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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Bariatric ambulances

108 replies

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 11:51

Whilst it's a shocking sign of the times that ambulance bosses are having to spend a fortune on wider ambulances and bigger, stronger stretchers to ferry obese people to hospital...what about the paramedics?

If the obesity rate continues to rise as fast as it is, then surely ambulance crews are going to have to eventually become stronger or risk putting patient's lives at risk by being unable to carry the stretcher or doing themselves an injury?

Where does this leave all the more slightly built trained professionals? Confused

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12287880

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Betelguese · 03/02/2011 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cantspel · 03/02/2011 16:14

These days It is far easier to buy clothes for fat kids than skinney kids. Infact i can only think of marks who sell slim fit school trousers for boys but they all do wider fitting.
It is also unacceptable to comment if a child is over weight but the same overweight kid can call my child skinney and make comments without anyone turning a hair.

Everyone just seems to accept fat these days or are to scared to say anything as it is not pc to do so.

Betelguese · 03/02/2011 16:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 16:17

That's true actually cantspel...when you consider we're never more than a few years behind the USA and they have large reinforced toilet seats, reinforced bus, train and car seats...etc.

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mutznutz · 03/02/2011 16:18

Lol Betel that would be bad if anyone fell onto someone else!

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OTTMummA · 03/02/2011 16:20

I think a lot of people reaction is from fear and personal insecurities.
The fact is that everyone has the potential to put on weight, most people fluctuate etc.

Most people know someone who used to be a skinny minny and then 5 yrs down the road is the size of a bus,, in the back of some peoples head a little voice is saying, that could be me one day.

cantspel · 03/02/2011 16:21

I wish we would do as the US does and make anyone over a certain size pay for 2 seats on planes ect.

Nothing worse than being stuck in a small spacenext to someone who has shoe horned themselves into a far to small seat and spilling over into to the seat i have paid for.

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 16:24

Most people know someone who used to be a skinny minny and then 5 yrs down the road is the size of a bus,, in the back of some peoples head a little voice is saying, that could be me one day

I have to disagree with you there to a point. It's not something I've ever thought about and would never think I would be the size of a bus in a few years (unless there was a massive medical reason)

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GwendolineMaryLacey · 03/02/2011 16:31

The attitudes on this thread are very enlightening. And not in a good way.

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 16:34

Why is that Gwendoline? For the most part I'd say the majority of posts have been quite candid and well thought out?

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Joolyjoolyjoo · 03/02/2011 16:42

The attitudes on this thread are interesting, to me. I wonder why we all feel such empathy for people who choose to eat themselves to death, yet have nothing kind to say about people who drink or smoke themselves to death.

You see it here all the time- people calling smokers disgusting/ selfish/ smelly "Oh, they stink". It seems to be more acceptable to screw one's face up at the scent of alcohol or cigarettes, and yet we would never be impolite enough to make a face at the smell of rotting ulcerated flesh caused by obesity. Is it that over-eating is seen by many less as a choice, but an illness?? In that case, why are addictions like drugs/ alcohol and especially smoking not dealt with more compassionately?

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 16:45

Food for thought there Jooly if you'll excuse the pun Grin

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OTTMummA · 03/02/2011 17:19

Thats why i said some people mutz.
I have certainly thought that in the past when i was a healthy weight.

OldMumsy · 03/02/2011 17:37

OTTMumma, I have a similar story but I had a Vertical Gastric Sleeve operation in May 2009. This removes the stretchy part of the stomach and reduces hunger so you can eat normally and feel full very quickly. I have a normal relationship with food now and I have a BMI of 21 down from 41, I weigh 130lbs now. For me this worked.

RunawayFishWife · 03/02/2011 17:47

While it is tragic you don't wake up one day 30 stone, a little bit more will power and a little less food

OldMumsy · 03/02/2011 18:59

Not helpful if someone has a real problem Runaway.

bettybosseye · 03/02/2011 19:16

Sorry i havn't read all of this thread Blush but i have to stick my tuppence worth in.
I watched this woman on the news this morning moaning on about how uncomfy her ambulance ride was and how embarrassing it was that the trolley wasn't wide enough etc..
but instead of thinking god how embarrassing maybe i should go get help to lloose weight she thought she'd go on tele and complain that the ambulances are too small. I think that's madness.
I am wearing my flame proof knickers by the wway so fill your boots.Grin

PinkElephant73 · 03/02/2011 19:28

Bettybosseye I agree with you. I had a relatively who was grossly obese, she actually broke a garden chair when sitting down in it,in front of lots of people at a barbecue. you would think that would be enough of a wakeup call but no, she was mortified but it didnt change her behaviour.

towards the end of her life she couldnt get up off the floor by herself if she fell and it was a struggle for 2 grown men to get her up.

bettybosseye · 03/02/2011 19:37

Thanks PinkElephant, i didn't expect anyone to agree with me.
I appreciate that people so large have other issues but it really is arse over tit thinking to address the problem by spending millions making everything bigger.
Still got my flame proof knickers on.

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 20:44

bettybosseye I don't think your opinion is in a minority. I was going to say "So take your knickers off"...but that sounds so wrong! Blush Grin

Money seems to be dished out hand over fist at both ends of the scale. All the money spent on educating children and parents on healthy eating...money spent on sports projects and incentives...teaching kids and parents how to grow fruit and veg...vouchers given to very low income families.

The list is endless but still the rise in obesity continues.

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bettybosseye · 03/02/2011 20:53

I'm not wearing any knickers!

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 20:57

Still got my flame proof knickers on

So you lied!! Let the flaming begin!! Grin

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ronshar · 03/02/2011 21:37

new2cm
I am lying am I? Ok I shall send you the bill for my Chiropractor which runs to the thousands. I can send you the pharmacy bill for the thousands I have to spend on co-codaymol and diclofenac. I could let you know every single morning how difficult it is for me to get out of bed with out crying.
All because some people decide to eat so much food they get too fat to move themselves but are quite happy to let ambulance crews break their backs moving them around!

I could probably find you the youtube footage of the actual event in Brighton if that puts your mind at rest.

Seriously. Have a look around you when you next go into town. There will be plenty of people who if they fell down would not be able to get back up again.

new2cm · 04/02/2011 11:06

ronshar,

I obviously live in a different town to you because I do look around and can confidently say that the obese are either non-existant or very few and far. There are a few overweight people, but on the whole, the majority are slim - considering they were wearing padded coats, they are probably even thinner.

Winston Churchill once said, "there are lies, damn lies and statistics". It is difficult to obtain an accurate picture of the situation but even with statistics such as "54% of the population is overweight or obese", there is a margin of error - up to 5% usually. All that tells me is that there are as many slim or 'normal weight' people as there are overweight people in the country.

There is no doubt that in many industrialised countries, UK included, people are getting bigger (and taller). However, I do not believe these scaremongering stories that, for example, 50% of the UK population will be clinically obese by 2015, 2020, 2030 or whatever date.

Normal weight people are the silent majority. They don't make the headlines, whereas, for example, an individual weighing 45 stones does make a headline because it is rare and unusual for a woman to weigh that much.

As for your Chiropractor, surely being a resident in the UK, you are entitled to free NHS treatment. If you are incapacited, you should be entitled to free prescriptions. I obviously don't know your financial position or anything about you, so it's difficult to reply to your comment. However, if you really are paying in the thousands of pounds, perhaps private healthcare insurance like BUPA or AXA PPP might be able to help.

I will try to find the footage on Youtube.

I can understand why you feel bitter by your experiences and blame the obese. If you really believe that you suffered and are injured as a result your workplace conditions, then perhaps visiting a solicitor would be a good idea, especially if your medical care is personally costing you in the thousands of pounds.

mutznutz · 04/02/2011 11:14

new2cm The changes are being made in every area in the UK so obviously there's a need in every area.

I know some areas are worse than others, but when looking around, some people's idea of overweight or obese is different to someone elses.

You often hear people say things like "She's not fat, she's a size 16" and whilst that is true in some cases, it's not true in all cases.

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