As usual, kaplods hit the nail on the head. For me, one of my big motivations to start getting healthy was that I noticed my life shrinking. I've always been heavy but never felt like it kept me from doing things I wanted or needed to do. Then I started to work from home and gained more weight and I realized I was starting to eliminate things or cut corners - sometimes I was so sneaky about it I didn't even notice it. Scary thought! I understand how those people end up in that condition. I really don't want to end up there myself.

OMG the mom died...I'm so happy to have changed the channel then. I wouldn't have been able to handle it.

I'm wondering if they have these shows online?

I'm not surprised that she was denied for surgery so many times because surgery is so much more riskier when you are extremely moridly obese. She should've really got down to the 400 range or so before they gave her the surgery.

Of course that is something to remember for all of us who have any excess weight. Medical issues are harder to diagnose and surgery becomes riskier the heavier you are. So it could be a tumor or an emergency medical procedure, your weight affects your overall outcome.

These types of shows really freak me out and motivate me. The first time I saw one I was like wow that would never be me and then I went and got a big bowl of ice cream. After that I realized that wow I might not be at the point that these people are at but if you keep binging for years sooner or later it will catch up to you and by that point it is so hard to lose the weight. The first time I really felt like I might be getting out of control was after I had my second baby. I was 250 lbs and saw that if I kept going I could easily get to 300 and then 400.

For 10 years my weight stayed steady at 238 lbs with no effort on my part. I wasn't happy about it but not too freaked out either...it didn't seem that big. Then my boyfriend moved in and I gained a lot. I woke up one morning at 261 lbs. I realize that 238 to 261 isn't a huge difference but something clicked in my brain. HOLY SH**!! 250 lbs was the cut off in some sick or twisted way that signified FAT. I skipped right over 250 and went straight to 261! (200 used to be the cut off in my brain, I was 197 for a long time...I didn't consider myself fat because "atleast I don't weigh 200". )

I got down to 254, just by drinking water and eating a little bit less. Then I joined WW. All the while my BF's weight creeped up and up and up. It wasn't until he was too big to sleep lying down that he realized he needed to do something. I see him in those shows more that I see myself. All he did was work, eat, sleep, eat, work, eat, sleep, eat. He's gained 100 lbs in the year that I've known him. He can no longer buy clothes at regular stores, has to order out of catalogs, can't sleep in a bed, takes up the whole love seat so that I can't sit with him anymore. He sits on the loveseat and asks for this and that to be brought to him because it is too much of an effort to stand up. It really scares me that he's gone too far and that I'm not that far behind him.

I think that's why I watch those shows...to scare myself into not getting too complacent.

I was addicted to these shows as well. What I found most disturbing is when they mentioned that the life expectancy of our children will be less than ours due to the epidemic of childhood obesity. That's a scary thought. That has definitely motivated me to get moving and teach my daughter healthy eating and exercising habits.

I was so sad about the 900 pound woman...such an inspiration to others. She was so brave. The Half Ton Teen bothered me more because of the babying that went on between him and his mother. He was completely helpless, which I think the mother preferred, because then she could always take care of him. Losing a child is completely horrible, but just goes to show that when something that traumatic happens, you really need to seek help.

I cried over this show, too. I was totally shocked that she passed away. What brave little girls she has.

One thing the Mom said in the Half Ton Teen show, "I'll never leave you, baby." They played that atleast twice maybe 3 times in the 1 hour show. It struck me that she was insuring that he'd never be able to leave her by feeding, feeding, feeding him. She even gave him baths and scrubbed his face like an infant! It is like hobbling a horse or clipping a birds wings. He was really trapped by her benevolent toxicity. Not only could he not physically leave but he had the self help skills of an infant. My 8 year old son has more skills than he did. It was very sad!!

One child had left her (through death). She made sure this one wouldn't be able to.

I agree and that doctor was crazy to have her do the surgery because the risk is that she would die on the table, although she didn't but she passed away anyway. There is the show also called Big Medicine. Not sure if it's still on but that show angered me because even when people were not mentally ready to have the surgery they would do it anyway because it was like $25 or $30,000 and I think that's all they cared about. I have seen those shows. My ex boyfriend called them my fat shows but weight loss shows are always fascinating to me.

The phrase, you have a pretty face, is so annoying and insulting. It's like their saying your face is pretty but holy sh*t what happened to the rest of you! I had a guy trying to sell me cds one time and I was going to buy one until he said, you have a pretty face. I immediately put my wallet away and walked away angry. People think it's a compliment but it really is not and I wish they would stop using it!

Remember that if you ask a surgeon what the best treatment is for ANYTHING, he or she is most likely going to say surgery. It's what they do! They aren't going to say, Oh, go see a nutritionist, unless it's to prepare one for surgery. Most surgeons are just focused on this one narrow solution.

Jay

That's exactly why I chose it for my username. Words have no power over me unless I choose to give them power. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. I used to hear "You have SAPF" all the time from my own grandmother. It doesn't bother me anymore, and I hope one day it won't bother you, either.

Howie and I watched these shows over the last couple of days. We, too, talked about what brings a person to such a point and how families and friends enable the person to continue.

I think about the behavior of other addicts and how it relates to this addiction. Addicts are experts at manipulation. They are skilled at getting those around them to provide what they want. Their primary concern is gaining access to their drug. They may love their families, but the addiction overshadows all and it's rooted in a hopeless selfishness that only an addict can comprehend.

Throw in a good dose of dysfunction and familial guilt and you've got a powder keg.

I imagine many provide food to these individuals just to keep the peace. They know the person can't provide for his or herself, so they stay out of love and/or obligation. They remain wrapped up in that whole sick vicious circle. It must be a nightmare.

My heart goes out to those girls who lost their mom. I wonder how they're doing.

Thank you. I watched it and it is extremely sad. Its also sad that he is in denial of his situation, he said he ate normally and it was genetics but then you see him after weight loss surgery eating KFC and talking about having more fried chicken as a snack later then eating cheetos (not sure?) and calling them his protein snack. Then he says that he avoid high fat, high sodium foods.