Too fat to work..

[Huntersmum15]

Slightly controversial for a Sunday morning I know.. But am I the only person who is angered by people who are too fat to work and claiming disability.. Being fat is a choice (I am aware there are many medical conditions that influence a persons weight and obviously this is not a choice) but it angers people that these people are such a drain on the NHS and cost thousands in obesity related illnesses and then claim benefits aswell?

Considering that tax credits are being cut and (according to reports) many children will live in poverty, is it not only just that obesity related disability benefits also be cut too?

AIBU?

JustImagine
Another person here saying you have nothing to be ashamed of. And it was so brave to post. MN will be supportive if we can...

JustImagine - that is one of the most moving posts I've ever read on here. I've been here a long time!
You write beautifully too
So sorry for all you've been through x
Keep on keeping on, there's nothing braver

Huntersmum if you can read JustImagine's post and still think the same way then you mustn't have no empathy at all and deserve none.

JustImagine

Sorry - mustn't have ANY empathy (sigh)

JustImagine :(

I don't understand how in this day and age, when it seems that Western society has come to new understanding and compassion for almost everything under the sun, homosexuality, race, most mental illnesses, that it can still be considered ok to bash people because they are fat.

It's not a choice, it's not a simple matter of calories in vs. calories out, and we are losing the "war against obesity" because no one will look at the actual reasons we are getting fat.

IMO the Government is responsible for the Obesity Epidemic today.

Back in the 80's/90's the Government changed its dietary advice demonised saturated fat and told us to eat Carbs. The result can be seen everywhere in the Western World.

Blaming Obese people is horrible victim blaming.

FFS even today Diabetics are being told to eat the very food that is making them sick!

Slow claps yet another goady fecker.
Have a

I don't have a weight problem but honestly what is it with people who post a paragraph like that and then just disappear? Pathetic and cruel.

Being fat is a choice
I think it would be a reasonable guess to say that if being fat really was a matter of choice, a heck of a lot of currently fat people would choose not to be that way.

The NHS was designed for all, that's the way it should remain. Once you start cutting things or attaching conditions to treatments it is the start of a very slippery slope.

Goady post and you know it.

Justimagine

Thefitfatty I don't understand how in this day and age, when it seems that Western society has come to new understanding and compassion for almost everything under the sun, homosexuality, race, most mental illnesses, that it can still be considered ok to bash people because they are fat.

You can take "most mental illnessess" out of that list. Even supposedly inclusive campaigning lefty types often demonise mental illness, 'other' people etc. Sure we don't lock people up in institutions as much, but we don't exactly help or include them.

And there's a hell of a lot of "mental illness" (possibly all) that is people who are traumatised or otherwise emotionally affected... and get labelled 'mentally ill' and othered and the whole thing compounded. And those who are traumatised or troubled who aren't labelled mentally ill but just seen as 'bad'/wrong. I guess the obese are often in that catergory...

I hope that makes some sense. People being selfish, uncaring and lacking compassion is basically the problem...

anthony really? REALLY?! I could list exactly why your post is so offensive, but you're too dense.

theelementofsurprise I knew I was probably going to get called up on the "most mental illness," But it does seem to me, at least in terms of ones like depression, OCD, bipolar, etc that there are at least "attempts" being made to normalize it.

Whereas it's just open season to hate on fat people because it's a "choice"

Anthony It's a case of shut the fuck up when you are hurting already fragile and damaged people. But you just can't help yourself, can you? People like you just have no self-control. We should remove your access to the internet for your own health, really.

So we're suggesting that fat people go to extreme and ultimately fatal levels of malnutrition to not be fat?

People in Belsen didn't have access to a plentiful supply of addictive starchy/sugary food

A calorie is not just a calorie!

JustImagine thank you for sharing your story - such a brave and well written post, very moving, and hopefully it can go some way to educating the judgemental fattist idiots.

thefitfatty You're right, I guess I was just shocked at the reality of treatment towards those with MH issues compared to the 'official line' as it were! I seriously think if we get the treatment of the 'mentally ill' right we'd actually inadvertently solve all humanities' problems!

I wonder - long term, is it worse to be morbidly obese or bulimic? I tend to binge through anxiety once a week, then purge, and I'm fortunate that I have weak stomach acid. So I'm not anywhere like the scale of people who repeatedly binge and purge throughout the day. Hopefully, I won't get the oesophagus damage, mineral deficiencies and ruptured stomach lining associated with frequent purging (I would say I'm relatively infrequent). However, if I didn't purge, the additional 5-7k of calories per week would gradually increase my weight by 1-2lbs per week, despite the fact that I play rugby three times per week and ride 2 horses 5 days per week. I have asthma and knee problems from injury so I have to keep my weight steady.

It's an interesting thought - is it better to live with the effects of obesity or with the effects of occasional purging? Are there any studies about the long term harm of the latter?

Odfod
justimagine

I love food. I suffer regularly with bouts of depression and have done since forever. Food takes that away, gives me a nice feeling inside.

I struggle every fucking day to remain at a 'normal' weight. I'm having a rubbish afternoon. I'm almost crying because what I want to do, is eat 5 family sized bags of malteasers and sleep. But I can't, because that's a slippery slope and I'll feel like shit later. Literally hanging by my fingernails. It's how an addict must feel when they need a hit to switch off from their problems, accept I'll have to give in later anyway, so I can live.

When something goes wrong, I need to eat to make it better. It's not a want, I need it. It's a craving so strong it takes over my whole train of thought. I can't think about anything other than how much I want that food, and how good it'll feel if I can just have a little bit. And when I do, my brain rewards me. I feel so much better, I feel so good! I feel happy again for a little while, until I've realised I've kept eating through the happiness and back into sadness.

I fight this every day. It's very, very hard.

But am I the only person who is angered by people who are....

It's as though some people actively look for things to get angry about.

milk and element you are not the internet police. You don't get to say what people post here. However, I'm off out now so I will leave you to your excuse fest.

JustImagine and milkmilk posts clearly demonstrate how difficult it is to break free from food (specifically carb/sugar) addiction.

Worth a view as a starting point:
The Men who made us fat