You better start writing to this airline.

In the age of micro-blogging it will never be a wise move to bar an outspoken and popular filmmaker from a passenger aeroplane because of his size.

Having done just that to Kevin Smith, who is the director of films such as Clerks and Chasing Amy, Southwest Airlines was forced into hasty public apology after he handed out a severe Twitter-lashing to the airline and mobilised complaints from his 1.64 million followers.

In a row played out on Twitter, Smith issued an expletive-laden series of messages aimed at the airline for ejecting him from a flight from Oakland to Burbank on Saturday because he was apparently too overweight to fit in his seat.

"Wanna tell me I'm too wide for the sky?" Smith asked on his Twitter account shortly after the incident. "Totally cool but fair warning folks: If you look like me, you may be ejected from Southwest."

Smith had fallen victim to Southwest's booking guidelines for a "customer of size" which say that passengers who are unable to lower both armrests when seated should book another seat because of complaints it has received from customers whose comfort has been ruined by the "encroachment of a large seatmate".

Smith used his Twitter account to reveal he was deemed a "safety risk" by the captain of the plane.

"I know I'm fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?''

A barrage of tweets condemning the airline for its policy followed, prompting angry customers to share their stories of rejection from Southwest and an apology from the chastened airline.

Aware of the unfolding PR disaster, a tweet appeared on Southwest's Twitter feed about six hours later, promising Smith he would get a call from the airline's customer relations vice-president.

"Again, I'm very sorry for the experience you had tonight. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do," a second tweet to Smith read.

His anger seemingly undiminished, Smith was, last night, still aiming tweets at Southwest's "PR-challenged, fatty-haters. Your apology is insulting, redacted, bullshit" and promised to use his Sunday night podcast to lambast the airline further.

Smith, known for his edgy, expletive-ridden films, was given a seat on a later flight to Burbank and described how he "didn't even need a seat belt extender to buckle up. Somehow, that shit fit over my 'safety concern' creating gut."

I fly a good portion of the year for my work. Hell, I hit platinum on Delta last year and was about a trip and a half from hitting premier on United without a single international flight (all local travel), and I've already flown 26 flights on Delta alone this year and hit Silver status and we're only 6 weeks into the year, so trust me, I do my share of flying the friendly skies. I've had more than one person take over my seat as well as theirs, with absolutely no regard for me being in my seat. As a matter of fact, I started experiencing back problems from leaning in my seat while sitting trying to get away from people while flying. I've taken the approach that I have first right to MY seat. I've taken the same stance as others, if you don't fit into your seat, you're not fitting into mine as well.

I also don't by that it is a disease, because I've been to other countries where I would not say I saw ONE person who I would consider over-weight. IF it was a disease, it would be in these countries as well, I hate it when people use it as an excuse and a crutch.

As I see it airlines sell individual seats to individual passengers. If one passenger won't fit into one seat, he needs to buy two seats.

Why should be have free access to the seat next to him that a skinny guy has paid for and thus make the skinny guy's journey less comfortable.

It isn't fatism to tell the guy he needs to buy two seats, it's skinnyism to tell the skinny guy he has to ahare his seat with someone who hasn't paid for it.

Dont'cha just love political correctness!

Quite frankly anyone that believes being fat is all about diet and exercise is not living anywhere near the 21st century.

Fat, the last legal prejudice.

There are multiple medical conditions that can cause substantial weight gain. Notably sleep apnea & certain thyroid conditions.

Odie,
That is where you are wrong. Fat IS about diet, exercise and personal discipline. Check the cultures in Asia where the diet is less fat oriented than in the US. Check out the cultures such as sub Saharan Africa where the diet does not consist of 3000 or more calories per day.

Being morbidly obese is 99% or more a direct result of living a "sit on your butt on the coach and each potato chips" lifestyle.

Why do you think that our TV's continue to blare exercise machines, weight loss pills, and the newest diet at you? None of that is needed - just show a little self discipline and effort k- get off the couch, exercise, eat properly and you will lose all of the weight needed.

Being fat is not about prejudice, it is about self discipline. Legal prejudice - the law does not care but an airline does. How does the morbidly obese get out of a plane in an emergency? How does the morbidly obese not block the person next to him from getting out safely? The seats easily accomodate nearly everyone. If you can't fit - buy two. If you cannot buy two - drive. If you cannot drive, don't go or hire a vehicle capable of hauling you.

Larry,
Sleep apnea is frequently due to being over weight but is not a cause of weight gain.

There are medical conditions that can cause weight gain, but mostly the condition is due to the weight gain as the source problem.

Yes, a thyroid condition can cause weight/water retention issues but it is treatable. But the incidence of this is not as high as people claim it.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
There are multiple medical conditions that can cause substantial weight gain. Notably sleep apnea & certain thyroid conditions.

you pretty much have it backward. morbid obesity frequently causes sleep apnea, not the other way around. and for every person whose obesity is caused by hypothyroidism, you have 3-4 whose weight is just due to overeating and lack of exercise. that is just a medical fact. i put people to sleep every day for gastric bypass surgery and no more than 20% are on thyroid replacement and at least 75% have sleep apnea. overweight people are loath to admit just what their lifestyle consists of.

I agree that a substantial majority of folks who are obese are there by their own actions, but let's face it, a large number are not as well. Sleep apnea is both a cause and an effect of obesity. I think you would be shocked at the number of folks who are otherwise healthy that get a sleep study that come back recommending CPAP.

You mention thyroid issues. If 20% of your patient population is on thyroid supplement, then that is substantially higher than the national average, and you have proven a statistical link, assuming that those numbers are right.

As to gastric bypass, supposedly you have to have diet and exercise not work before it is an option to perform this. Given that all the bypass is enforces a dietary change (which in my experience most people eat through anyhow) I really get tired of hearing "get a bypass" being passed around as a recommendation.

However, if the "consensus" here is that all the fatties have a lack of willpower, I can guarantee you that I could give you a set of 3 meds that would have you morbidly obese within 6 months. Yes, most of us overweight folks are there through our own efforts, or lack thereof, but the guy in the seat next to you just might be a chronic arthritic patient on lifelong prednisone.

Even the "normal" folks are starting to get fed up with the decrease in seat size. This is more a marketing issue for the airlines. I will continue to buy the seat that is comfortable for me, and just not fly if I can't be comfortable doing so. Maybe some of you folks who are so exercised about this should do the same- you have the same choices that you are telling "Fatty" to take in flying business or not at all- you don't HAVE to work at a job that requires travel, or go on vacation after all.

In the US, its considered wrong to make assumptions about people who are making a choice of their religion, a choice of their sexual status (married or not), a choice of their place of residence, a choice of their (in) ability to speak english, a choice of weather or not they choose to work for a living, etc. I don't understand why this should be any different, or possibly less so, as some reasons for obesity are not choices.

jdollar:

I weigh 170 pounds and I have it. It isn't always the morbidly obese that have it. I don't snore either. I exercise 2 hours a day.

I have severe sleep problems. Only part are sleep apnea related. The last time I was tested, I woke up 74 times in one night. The weight gain is one thing every sleep doctor has mentioned to me. I have gained some weight.

I do agree that there are a lot of fat lazy people that like to eat. My ex-wife weighed 105 the day we got married. She weighed 205 when we got divorced. She never exercised and ate terribly all the time.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I agree that a substantial majority of folks who are obese are there by their own actions, but let's face it, a large number are not as well. Sleep apnea is both a cause and an effect of obesity. I think you would be shocked at the number of folks who are otherwise healthy that get a sleep study that come back recommending CPAP.

You mention thyroid issues. If 20% of your patient population is on thyroid supplement, then that is substantially higher than the national average, and you have proven a statistical link, assuming that those numbers are right.

As to gastric bypass, supposedly you have to have diet and exercise not work before it is an option to perform this. Given that all the bypass is enforces a dietary change (which in my experience most people eat through anyhow) I really get tired of hearing "get a bypass" being passed around as a recommendation.

However, if the "consensus" here is that all the fatties have a lack of willpower, I can guarantee you that I could give you a set of 3 meds that would have you morbidly obese within 6 months. Yes, most of us overweight folks are there through our own efforts, or lack thereof, but the guy in the seat next to you just might be a chronic arthritic patient on lifelong prednisone.

Even the "normal" folks are starting to get fed up with the decrease in seat size. This is more a marketing issue for the airlines. I will continue to buy the seat that is comfortable for me, and just not fly if I can't be comfortable doing so. Maybe some of you folks who are so exercised about this should do the same- you have the same choices that you are telling "Fatty" to take in flying business or not at all- you don't HAVE to work at a job that requires travel, or go on vacation after all.

In the US, its considered wrong to make assumptions about people who are making a choice of their religion, a choice of their sexual status (married or not), a choice of their place of residence, a choice of their (in) ability to speak english, a choice of weather or not they choose to work for a living, etc. I don't understand why this should be any different, or possibly less so, as some reasons for obesity are not choices.

sleep apnea is not a cause for morbid obesity. if it was, just about everyone with sleep apnea would be morbidly obese. a lot of people have sleep apnea because of abnormal airway anatomy and they are often quite thin. there is a big difference between obesity and morbid obesity(usually 50+ lbs.) also i did not state that 20% of my patient population was on thyroid replacement. i said 20% of the morbidly obese patients were on it-huge difference. and you are right that some reasons for obesity are not choices- unfortunately that percentage is low.

Jdollar

Correct.

20% of the morbidly obese that you did surgery on are hypothyroid. That's higher than the incidence of hypothyroidism in the general population by far. Thus the incidence of hypothyroidism in the surgical population you cite is more likely, and thus at least statistically you could draw some correlation between hypothyroidism and surgical level obesity. I'm not saying its causative, because there are too many other confounding issues, but you have to admit that you have more hypothyroidism in your obese patient population than there is in the rest of your patient population, no? Given that hypothyroidism is not caused by obesity, that should give you a thought that the obesity is not purely "behavioral."

As to sleep apnea, a percentage of people gain weight from sleep apnea. I would suggest that some (not all, not even a majority) become obese due to untreated sleep apnea.

I know you are not trying to say that there is no medical reason for obesity in any person, but I am just trying to point out to the non-medical types here that there is plenty of medical evidence that not all of it is. And to those folks, saying that they have no willpower is very insulting.

It's fairly obvious to me that obesity is also a "positive feedback loop" in that once you become overweight, the biological drive to maintain that weight leads to increasing obesity, and increasing difficulty to loose the weight. Yes, one can try and reverse it. Some go to significant extremes to do so (including the multilation that is bariatric surgery), but few succeed, despite the wholesale revilement of the fat in our society. It would seem to me that in the absence of significant characterological pathology NO ONE WANTS TO BE FAT.

If you are one of the guys who exercises 2 hours a day, great that you can do that. I wish I enjoyed it, which in my experience most of the die- hard exercisers do. I do try and get 30 minutes a day, better than some, worse than others. I try and avoid fast food, but some times I don't have a real option other than not eating at all. Despite that, my weight bobs around 300#. By definition morbidly obese. I also know several folks who eat a heck of a lot more than I, exercise less, yet were blessed with a fast metabolism, and weigh in the normal range. These are some of the same guys who say "you have no willpower" etc.

I'm not really sure why I say anything on threads like this, because most folks are pretty closed minded about this particular topic, but it does tend to irritate the heck out of me.

a worthy repeat

quote:

Quite frankly anyone that believes being fat is all about diet and exercise is not living anywhere near the 21st century.

Fat, the last legal prejudice.

Odie,
Again, you are not correct, it is not worth repeating.

I am closed minded about the subject unless you have one of the extremely rare med conditions that packs on fat, not water.

Exercise and eating correctly is not expensive. It is cheap and costs less than eating fast food. I see the wide bodies at work eating out nearly every day. Pack a lunch - something healthy and walk 2 miles while eating it. No big deal and takes up your lunch hour. It is not hard - it requires commitment and discipline.

Also, airline seats are the same width in coach class that they have been for the past 20 years or so. Our butts are bigger, the seats are not smaller.

Some of the comments are very interesting. CRButler doesn't enjoy exercising and weighs 300 pounds. Do you enjoy shortening your life??

I am one of those that exercises 2 hours a day. Why? Not because I enjoy it. I don't want to die and I don't want to be as immobile as many of the elderly people I see.

When that alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning, I would rather lay in bed. When I got up, I would like to eat doughnuts or fried eggs with bacon. But I don't.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
Jdollar

Correct.

20% of the morbidly obese that you did surgery on are hypothyroid. That's higher than the incidence of hypothyroidism in the general population by far. Thus the incidence of hypothyroidism in the surgical population you cite is more likely, and thus at least statistically you could draw some correlation between hypothyroidism and surgical level obesity. I'm not saying its causative, because there are too many other confounding issues, but you have to admit that you have more hypothyroidism in your obese patient population than there is in the rest of your patient population, no? Given that hypothyroidism is not caused by obesity, that should give you a thought that the obesity is not purely "behavioral."

As to sleep apnea, a percentage of people gain weight from sleep apnea. I would suggest that some (not all, not even a majority) become obese due to untreated sleep apnea.

I know you are not trying to say that there is no medical reason for obesity in any person, but I am just trying to point out to the non-medical types here that there is plenty of medical evidence that not all of it is. And to those folks, saying that they have no willpower is very insulting.

It's fairly obvious to me that obesity is also a "positive feedback loop" in that once you become overweight, the biological drive to maintain that weight leads to increasing obesity, and increasing difficulty to loose the weight. Yes, one can try and reverse it. Some go to significant extremes to do so (including the multilation that is bariatric surgery), but few succeed, despite the wholesale revilement of the fat in our society. It would seem to me that in the absence of significant characterological pathology NO ONE WANTS TO BE FAT.

If you are one of the guys who exercises 2 hours a day, great that you can do that. I wish I enjoyed it, which in my experience most of the die- hard exercisers do. I do try and get 30 minutes a day, better than some, worse than others. I try and avoid fast food, but some times I don't have a real option other than not eating at all. Despite that, my weight bobs around 300#. By definition morbidly obese. I also know several folks who eat a heck of a lot more than I, exercise less, yet were blessed with a fast metabolism, and weigh in the normal range. These are some of the same guys who say "you have no willpower" etc.

I'm not really sure why I say anything on threads like this, because most folks are pretty closed minded about this particular topic, but it does tend to irritate the heck out of me.

simple physics. calories in exceed calories out(via exercise), you gain weight. calories in are exceeded by calories out(via exercise)- you lose weight. Einstein was right. you basically can't create mass, you can only transform it. if take in fewer calories than you burn, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT-NO EXCEPTIONS.

A slight oversimplification. You should know that. A review.

Yes, calories in, minus what you utilize is the metabolic balance.

However, how efficient you are at absorbing your diet (why fiber is considered inert for people, unlike cattle or other rumenants, we don't have the correct bacteria in the gut to break down and metabolize cellulose.)

Some folks are quite efficient at getting all the nutrient value from what they eat, some (a dramatic example is sprue or one of the other malabsorbtive diseases) are markedly inefficient. Everyone falls in the spectrum somewhere, although most are fairly efficient.

Then there is utilization. This is basal metabolic rate plus the energy utilized by activity. Your basal metabolic rate is mostly predetermined. You can modify it slightly, activity boosts it minimally, and starvation depresses it, somewhat to a greater extent. More muscle mass will increase it, as will a relative hyperthyroid state, or a hyperandrogenous state (why young men seem to be able to eat what they want and then "it eventually catches up with you").

Exercise will tend to burn off extra weight as well, however if you exercise too much, and don't eat enough or enough of the the right thing (how protein supplements work) you will erode your basal muscle mass and still be behind the curve.

So.

You reduce your caloric intake by 10%, and increase your activity to boost your energy utilization by 5%; but your homeostatic regulation in the body drops your metabolic rate by 15% (remember that the vast majority of your energy use is your basal rate).

At 3500 calories a pound, what happens?

Probably a weight loss of less than 1# a week.

I will admit that I am using random figures to demonstrate the point. Most people will not have this difficulty. (And yes, I am one of the ones who can loose weight if I work at it.)

How many folks will eat a sub 2000 calorie a day diet and exercise for over an hour a day, and NEVER screw up the diet and exercise regimen, all to at the end of a year be 20-25# lighter when they need to loose say, 100# to be in the ideal range. Oh and add in the fact that they have arthritis (from being so fat, and overloading themselves) Coronary artery disease (from the same), and a work place, that from the comments I see here is constantly on their ass about how much they weigh, and that they have "no self control"; this in a person who likely finds enjoyment in little besides eating?

So yes, to some extent, loosing weight is all "simple" physics, but not quite so simple as you imply-- but is it practical physics? We evolved to deal with times of famine, and by and large we are better at dealing with times of less than more.

I am not saying that all "fatties" are in this realm. But the culture at most exercise places is such that if you were 300#, would you put up with it? (Get the F*&% outta here lard a$#!!!, its my machine... and that is in front of the "personal trainer" that I was paying good money to-- at a paid health club- and all I got was "maybe we should work on weights today instead...") It sounds like if someone with a weight problem got on a plane around here, some of you would expect them to have to show a medical certificate of why they are overweight...)

I'm 6'2 and 260#. I fly about once a month (mostly on Southwest) sizewise the only problem I have is with leg room. So, if someone can't fit in a seat they are too damn fat.

no, i wouldn't expect to see a medical certificate- i would expect them to get out of MY SEAT!!!

Smith knows he is Obese,, he bought two seats,,, he wanted to get on an earlier flight. Southwest counted heads and seats,, not bought tickets..... he got bumped,, they messed up. If I buy two seats to have space to fly to africa,, I expect to have two seats,, but with airlines the way they are,,, you have no guarantee you will have those two seats.. They dont see that invisible person you put in the seat next to you to have the extra room. They do not care.....What recourse do we really have but to vent on websites? The airline industry is totally absurd in how they run a business,, It is no wonder they have financial dificulties,, morral issues,, and complete customer dissatisfication.!

Here's a parallel of sorts; I'm genetically less than average intelligence, I don't like to appear stupid to those around me so I don't apply myself as much as I could, I could try harder but I don't, in fact I seldom work at all lest someone perceives me as being stupid which I simply can't risk, Afterall, it's really not my fault. I don't earn much money because I'm afraid of failure. In fact, I hardly work at all. What is really unfair is those of average or better IQ and motivation expect me to pay the same price for everything that they pay. I find this very degrading and now have not worked for over 30 years. Those arrogant snobs who made me feel poorly about myself and who have forced me to retreat into a life of no societal contribution can damn well pay for my existence as it's none of my fault anyway and all their's. I mean, gee whiz, it's not my fault.

Here's another. I tried working hard but just didn't like it. Those who work hard do so just to make me feel bad about myself. Some people just like to work, I don't so why should I have to? If a person who is stupid shouldn't have to work, why should I.

My parents didn't like me, neither does anyone else. I can't go out in public because no one will ever like me. I once tried to make someone like me but it didn't work out. If someone who is stupid doesn't have to work, nor does someone who simply doesn't like to work have to work, why should I?

I'm insane, it's a mental disease which prevents me from working. However, I still want what the hard working, intelligent, motivated people have. Why can't I have it too? Afterall, it's not my fault.

Life's not fair, never was, never will be. Accept it. Do the best you can with what you have. Don't expect handouts or concessions. If you receive them, thank those who gave them to you. If you don't receive them, get over it. Life's not fair.

If you're fat is hanging over onto my side, get it off. Double meaning intended.

Bobby B.

quote:

But the worst part of it was the smell of his "butt juice".

Oh - sweet - lord !!! That was too close.

Honestly, I feel for people who are that obese.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Some of the comments are very interesting. CRButler doesn't enjoy exercising and weighs 300 pounds. Do you enjoy shortening your life??

I am one of those that exercises 2 hours a day. Why? Not because I enjoy it. I don't want to die and I don't want to be as immobile as many of the elderly people I see.

When that alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning, I would rather lay in bed. When I got up, I would like to eat doughnuts or fried eggs with bacon. But I don't.

Larry makes a great point about keeping fit because you must. There's a point in a person's life where they have to realize it's not about immediate enjoyment, it's about maintaining your health so that your family/kids aren't stuck having to care you because you stroked out or can simply no longer take care of yourself due to obesity-related issues.

Personally, I hate running and don't necessarily enjoy exercise in general, but being in the military, it's part of my job to stay physically fit, regarless of family or work-related obligations. I work out for 30-50 minute sessions 3+ days a week and play ice hockey in an adult league on weekends. I've worked at it consistently over the years and have consistently increased my fitness scores since I've been in the service. I'm now into the "excellent" fitness/top 25% of the service level, and have very low cholesterol and blood pressure. I'm pretty proud of that despite my genuine dislike of running (which accounts for the bulk of points on the test). In the end, it's all about doing what needs to be done, not personal pleasure.

The work part aside, I would workout regardless because I don't want to end up like my grandfather: he spent the last 15 years of his life with essentially half a functioning brain and generally poor health because of multiple strokes and heart attacks. It was an avoidable situation but he never lost the excess weight his doctors warned him about and refused to fix his diet after the first stroke. Who got stuck driving up to take care of him and footing the bills because of his decisions? His kids - mainly my dad. Again, your physical condition will ultimately affect more than just you. You have to decide if that bothers you enough to do something about it.

As for the flight issue: while I understand how everyone has their own issues and I have, in the past, been overweight (never obese), I am growing increasingly intollerant of having to endure a flight with someone else's body mass pouring into my seat. I've put up with it before, but there comes a point where being stuck without an arm rest or having to lean to one side for the duration of a flight gets really old. Regardless of how you got to that point, I hope that folks who are in that condition can at least understand how it can irritating.

I enjoy a good healthy meal, its a simple pleasure. But speaking of pleasures, how a man could eat himself into oblivion to the point of not being able to properly service a woman
is beyond belief.
Its really very simple, hit that floor every morning like you got a pair,
work hard, play hard, Dont ever quit what you like to do, and you wont ever have to. Get up, get out there and get it done.
And yes I have sit next to a few biguns, Used to fly 4 times per mo. Those smells are brutal, especially for a man with a nose like a penitentary bloodhound.
6' 3"
245 lb

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
Oh quit whinging America...What I really hate about flying to the USA is they see the green zim passport and at every airport ..Sir, you have been randomly selected for secondry screening... I was 'randomly' selected 23 times last year

I also appreciate the Standard Zimbabwean security screening...are you carrying a gun sir..'yes' is it unloaded? 'yes' Carry on sir. Have several times seen clients arriving in Bulawayo with their rifles as their carry on It is one of the (few) perks of living in the third world

Now that sounds like an improvement in the airlines!!

Kayaker- For future use the proper terms are either "butt nectar" or "crack nectar".

crane: According to Websters II New Riverside University Dictionary, the words Juice and Nectar are defined, in part, as follows: "JUICE: A bodily secretion"; "NECTAR: A sweet liquid." As my friend's butt juice was not sweet in any way, shape or form, I will stick with Butt Juice!

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
crane: According to Websters II New Riverside University Dictionary, the words Juice and Nectar are defined, in part, as follows: "JUICE: A bodily secretion"; "NECTAR: A sweet liquid." As my friend's butt juice was not sweet in any way, shape or form, I will stick with Butt Juice!

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35...-the_new_york_times/

Reading that article, it sounds like Kevin Smith genuinely did get the shaft by Southwest: he originally paid for two seats, but they let him go standby for a different flight THEN tell him he's too fat to board the jet he's on standby for. This one's definitely on Southwest and they did the right thing by completely refunding his airfare.

I am with larryshores on this one. Yesterday I ran 4 miles. Did I want to? No, it would have been a lot more fun to drink beer. Exercise is often uncomfortable. Part of the reason I am an excersize fanatic is so that I can continue to hunt. Ms AZwriter wants to go to the Grand Canyon Saturday morning, hike to the bottom, camp out, then hike back on Sunday. I don't feel like going (too much driving) but if I do go, it will be because it is good for me.

I step on the scale ever single day. If my weight goes above 150, I ask myself, "Do I want to run/hike/bike more than normal, or do I want to stop eating?"

I fly a lot as well. If I am in coach, I simply don't tolerate anyone using my seat. I tell the flight attendant I paid for my seat and I expect to use it. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like every fat person in an airline gate waiting to board is eating or drinking something.

I think food can absolutely be an addiction, but to call obesity a desease is an insult to those who truly have deseases. If obesity was truly a desease, then why are white Americans more overwieght than Europeans? Why are African Americans more overwieght than Africans? It is the same gene pool at play.

Let's put it this way: Have you ever seen a picture of a fat guy in a Nazi concetration camp? How come?

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
I step on the scale ever single day. If my weight goes above 150, I ask myself, "Do I want to run/hike/bike more than normal, or do I want to stop eating?"

Wow - you and I are a lot alike in this regard. I check my weight every morning when I wake up as a baseline for my daily habits. If there's a shift up of more than 1.5 lbs., I know I haven't been doing the right thing with food. At that point I ask myself the same questions: am I going to go exceptionally light at meals, hit the treadmill/track a little harder or both?

I believe everyone should own a scale and use it daily. I have overweight friends who purposely don't weigh themselves because they "don't want to know"...as if ignoring the problem will somehow make it go away or at least allow them to avoid seeing the fallout of their over-indulgence first-hand. If you force yourself to watch your weight balloon over time, I think you're FAR more inclined to do something about it. Unfortunately, many people take the easy way out to avoid the emotional turmoil of reality.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
I am with larryshores on this one. Yesterday I ran 4 miles. Did I want to? No, it would have been a lot more fun to drink beer. Exercise is often uncomfortable. Part of the reason I am an excersize fanatic is so that I can continue to hunt. Ms AZwriter wants to go to the Grand Canyon Saturday morning, hike to the bottom, camp out, then hike back on Sunday. I don't feel like going (too much driving) but if I do go, it will be because it is good for me.

I step on the scale ever single day. If my weight goes above 150, I ask myself, "Do I want to run/hike/bike more than normal, or do I want to stop eating?"

I fly a lot as well. If I am in coach, I simply don't tolerate anyone using my seat. I tell the flight attendant I paid for my seat and I expect to use it. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like every fat person in an airline gate waiting to board is eating or drinking something.

I think food can absolutely be an addiction, but to call obesity a desease is an insult to those who truly have deseases. If obesity was truly a desease, then why are white Americans more overwieght than Europeans? Why are African Americans more overwieght than Africans? It is the same gene pool at play.

Let's put it this way: Have you ever seen a picture of a fat guy in a Nazi concetration camp? How come?

an excellent post!!! fat people are long on excuses but short on actions to correct their problem. for every fat person with a legitimate medical problem causing their obesity, there are 10 who are too lazy to get off the couch- except to walk to the refrigerator.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
I am with larryshores on this one. Yesterday I ran 4 miles. Did I want to? No, it would have been a lot more fun to drink beer. Exercise is often uncomfortable. Part of the reason I am an excersize fanatic is so that I can continue to hunt. Ms AZwriter wants to go to the Grand Canyon Saturday morning, hike to the bottom, camp out, then hike back on Sunday. I don't feel like going (too much driving) but if I do go, it will be because it is good for me.

I step on the scale ever single day. If my weight goes above 150, I ask myself, "Do I want to run/hike/bike more than normal, or do I want to stop eating?"

I fly a lot as well. If I am in coach, I simply don't tolerate anyone using my seat. I tell the flight attendant I paid for my seat and I expect to use it. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like every fat person in an airline gate waiting to board is eating or drinking something.

I think food can absolutely be an addiction, but to call obesity a desease is an insult to those who truly have deseases. If obesity was truly a desease, then why are white Americans more overwieght than Europeans? Why are African Americans more overwieght than Africans? It is the same gene pool at play.

Let's put it this way: Have you ever seen a picture of a fat guy in a Nazi concetration camp? How come?

an excellent post!!! fat people are long on excuses but short on actions to correct their problem. for every fat person with a legitimate medical problem causing their obesity, there are 10 who are too lazy to get off the couch- except to walk to the refrigerator.

An excellent post except I spelled disease wrong every time... how did I do that?

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Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:

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Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
I am with larryshores on this one. Yesterday I ran 4 miles. Did I want to? No, it would have been a lot more fun to drink beer. Exercise is often uncomfortable. Part of the reason I am an excersize fanatic is so that I can continue to hunt. Ms AZwriter wants to go to the Grand Canyon Saturday morning, hike to the bottom, camp out, then hike back on Sunday. I don't feel like going (too much driving) but if I do go, it will be because it is good for me.

I step on the scale ever single day. If my weight goes above 150, I ask myself, "Do I want to run/hike/bike more than normal, or do I want to stop eating?"

I fly a lot as well. If I am in coach, I simply don't tolerate anyone using my seat. I tell the flight attendant I paid for my seat and I expect to use it. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like every fat person in an airline gate waiting to board is eating or drinking something.

I think food can absolutely be an addiction, but to call obesity a desease is an insult to those who truly have deseases. If obesity was truly a desease, then why are white Americans more overwieght than Europeans? Why are African Americans more overwieght than Africans? It is the same gene pool at play.

Let's put it this way: Have you ever seen a picture of a fat guy in a Nazi concetration camp? How come?

an excellent post!!! fat people are long on excuses but short on actions to correct their problem. for every fat person with a legitimate medical problem causing their obesity, there are 10 who are too lazy to get off the couch- except to walk to the refrigerator.

An excellent post except I spelled disease wrong every time... how did I do that?

I dunno', but nice improv on 'exercise' in there, too.

While we're at it, overwieght should be overweight.

Bobby B.

Hey, it's not my fault - it is the alcohol's fault!

But it does remind of something: I would rather have a fat hunting buddy than a drunk hunting buddy. None of us are perfect.