Big Medicine: The Ultimate Inspiration

catherine20

catherine20

New member
There is a television show on TLC called "Big Medicine." I feel pity for most of those people, who are so obese that they need gastric bypass surgery. Some of them are bed bound.
After watching this show for a while, I decided that I would reverse the process of gaining before it could get that far. If I lose the weight slowly and naturally, I won't have the sagging skin that they need plastic surgery to fix.
Anyone else scared into action by this show?
 
I haven't seen that show -but I caught an episode yesterday of TLC's and found it incredibly infuriating...

I understand addiction to some degree but criminey - some of these people were beyond pathetic -there was one patient who was so heavy that he couldn't walk - and couldn't fit into a wheel chair so the clinic had to spend 8000 dollars on a wheelchair that would support his weight and size... and he bitched it would take 2 weeks to have it built - and what was he supposed to do in the meantime.

There was agroup of patients that smuggled in food - and when they got caught they bitched about it... how dare this clinic tell them what they could or couldnt eat and when they could eat it...
 
I have seen the show and at first I was actually surprised to see so many people who are that morbidly obese. I enjoyed the show until I saw the same thing Mal did. The whining and complaining. They should be praising these workers for helping them. Why do the feel they should be giving everything without working for it? And I hated to see how family members would keep reinforcing their bahavior. Not a show I will watch anymore.
 
And I hated to see how family members would keep reinforcing their bahavior.
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The show I caught, has a reunion with Richard Simmons (still wearing those same silly shorts, but dang has he gotten old looking) crying as he met up with one of his old successes... that ended up backsliding big time... Richard, in his own way, chewed out the wife of this guy saying how could he gain back 50lbs, 100lbs and you not notice or say anything... her defence was -when he's that big you don't notice 50lbs...
 
The level of obesity displayed on these shows is mind blowing. Mix a lack of understanding, a lazy mentality, a host of psychological issues, and poor genetics and you've got a recipe for disaster. As one issue spirals out of control, it brings everything else with it. The weight goes higher, the mind gets more messed up, etc.

I'm currently helping out a handful of very obese people and I must say, the task is next to impossible.
 
maleficent said:
her defence was -when he's that big you don't notice 50lbs...
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She didn't realize that the foods she was feeding him and how much of it he was eating would cause him to gain. I just don't get it. There is obviously some kind of codependency going on. I think she might have a fear of him losing weight. When people have to rely on others to bring them their food then that is when the family members and other support should be closely monitoring what that person is taking in. It is much like children when they want something and will throw a tantrum to try and get it. I have seen some shows where these grown adults will throw a tantrum to get more food. The support person needs to let them have their tantrum...and realize that they are saving their loved ones life by not giving in. I have respect for anyone trying to lose weight, it is very difficult no matter how much you have to lose...but each person has to take accountability for it and I think that is what these patients are missing.
 
When you are 500-600+ lbs, accountability is impossible to come by.

They're past the point of thinking weight loss is a possibility without surgery.

This *fact* adds to the difficulty.

Certainly there are people who've turned their lives around and lost the weight. But of them, most have had some serious help either by way of the medical community, family/friend/trainer/supervision, etc.

If you don't have access to someone or something and you are this size, chances are very good that you'll continue to not only be obese, but actually get bigger.

All my opinions based on my experiences....

I used to try and *fix* the problem. Once you start digging though, you realize that the problem is so complex most of the time that it's more effective efficient to jump right in and push the person to act. You (being the support) must become their accountability.

It's such a crazy issue in my mind.
 
Steve said:
The level of obesity displayed on these shows is mind blowing. Mix a lack of understanding, a lazy mentality, a host of psychological issues, and poor genetics and you've got a recipe for disaster. As one issue spirals out of control, it brings everything else with it. The weight goes higher, the mind gets more messed up, etc.
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I look at old clothes iin my closet and I really don't understand how I had let myself get so big - I have some ideas but - eh that's antoher story... - but no matter how big I was - I never stopped working, I never stopped moving, or taking care of myself.

I do not understand getting so out of control that you can no longer support yourself and that you cannot go to the bathroom without assistance or practice proper hygiene or just getting up off the couch...

I really don't understand that... and yes, I know i"m very judgemental...

Steve said:
I'm currently helping out a handful of very obese people and I must say, the task is next to impossible.
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It's nice to hear that there are people out there that are trying to help... I'm curious - how did they find you - or did you find them?
 
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maleficent said:
I look at old clothes iin my closet and I really don't understand how I had let myself get so big - I have some ideas but - eh that's antoher story... - but no matter how big I was - I never stopped working, I never stopped moving, or taking care of myself.

I do not understand getting so out of control that you can no longer support yourself and that you cannot go to the bathroom without assistance or practice proper hygiene or just getting up off the couch...

I really don't understand that... and yes, I know i"m very judgemental...
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Right.

But you aren't like them.

You got big. But not that big. "Normal" people reach a breaking point where they either decide to lose weight or their bodies naturally reach a stabilization point. The former is personality-based. The latter is genetic-based.

People who reach hyper-obese levels have so many things working against them most of the time. Certainly they are lazy. But that's only one fraction of the issue.

It's too complex an issue to wrap your mind around. At least it is for me.

It's nice to hear that there are people out there that are trying to help... I'm curious - how did they find you - or did you find them?
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One of them found me.

Through her, the others followed.

The other I actually met through an acquaintance. She lives in Pittsburgh. I've driven out to her a few times to teach her new things she can do in the privacy of her home.

In each of the cases, I'm more of a motivator than a coach. You can't coach these people. For starters, there's only so much someone that large can do.

Secondly, what they have to do is so simple. Eat less and move more. So I fit into the equation as the 'fuel' to make them do it more than anything else.
 
It also doesn't help that there's a huge void in our society relative to how to deal with such people.

Send them to most any doc, and he/she will tell the patient that they need surgery.

Many obese people I've encountered would never opt for surgery. They either know someone who chose that route and was not successful, their insurance won't cover it, or they want to do it on their own.

The bottom line though is that where do these people turn?

The doctors know squat most of the time about proper dieting for the average person, let alone a hyper-obese person.

There are clinics, but they are costly. And how do you get in? There are certainly more hyper-obese people in the world than there are beds in the clinics.

Trainers suck. Period. What trainer do you know that *might* be able to help someone in such a condition. Not only are most trainers boobs, but even of the good ones, most don't want to spend their time working with someone in such a condition. Plus, even if they did, it's not a profitable avenue since so much attention must be given on the motivation side of things.... it's physically draining of the trainer.

Plus, hyper-obese individuals are not in the trainer's realm of expertise required to handle such people. It's outside of their 'jurisdiction.' I shouldn't even be helping some of these people. But if I followed all the rules, I'd never be where I am today and I care too much for the people in the situations I've encountered.

Gyms aren't geared for people of this size. And even if they were, what hyper-obese person do you know who will work up the courage to go into such a place.

Unfortunately, most of such individuals are poor. Eating right is expensive. That doesn't mesh well.

Nutritionists/dietetics.... sure they can help. But what good are they really. They design a dietary program and tell the person to eat like this. Ok, then the person leaves the office and goes to McDonald's. Monthly check-ins don't create enough motivation.

I could go on and on.

Many of these people need more than hand-holding and at the moment, there isn't anything close to a high five.
 
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maleficent said:
I do not understand getting so out of control that you can no longer support yourself and that you cannot go to the bathroom without assistance or practice proper hygiene or just getting up off the couch...
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I feel it starts out as a genetic thing. They gain weight, then they don't have the self esteem to think life could be better. So they feel worse which leads to more weight gain until they reach a point where they have to be taken care of. At their highest weight they have such despair that they feel nothing can be done to help them(except maybe surgery). But, I feel that if these patients were to have surgery they will not be able to maintain the loss because the root issue of self-esteem is not taken care of. It is merely surgery to save their life. I don't know, this is just my opinion.
Cathy
 
Hi from :eh:
I, too, have watched both of these TV shows. I stopped watching Brookhaven Obesity Clinic because I found it too irritating that so many of the patients profiled had a bad attitude that seemed an awful lot like "It's not my fault; everyone else should have to do the work for me; etc."

However, it certainly does seem extremely similar to drug/booze addictions. Or any addiction. I think a person can become addicted to just about anything, which does not make it okay, and does not make it "a disease," or whatever. It seems (at least with the food?) like a bad habit is formed, then it is reinforced, then deeply ingrained. We don't behave in any certain way unless there is some kind of pay off for the behavior, whether it be physical or emotional gratification, etc.

I am not speaking as a health care professional, but I do speak as one who has battled an addiction and (by the grace of God) overcome it. It is possible to beat addictions; it is just very, very hard. And like you've said, the problems are many and multifaceted. I think our health care practitioners in North America better figure obesity out PDQ as it is becoming so common.

Thanks for letting me add M2C. I sincerely hope all of those struggling with food issues are able to do the work, get the help, and overcome.

Janice
 
I dislike reality TV in general and find those shows to be pretty exploitative in nature. I definitely have a problem with overeating and have a strange relationship with food, but I don't think I could ever get to that enormous of a size. I've made and kept the promise to myself that if I ever got close to 200 lbs again, I'd examine my lifestyle and change it accordingly, therefore I don't see myself getting into the morbid obesity range, therefore I don't think the shows are a good "motivational" tool for me. On the contrary, I did tune in to the TLC special called "I Eat 33,000 calories a day" or something along those lines, and I found the cases are kind of pitiful, and I'm wondering what the hell these people are doing on TV - national exposure probably isn't the healthiest thing for these people...especially when the TV shows hype up things like "food addiction" which takes away the focus from the real issue for most of these people, which is usually some greater psychological disorder.

I don't think that "food addiction" is a real addiction, personally. I think it's a product of some complex emotional and psychological problems, and the overeating becomes ingrained into the person's daily life somehow, until it feels like an addiction since it's behavior that's so entrenched in the person's life and psyche. I think it can be more accurately classified as an eating disorder, and we all know that eating disorders are usually born of greater psychological issues. I don't like the spin that the "I Eat 33,000 calories a day" show took in describing the people on it as "food addicts." The problem is obviously greater than food, and the overeating is a side-effect of this problem, but these networks are pretty much only interested in ratings and sensationalism, so they hype up the food addiction thing, and further enable the people in the show to keep calling it a food addiction...ugh.

Just my 2 cents...
 
amylosesandwins said:
I dislike reality TV in general and find those shows to be pretty exploitative in nature. I definitely have a problem with overeating and have a strange relationship with food, but I don't think I could ever get to that enormous of a size. I've made and kept the promise to myself that if I ever got close to 200 lbs again, I'd examine my lifestyle and change it accordingly, therefore I don't see myself getting into the morbid obesity range, therefore I don't think the shows are a good "motivational" tool for me. On the contrary, I did tune in to the TLC special called "I Eat 33,000 calories a day" or something along those lines, and I found the cases are kind of pitiful, and I'm wondering what the hell these people are doing on TV - national exposure probably isn't the healthiest thing for these people...especially when the TV shows hype up things like "food addiction" which takes away the focus from the real issue for most of these people, which is usually some greater psychological disorder.
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I'm not sure what my stance is on these shows. If there is a positive to be found from it.... it's helping awareness. Without it, obesity is pushed under the rug. The more people that are aware with what's going on, the better IMO.

I don't think that "food addiction" is a real addiction, personally.
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I 100% disagree.

I think it's a product of some complex emotional and psychological problems, and the overeating becomes ingrained into the person's daily life somehow, until it feels like an addiction since it's behavior that's so entrenched in the person's life and psyche.
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I think you could say the same about any 'addiction.'

In realitiy, it has more to do with the chemical reactions of the brain.

I think it can be more accurately classified as an eating disorder, and we all know that eating disorders are usually born of greater psychological issues.
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Maybe you are just confusing things.

Certainly obesity is tied to psychological issues. However, food addiction and obesity are not one in the same.

Food addiction is a very real condition, obese or not, that involves metabolic, biochemical imbalances which result in the characteristic symptoms of addiction.

fMRI show that for some people seeing something they would crave (trigger food) activates the same dopaminergic brain areas activated in addicts when they see their alcohol/cocaine/morphine.

I don't like the spin that the "I Eat 33,000 calories a day" show took in describing the people on it as "food addicts." The problem is obviously greater than food, and the overeating is a side-effect of this problem,
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Have you ever worked with hyper-obese individuals?

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I'll add that I'm not minimizing the importance and role that psychological issues play in obesity. Hell, read my posts in this very thread to know that. I'm simply stating that downplaying the issue of 'food addiction' probably isn't the wisest.
 
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Steve, I recognize the validity of some of your points. The thing I disliked about what I saw in the show was the fact that nothing was really done to help these people and try to show them what their problems stemmed from, but to exploit them, a la "look at the big fat freak over there!" and the whole food addiction thing just smacked of buzzword/psychobabble. It just kinda rubbed me the wrong way. I have never worked with hyper-obese people myself and I know that you have, so I can see how you have a different perception of it. What I stated, however, is my perception, and I acknowledged that it may not be 100% fact and that it is my opinion based on my own observations.

Cheers!
 
Right, I get what your point was....

It was more about the value of these shows, or lack thereof. I simply wanted to correct the downplay of the whole food addiction.
 
BIG MEDICINE Season 2 on TLC
Premieres January 9th 10pm EST/10pm PST/9pm CST

TLC’s hit show is back for its second season! Big Medicine returns with bigger and better stories than ever as individuals undertake drastic measures to take a bite out of their obesity. From a previously 1000lb man looking to take his first step in 7 years, to a devastated mother looking to complete her weight loss transformation after losing her daughter to suicide, the stories captivate, and inspire. We’ll see how obesity affects people’s sex lives, relationships and changes marriages forever. Tears will be shed, smiles will be shared, and hope will be instilled as Big Medicine proves there is light at the end of everyone’s tunnel!
 
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