RE: obesity is a choice?

[Guest guest]

Lyn G wrote:

> ** There's a big difference between you and me right there. It is not any

> harder for me to eat as much as I ever could. I eat it slower, but I can

> still eat it. It is not impossible for me to eat a Whopper, large fries and

> a slice of pie. For a while, I was eating foot-long Subways 3 or 4 times a

> week. I can't eat as fast, but I can eat as much. If I choose to. And

> sometimes I lose all control and choose to.

>

I can eat a foot long Subway. Have done so a few times.

But it takes an hour or more, and I feel at least a bit

uncomfortable afterward. Not sick, more like after a huge

Thankgsiving feast pre-surgery. But before surgery I

could've eaten it in 10 minutes, added fries or chips and a

huge coke, and followed with a pint of Ben & Jerry's

afterwards. So I still have to say the surgery made a big

difference.

But that's getting away from the point. If one person can

eat more, and desires to eat more, and has a body screaming

for all the stuff we shouldn't eat, does that mean the

person who is happily sated with less food and doesn't crave

the " bad " stuff is making wiser choices? I don't think so.

She is just luckier.

> Yes, the surgery gave me the possibility to lose, and I chose to have the

> surgery. Whether or not it is ultimately successful is entirely up to me,

> barring mechanical failure of the surgery itself.

I still disagree for the most part. Yes, everyone has

choices to make, and the best you can do to maximize your

own personal results is to change your eating habits as best

you can, but much of your ultimate success will be due to

factors beyond your control. Even two individuals who have

the same surgery and follow the exact same program to

perfection will rarely (if ever) achieve identical results.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't do the best with what you

have, but it does mean that results do not equal effort.

One person may lose weight and maintain the loss with no

effort, while someone else may be putting in enormous effort

and not achieving nearly as much visible success.

So saying that that person " chooses to be obese " is not only

unkind, it is incorrect. And that is where I got into this

discussion, with a statement that obesity was a choice and

several posts making judgments about obese people, either in

general or particular individuals. It particularly makes me

sad to see so many people who have been trapped in morbid

obesity are so ready to make that judgment about " blame " ,

even if they are equally willing (as many are) to blame

themselves as well.

Jeri

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jlw@...