be well below the healthy weight range for a whole variety of reasons, including medical but also deliberate dieting, without having anorexia.
But also, data re: binge eating disorder (also specific, and potentially fatal, just like anorexia) is relatively scant. It's certainly by far the most common ED, but it's inclusion in the most recent volume of diagnostic criteria for psychiatric illness was met with quite a lot if contention, including from doctors.
The reason being that Binge Eating Disorder is, essentially, enormously common. Fairly pronounced levels of compulsive "comfort eating" or "greediness" over an extended period are fairly normal behaviours in obese patients. And quite possibly that's even the majority of them. No one knows.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
The only thing that causes weight gain is a calorific intake that is in excess of calorific output.
Some medications, by interference with metabolism, can create a propensity to gain weight, but do not in themselves increase weight by more than their own weight.
Edited to add:
Some drugs can increase weight by engendering fluid retention, but that is not true weight gain, and can be controlled by diuretics.
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
Pre employment, all kinds of discrimination is acceptable (in law). Unless it's racial, sexual, or disability based, they can do whatever they want (in law). Even if it becomes accepted as a disability, proving it is another matter.
Nancy_Winks
Well-Known Member
No offence but that's a bloody daft thing to say.
Thanks for the reply, it's an interesting topic that I'd like to understand more.
The angle I'm coming from, but I'd like to point out that I was just on the periphery of this so have no solid grasp of it, is that some of the people in rehab started off as over-eaters / food addiction to deal with their feelings. This then led to self-esteem and self-image problems so they started to control food obsessively and became anorexic. Or on that spectrum. But they now had no way of controlling the feelings that over eating used to deal with. So they became heroin addicts. Heroin would both deal with their self-medication issues AND reduce their desire for food. So a win win. Well, win apart from the smack problem. Booze would never be an option as that has calories in it.
When I was in residential rehab they recognised eating disorders whether eating too much or too little as completely connected to drug addiction and had measures in place for as soon as the smack/coke whatever is taken away the food issue comes back to the fore again.
kittyP
Pluviophile
I meds I'm on both lower my metabolism and increase appetite.
Plus there also being the psychological problems themselves leading to comfort eating and not moving much.
But sometimes I stop taking or lower my antipsychotic does for a while (due to sleep) and find I lose weight even if I'm still stuffing my face.
That was my point (even if it was badly put).
As a life-long morbidly obese overeater, I'm very familiar with this. Also I'm a diabetic, and I'm currently considering bariatric surgery.
Nancy_Winks
Well-Known Member
Can I ask some questions about binge eating (to anyone who wants to answer?). If they're too intrusive don't answer I don't want to be rude.
Is eating triggered by negative emotions (like anger, fear, loneliness, self hatred)?
How does eating make you feel?
Does eating lessen the emotion (in the same way say fags or gear does)?
Do you feel full but eat more even if it hurts or you feel sick (like self punishment?)
I'm just being really fucking nosey. And I know that every person will have a different answer to those questions. Just... curious.
Is eating triggered by negative emotions (like anger, fear, loneliness, self hatred)?
How does eating make you feel?
Does eating lessen the emotion (in the same way say fags or gear does)?
Do you feel full but eat more even if it hurts or you feel sick (like self punishment?)
I'm just being really fucking nosey. And I know that every person will have a different answer to those questions. Just... curious.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
Well I really strugle with food. Sometimes I can go three days and wake up weak as a kitten and have to choke down two weetabix. Also I like drink more than my body does
So I can totally see how compulsive eating leading to obesity is a thing. Full belly makes you feel happy right? you lean back, issue a fart and sigh before dozing off.
Once the compulsion to eat for comfort enfattens you so much you can hardly walk and have to sidle sideways through doorways, well thats the effect of an addiction. To food. Heroin will kill you quicker. Not like its a competition, but it will. The lifestyle ennit. Nobody has to deal with proper scum to get a burger do they.
So I can totally see how compulsive eating leading to obesity is a thing. Full belly makes you feel happy right? you lean back, issue a fart and sigh before dozing off.
Once the compulsion to eat for comfort enfattens you so much you can hardly walk and have to sidle sideways through doorways, well thats the effect of an addiction. To food. Heroin will kill you quicker. Not like its a competition, but it will. The lifestyle ennit. Nobody has to deal with proper scum to get a burger do they.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
Really? Have you a grasp of basic physics? Are you suggesting that something can be made out of nothing?
Back in the day, way back, the majority of seriously ill psychiatric patients were overweight, because the drugs were given in a sugar-syrup base, so they were ingesting 50g of sugar four times a day. That problem was solved by re-formulation of the products.
Obesity is a huge elephant in the room.
From: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Obesity is a term used to describe somebody who is very overweight, with a lot of body fat.
It's a common problem, estimated to affect around one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged 10 to 11 in the UK.
Defining obesity
There are many ways in which a person's health in relation to their weight can be classified, but the most widely used method is body mass index (BMI).
BMI is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height. You can use the BMI healthy weight calculator to work out your score.
For most adults:
- a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means you are considered overweight
- a BMI of 30 to 39.9 means you are considered obese
- a BMI of 40 or above means you are considered severely obese
Obesity is a huge time bomb. The NHS is struggling a bit at the minute, if no active steps are taken to try and curb the tendency for people to get heavier, this will be viewed as an idyllic time, when you 'only' had to wait for fours at A&E, or twenty weeks for your operation.
The situation has not been helped by serial governments, either actively encouraging the sale of playing fields, or failing in their election pledge to protect them. No playing fields, no big team games.
Of course, overeating is a feature of some psychological disorders; I don't believe that 25% of the population suffer from a psychological disorder.
I have a theory, probably totally and utterly bonkers, that the population gaining weight is a primordial thing, from far back in our development. There are a lot of unhappy people just now, looking on a bleak present, looking forward to a stark future. I think that this could have an effect. A bit like always having some tins in the cupboard. As I said, bonkers.
It can be. Sometimes it's just to stop feeling empty (and I don't mean my stomach)
Full (not trying to be facetious), or just to feel something. Then guilt, self loathing etc.
There is some enjoyment from eating, and though it does affect the brain, it's nothing like the intensity of recreational drugs.
Sometimes. Usually I stop before I get to feel sick.
You are correct, and I can only speak for my own experience.
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
It might be correct, but it is entirely irrelevant. It says absolutely nothing about the reasons why people become obese.
Blagsta
Minimum cage, maximum cage
Really? Have you a grasp of basic physics? Are you suggesting that something can be made out of nothing?
Back in the day, way back, the majority of seriously ill psychiatric patients were overweight, because the drugs were given in a sugar-syrup base, so they were ingesting 50g of sugar four times a day. That problem was solved by re-formulation of the products.
Obesity is a huge elephant in the room.
From: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Obesity is a term used to describe somebody who is very overweight, with a lot of body fat.
It's a common problem, estimated to affect around one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged 10 to 11 in the UK.
Defining obesity
There are many ways in which a person's health in relation to their weight can be classified, but the most widely used method is body mass index (BMI).
BMI is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height. You can use the BMI healthy weight calculator to work out your score.
For most adults:
- a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means you are considered overweight
- a BMI of 30 to 39.9 means you are considered obese
- a BMI of 40 or above means you are considered severely obese
Obesity is a huge time bomb. The NHS is struggling a bit at the minute, if no active steps are taken to try and curb the tendency for people to get heavier, this will be viewed as an idyllic time, when you 'only' had to wait for fours at A&E, or twenty weeks for your operation.
The situation has not been helped by serial governments, either actively encouraging the sale of playing fields, or failing in their election pledge to protect them. No playing fields, no big team games.
Of course, overeating is a feature of some psychological disorders; I don't believe that 25% of the population suffer from a psychological disorder.
I have a theory, probably totally and utterly bonkers, that the population gaining weight is a primordial thing, from far back in our development. There are a lot of unhappy people just now, looking on a bleak present, looking forward to a stark future. I think that this could have an effect. A bit like always having some tins in the cupboard. As I said, bonkers.
So why are the majority of psychiatric patients still overweight?
kittyP
Pluviophile
Technically the vast majority of what your saying is correct.Really? Have you a grasp of basic physics? Are you suggesting that something can be made out of nothing?
Back in the day, way back, the majority of seriously ill psychiatric patients were overweight, because the drugs were given in a sugar-syrup base, so they were ingesting 50g of sugar four times a day. That problem was solved by re-formulation of the products.
Obesity is a huge elephant in the room.
From: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Obesity is a term used to describe somebody who is very overweight, with a lot of body fat.
It's a common problem, estimated to affect around one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged 10 to 11 in the UK.
Defining obesity
There are many ways in which a person's health in relation to their weight can be classified, but the most widely used method is body mass index (BMI).
BMI is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height. You can use the BMI healthy weight calculator to work out your score.
For most adults:
- a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means you are considered overweight
- a BMI of 30 to 39.9 means you are considered obese
- a BMI of 40 or above means you are considered severely obese
Obesity is a huge time bomb. The NHS is struggling a bit at the minute, if no active steps are taken to try and curb the tendency for people to get heavier, this will be viewed as an idyllic time, when you 'only' had to wait for fours at A&E, or twenty weeks for your operation.
The situation has not been helped by serial governments, either actively encouraging the sale of playing fields, or failing in their election pledge to protect them. No playing fields, no big team games.
Of course, overeating is a feature of some psychological disorders; I don't believe that 25% of the population suffer from a psychological disorder.
I have a theory, probably totally and utterly bonkers, that the population gaining weight is a primordial thing, from far back in our development. There are a lot of unhappy people just now, looking on a bleak present, looking forward to a stark future. I think that this could have an effect. A bit like always having some tins in the cupboard. As I said, bonkers.
Energy in - energy out
But to simplify to just and only that I think helps no one.
I'm not saying ignore that side of it but it far more complicated and many faceted than that.
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