Weight Related Discrimination

[DBR]

When I speak to tech support and would prefer to deal with someone that's not struggling with their English, what am I?

A prick. But then so am I, and is every other person with a f'd up doohickey.

 

[StarTrek1701]

Weight related discrimination is something we have to deal with till the end of time I'd think. Back when I was a teenager I was fat. Fat as in FAT. Like Nutty Professor fat, but real. Like my belly was literally hanging 6 inches away from my hips fat. My neck and shoulder was together and my clothes size was .. well.. embarrassing. I looked like a potato. Was it my fault? Yes. I was eating junk food to the point of regurgitating it. My parents did everything they could but I would sneak away and eat.

All changed on my 18th birthday when I met my wife. She was my childhood friend but her family moved away 6 years before and then returned. She was beautiful when she was younger, but now she was literally a bombshell when she returned. Well, as bombshelly as a girl can be at 17. After nearly a year of hanging out together I asked her out. I still tease her as to what she saw in me when she had the most handsome guys lined up wanting to date her. I got death threats and bodily harming threats from other guys for just dating her!

None of that bothered me till I went for a walk with her one evening and just after a few minutes I was out of breath. Flushed, my legs hurting and my chest beating rapidly, I had to sit down to calm myself. Thats when I decided that enough was enough. Got an appointment with a doctor then a nutritionist. Threw out whatever junk food I had and didn't eat any donut or drink any sugary soda for 6 months straight, just strictly followed the diet plan that the nutritionist gave me. Whaddaya know? I start to lose weight, slow at first, but after about 20 pounds of shedding weight, I start to jog and walk long distances. My now wife was nothing but moral and emotional support during this time. My old clothes start to feel too loose so I buy new clothes. Another 6 months later I have to buy another set of clothes!

At 6'2" I was a 375 lbs behemoth. 16 months later I was 270. Still a lot to go, so I joined a gym. Studying for college and then attending gym was an anguish at best. But thanks to my wife not only did she push me the furthest I could go, but made me realize what my true limits actually were. A year at the gym and I literally could see my face thinning, to the point of my jawline actually returning to a sharpened state, I felt better, faster, leaner, stronger. Comparing the pictures from when I started college to the ones of my graduation, you would not think those two are the same people. But yes, I made it!

Been following the good health diet for nearly 7 years now. My weight nowadays fluctuate between 235 lbs to 245 lbs, but thankfully I have a flat belly (no, no abs, its too much work to even get one pack! ), shapely thighs, nice strong arms and lots of energy. Nowadays when fat people scream and flail how hard it is to lose weight, on how society discriminates against them, specially if they in their 20's I cannot help but shake my head at their statements. If you follow a good diet plan and exercise moderately, you can lose that paunch and actually have better health.

Just my $0.02.

 

[Amaris]

^I agree. I also think that there should be better education and supports for those out there who want to live healthier, but who haven't the education, the means, or the time to do so as easily as many of us can.

Agreed. Something unified, preferably. I mean, you can look all over the internet and find solutions but which do you choose? Does it work? How authoritative is the work? For example, how can I eat healthy (as someone with diabetes and high blood pressure) yet eat on a tight budget? There's scores of "what to eat if you're diabetic" websites, but the food's expensive and the methods time consuming. Better solutions would help me attain my goal, but I need the right instruction.


J.

Exactly. And clearly you are a person of intelligence and education. If you find the process difficult, imagine how it must be for some one who isn't well-educated, or perhaps speaks little English, or perhaps works two jobs to keep her kids fed. She may be bright and resourceful, but no matter her gumption she's going to have a tough time of it.

People may not believe it, but after working in public schools for nearly 8 years, I think that over the last 20 years, they have become one of the biggest factors in the rise of obesity in the country. Ask yourself why America has public schools. I'm not talking about the cynical aspects, or the controversy over how the system was developed, I'm talking about the philosophy, the idealism: we have public schools because one of the founding tenets of our society is that all men are created equal. Yet we know that not all men are given equal opportunity. The public schools are there to level the playing field, and to help improve the quality, the prosperity, and the integrity of our nation and its people by giving all its children a chance to succeed.
Of course the schools should not replace the parents, but they do have a responsibility to the whole child. Yet schools are horribly guilty of teaching children unhealthy habits. The schools I work with all provide breakfast or lunch, but the drivel they serve (a horrifying display of reheated, re-hydrated, monochromatic sludge with a side of fries), is barely better than the pathetic "lunches" I've seen parents send with their kids -- I had a student last year who brought a Gatoraid and 9 Oreo cookies to school for lunch. He was 7.
I was disturbed when I found our the children would have gym only once a week; I have students this year who don't get gym at all. Their exercise is limited to 20 minutes a day on an empty, paved lot. Add to that the deals schools make with junk food companies like Coke and Pepsi to fill their halls with soda and candy vending machines in exchange for supplies (like computers and televisions) that ought to be the responsibility of the government, and one cannot argue against the fact that we are actively teaching our children to be fat and lazy -- both directly by the garbage we're feeding them and the exercise we're denying them, and also on a more subtle, more disturbing level, by the examples we're giving them on how to cut-corners, how to find easy outs, and how to lay blame and responsibility on others instead of doing for ourselves.

That's just one facet in the tip of the iceberg of social problems that are contributing to the increase in obesity in our country. I'd like to see one person who, acknowledging these different contributors, can continue to say that the reason for people's overweight is as simple as too much food, too little exercise. It is painfully clear to me that for every fat individual, there may be a host of contributing factors at play.

People can overcome these factors, but don't expect it to be an easy ride for everyone. Here's a thought for those with disparaging attitudes toward the overweight: if obese people offend you so much, why not do something about it? Help the children who are being set on a path of fatness and laziness by their society. Coach Little League. Volunteer to teach a healthy eating course at your local community center. Lobby for better meals and health education, and well-equipped gyms and playgrounds for your public schools. Like it or not, society is in your hands -- a democracy.

You consider me an intelligent and educated person? Thank you.

I agree with you in regards to schools. They send kids mixed signals. Health class says "eat right, exercise to be healthy", and the cafeteria says "hey kid, have another Coke and a Mars bar." I have nothing but respect for teachers, it's a thankless job for little pay and you're bombarded by stubborn children and even more stubborn parents who refuse to accept that their son or daughter is doing poorly and think it's your fault. That being said, teachers aren't given enough tools to get the job done, and I believe one aspect of that is nutritional education.

Weight related discrimination is something we have to deal with till the end of time I'd think. Back when I was a teenager I was fat. Fat as in FAT. Like Nutty Professor fat, but real. Like my belly was literally hanging 6 inches away from my hips fat. My neck and shoulder was together and my clothes size was .. well.. embarrassing. I looked like a potato. Was it my fault? Yes. I was eating junk food to the point of regurgitating it. My parents did everything they could but I would sneak away and eat.

All changed on my 18th birthday when I met my wife. She was my childhood friend but her family moved away 6 years before and then returned. She was beautiful when she was younger, but now she was literally a bombshell when she returned. Well, as bombshelly as a girl can be at 17. After nearly a year of hanging out together I asked her out. I still tease her as to what she saw in me when she had the most handsome guys lined up wanting to date her. I got death threats and bodily harming threats from other guys for just dating her!

None of that bothered me till I went for a walk with her one evening and just after a few minutes I was out of breath. Flushed, my legs hurting and my chest beating rapidly, I had to sit down to calm myself. Thats when I decided that enough was enough. Got an appointment with a doctor then a nutritionist. Threw out whatever junk food I had and didn't eat any donut or drink any sugary soda for 6 months straight, just strictly followed the diet plan that the nutritionist gave me. Whaddaya know? I start to lose weight, slow at first, but after about 20 pounds of shedding weight, I start to jog and walk long distances. My now wife was nothing but moral and emotional support during this time. My old clothes start to feel too loose so I buy new clothes. Another 6 months later I have to buy another set of clothes!

At 6'2" I was a 375 lbs behemoth. 16 months later I was 270. Still a lot to go, so I joined a gym. Studying for college and then attending gym was an anguish at best. But thanks to my wife not only did she push me the furthest I could go, but made me realize what my true limits actually were. A year at the gym and I literally could see my face thinning, to the point of my jawline actually returning to a sharpened state, I felt better, faster, leaner, stronger. Comparing the pictures from when I started college to the ones of my graduation, you would not think those two are the same people. But yes, I made it!

Been following the good health diet for nearly 7 years now. My weight nowadays fluctuate between 235 lbs to 245 lbs, but thankfully I have a flat belly (no, no abs, its too much work to even get one pack! ), shapely thighs, nice strong arms and lots of energy. Nowadays when fat people scream and flail how hard it is to lose weight, on how society discriminates against them, specially if they in their 20's I cannot help but shake my head at their statements. If you follow a good diet plan and exercise moderately, you can lose that paunch and actually have better health.

Just my $0.02.

Sounds like a terrific plan. If I may ask, what advice did you get from your nutritionist? My doctor's a good man, but when I ask him, all I get is "eat fewer calories, and eat foods like peas and corn in moderation." Well, that's good, but where do I start? What do I buy, and most importantly, can I do it on a tight budget? He doesn't have any concrete answers for these questions, and as someone who is unemployed and with no medical insurance, nutritionists are not an option. Any advice would be helpful, because I'm on high blood pressure medications, and take a oral med for diabetes, so you could say I'm not in good shape as it is and I despise it. I want to be healthy again, but no one I've talked to in the professional health field has had any solid answers for me.

J.

 

[Deckerd]

Sounds like a terrific plan. If I may ask, what advice did you get from your nutritionist? My doctor's a good man, but when I ask him, all I get is "eat fewer calories, and eat foods like peas and corn in moderation." Well, that's good, but where do I start? What do I buy, and most importantly, can I do it on a tight budget? He doesn't have any concrete answers for these questions, and as someone who is unemployed and with no medical insurance, nutritionists are not an option. Any advice would be helpful, because I'm on high blood pressure medications, and take a oral med for diabetes, so you could say I'm not in good shape as it is and I despise it. I want to be healthy again, but no one I've talked to in the professional health field has had any solid answers for me.

J.

Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. Reduce fatty food intake. Go for a brisk walk every day for 20 minutes. That's it.

 

[DarkHelmet]

Sounds like a terrific plan. If I may ask, what advice did you get from your nutritionist? My doctor's a good man, but when I ask him, all I get is "eat fewer calories, and eat foods like peas and corn in moderation." Well, that's good, but where do I start? What do I buy, and most importantly, can I do it on a tight budget? He doesn't have any concrete answers for these questions, and as someone who is unemployed and with no medical insurance, nutritionists are not an option. Any advice would be helpful, because I'm on high blood pressure medications, and take a oral med for diabetes, so you could say I'm not in good shape as it is and I despise it. I want to be healthy again, but no one I've talked to in the professional health field has had any solid answers for me.

J.

J. - I'd be happy to try and help. To keep this thread on topic, if you'd like, shoot me a PM and we can talk.

 

[TheBrew]

Sounds like a terrific plan. If I may ask, what advice did you get from your nutritionist? My doctor's a good man, but when I ask him, all I get is "eat fewer calories, and eat foods like peas and corn in moderation." Well, that's good, but where do I start? What do I buy, and most importantly, can I do it on a tight budget? He doesn't have any concrete answers for these questions, and as someone who is unemployed and with no medical insurance, nutritionists are not an option. Any advice would be helpful, because I'm on high blood pressure medications, and take a oral med for diabetes, so you could say I'm not in good shape as it is and I despise it. I want to be healthy again, but no one I've talked to in the professional health field has had any solid answers for me.

J.

I had some tests done and I saw a nutritionist and this is my current diet:

Eggs, Toast, Yogurt, Cereal, and Fresh Orange Juice for breakfast.

Large Sandwhich for lunch.

Grilled Chicken Salad for dinner.

Snacks in-between (raisons and such).

What I was told was to have larger breakfasts and smaller dinners. I tended to avoid breakfast and have larger dinner so this was a big change for me. I am entering my third week now and it is nice. I've cut out soda completely and done everything else in extreme moderation. Once a week I will have a 'nice' larger dinner. I don't drink coffee anymore and I do drink a lot of water. It isn't a very expensive diet as I spend ~ $40 a week on breakfast and dinner stuff (I go to a deli for my sandwich, about $5 a day). The big thing was to cut-out the chemicals and sugars in my diet, so no more fast-food or caffeine (and I used to be a Mountain Dew fiend.) I also drink a lot of water.

I have also started going to the gym 3-4 times a week, though it will be easier once classes start and I will already be near the gym instead of hoofing it from my place.

Eating earlier and more is a good start as it will increase your metabolism. Mine is around 2350 cal/day, so now it is time to flush out all the crap I put into my system with water and build muscle by going to the gym.

My personal goal is to feel fit. Yeah, it would be nice to have the six-pack, but as long as I can play a game of full-court basketball without feeling like I am going to die, I will be happy with my fitness.

 

[T'Baio]

I think it's perfectly acceptable to find overweight people unattractive. I don't like stupid people, either. Do I discriminate? I wouldn't want to sit next to an obese person on an airplane or bus. I think it is my right to be comfortable just as much as it is theirs. I wouldn't want to work with or hire a stupid person. I need a job done correctly. So yeah, I discriminate. But for perfectly acceptable reasons. Overweight people complain about their rights. What about mine?

 

[StarTrek1701]

Sounds like a terrific plan. If I may ask, what advice did you get from your nutritionist? My doctor's a good man, but when I ask him, all I get is "eat fewer calories, and eat foods like peas and corn in moderation." Well, that's good, but where do I start? What do I buy, and most importantly, can I do it on a tight budget? He doesn't have any concrete answers for these questions, and as someone who is unemployed and with no medical insurance, nutritionists are not an option. Any advice would be helpful, because I'm on high blood pressure medications, and take a oral med for diabetes, so you could say I'm not in good shape as it is and I despise it. I want to be healthy again, but no one I've talked to in the professional health field has had any solid answers for me.

J.

I am sorry to hear about that. My nutritionist actually laid out what she called a food-pattern plan. Basically you eat all the food groups in moderation or smaller amounts, 5-6 times a day. I do not want to give you advice that might hamper your health, as my plan was based upon several blood test results and telling her what I was eating beforehand. However I will tell you what my nutritionist said was applicable to everyone with general weight issues: CUT OUT ALL SUGARS, anything sweet and everything that has high-fructose corn syrup. That thing is a silent killer for every American. I would also tell you to get more active, even if it is cumulatively 30 minutes a day. Walk fast, jog a bit, stretch out your arms and legs, make sure your breathing gets faster and that you get sweat. Start off lightly, and when you feel you need not breathe faster for whatever you were doing, do that more till you have to breathe faster.

Combining that simple exercise regime with moderate mindful eating will not only lower your blood pressure it'll also make you feel more energetic. Try making a habit of eating natural fruits. Contrary to popular belief you don't need money to lose weight. Going to the gym toned my body and gave me 25 pounds of muscle, but my weight loss was entirely because of eating moderately and doing the jogging+running combination.

Start a resolution TODAY. I don't know how old you are but if you are in your early 30's or below that and you have the health concerns you told here, it will definitely be a significant problem for you as you reach your 40's and 50's. Follow the plan I told you of and then post back here in 2 months, tell us of your progression. I can assure you, you'll lose at least 15-20 pounds of weight following that and your b/p will return to normal or near normal. I hope that helps you.

 

[Amaris]

Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. Reduce fatty food intake. Go for a brisk walk every day for 20 minutes. That's it.

Noted. Thanks.

J. - I'd be happy to try and help. To keep this thread on topic, if you'd like, shoot me a PM and we can talk.

Sent!

I had some tests done and I saw a nutritionist and this is my current diet:

Eggs, Toast, Yogurt, Cereal, and Fresh Orange Juice for breakfast.

Large Sandwhich for lunch.

Grilled Chicken Salad for dinner.

Snacks in-between (raisons and such).

What I was told was to have larger breakfasts and smaller dinners. I tended to avoid breakfast and have larger dinner so this was a big change for me. I am entering my third week now and it is nice. I've cut out soda completely and done everything else in extreme moderation. Once a week I will have a 'nice' larger dinner. I don't drink coffee anymore and I do drink a lot of water. It isn't a very expensive diet as I spend ~ $40 a week on breakfast and dinner stuff (I go to a deli for my sandwich, about $5 a day). The big thing was to cut-out the chemicals and sugars in my diet, so no more fast-food or caffeine (and I used to be a Mountain Dew fiend.) I also drink a lot of water.

I have also started going to the gym 3-4 times a week, though it will be easier once classes start and I will already be near the gym instead of hoofing it from my place.

Eating earlier and more is a good start as it will increase your metabolism. Mine is around 2350 cal/day, so now it is time to flush out all the crap I put into my system with water and build muscle by going to the gym.

My personal goal is to feel fit. Yeah, it would be nice to have the six-pack, but as long as I can play a game of full-court basketball without feeling like I am going to die, I will be happy with my fitness.

You and I have very similar goals. I don't care for the washboard abs (that would be great though!), just walking up the block to our renter's office without being out of breath would be a peach!

I am sorry to hear about that. My nutritionist actually laid out what she called a food-pattern plan. Basically you eat all the food groups in moderation or smaller amounts, 5-6 times a day. I do not want to give you advice that might hamper your health, as my plan was based upon several blood test results and telling her what I was eating beforehand. However I will tell you what my nutritionist said was applicable to everyone with general weight issues: CUT OUT ALL SUGARS, anything sweet and everything that has high-fructose corn syrup. That thing is a silent killer for every American. I would also tell you to get more active, even if it is cumulatively 30 minutes a day. Walk fast, jog a bit, stretch out your arms and legs, make sure your breathing gets faster and that you get sweat. Start off lightly, and when you feel you need not breathe faster for whatever you were doing, do that more till you have to breathe faster.

Combining that simple exercise regime with moderate mindful eating will not only lower your blood pressure it'll also make you feel more energetic. Try making a habit of eating natural fruits. Contrary to popular belief you don't need money to lose weight. Going to the gym toned my body and gave me 25 pounds of muscle, but my weight loss was entirely because of eating moderately and doing the jogging+running combination.

Start a resolution TODAY. I don't know how old you are but if you are in your early 30's or below that and you have the health concerns you told here, it will definitely be a significant problem for you as you reach your 40's and 50's. Follow the plan I told you of and then post back here in 2 months, tell us of your progression. I can assure you, you'll lose at least 15-20 pounds of weight following that and your b/p will return to normal or near normal. I hope that helps you.

I will do this also. Thank you for responding. For the record, I'm 28 but my high blood pressure was an issue at 22, and the diabetes at late 27/early 28, so I agree, if I don't curb it now I'm in for some big trouble in the next decade or so.

To everyone, I appreciate the advice, and I will keep you appraised!

John

 

[thestrangequark]

^I know you're being inundated with suggestions, J., but the more you know, the better, right?

This website is one of my favorite resources. You can look up many foods, from just about any fruit and vegetable, to brand names and restaurants. They provide not only standard nutrition data, but several graphs and charts, ranging from the useful to the not-so-useful-but-interesting, informing you of things like glycemic index, inflammation factor, and other interesting data.
Counting calories to the 5's and 10's isn't necessary, and can actually be harmful (many eating disorders begin that way), but it is important to have a general idea of what you're eating. Most people grossly underestimate the amount of calories in their food.