Bigdj1977:
I completely understand that sentiment you expressed at the end of this post. I too started out in a field that has some physically demanding jobs but as I got bigger, I was lucky to find positions that are much more desk bound. You may have to get some additional training or credentials but if it allows you to live life more according to your preferences that is a small price to pay. Also, keep in mind that for many people, myself included, there comes a size where they have to eat a satisfying amount of food to just maintain or gain very slowly (this is the mid 400s for me) and are still reasonably mobile.
FattMatt:
My backup plan is to start teaching when I’ve gathered a few years of experience in my field. Maybe that wil open up the possibilities of gaining to an more extreme weight. And I know I won’t be bed bound by the time I hit 500 pounds. I think however that the image of a 400-500 pound hospital worker, isn’t widely accepted in society…
Ayumi Orihime:
Many people in the medical field are very fat phobic. As a pharmacist, when I do continued education, the non pharmacological advise for most health problems include "weight loss".
I wish they'd really get educated on the subject. Research shows that voluntary weight loss isn't sustainable in the long run and that the weight cycling is the real danger, not the fatness itself.
Maybe they feel "safer" assuming all fat people are greedy and lazy, this way they are "protected" from becoming fat themselves.
Blaming fat people for their fatness and assuming health issues such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, etc are caused by obesity (as opposed to "associated with being fat", which isn't the same at all) is very common in health professionals and it's been shown that many have a really bad perception of their fat patients.
Just suggesting that these issues could be linked to other factors also associated with being fat (stress, lack of exercise or weight cycling for example) is seen as controversial!
It's just ridiculous and I don't want to me a part of it. I've never told a patient of mine they should lose weight and I never will.
I think it depends on what health issue they have. I agree that weight loss isn't the end all be all. A lot of health concerns can be resolved by doing something else.
But some medical conditions can be helped by some level of weight loss. For example, my grandma has osteoporosis. While losing weight will not fix the problem, it can be helped by maintaining a lower weight. To put it simply, she had to lose weight because her bones are not strong enough to support her.
This also doesn't take into account the more extreme forms of obesity such as immobility. I don't think most immobile people will tell you that they are as fit as a fiddle. But on FF, I believe that is part of the appeal.
