Why is a fat person disabled cos they’re fat, but never fat cos they’re disabled?

[Thislittlelady]

Just that really.

certain health conditions and disabilities can affect your ability to be mobile and thus make you put on weight. Some medications also have weight gain as a side effect.

All this can lead to the incorrect perception that they are not disabled, they are simply fat and lazy.

There are people, though, who are fat because they are fat.

There is no way to tell, so you should really just MYOB

You're right Op. I reckon this obesity fight that the Government has launched as a distraction will just increase the hate and shaming.

A true example.
A woman with severe arthritis on a first aid course at work. She gets through it all until the resuscitation practical. The trainer insists she must resuscitate the dummy on the floor and kneel down to do it or she fails the whole course.
She is in agony. She is left sobbing on the floor with the pain. The rest of the class crowd round to watch as the trainer goads encourages her.
She finds out later that the dummy could have been lifted onto a table, as she asked at the time. The trainer lied.

So is the trainer a vicious bully or is she justified?
Now add that the woman is overweight because of the treatment she's on and her restricted ability to exercise. Not one person, man or woman, on that course protested. More fun to watch the fat cow on the floor struggling.

Yeah people judge and it's so wrong.

My dad is 70. Very fit. Recently had chemo and was on high doses of steroids.
He exercised the whole way through chemo and was often in gym running 5k the following day.

He piled on 15.

Didn't help that last month of chemo he had to shield and so he's, ate more rubbish and moved less.

He's now in gym constantly again and you can see the weight come off.

Weight gain and loss is such a complex issue and I absolutely hate it when people lump it down to purely "eating more than you're burning"

That may be technically correct but it's not black and white.

to all of you feeling judged by your weight whilst struggling with disability whilst feeling so judged.

Well, I will probably eventually be disabled because I am fat. I have a host of lifelong health issues that are progressively getting worse.

I was competitively sporty up to about 18. Despite being bedridden with ME at 19 I was a group fitness instructor in my late 20s and 30s, even into my 40s. Then got hit with other issues that won't get any better.

I can't exercise, so can't do anything about that. I don't overeat but the weight gain I experienced in my 30s/40s is nigh on impossible to shift because of my being pretty inactive - walk round houses all day and have a dog, but can't break out of a slowish walk.

My education means I am fully aware of the physiology of my issues, I am well motivated to stay as light as possible, but there is physically only so much I can do. I'd be happy to tell you all about the physical defects that add to the physiological ones, in a lot of detail, if you'd like.

We can start with congenital physical defects to my leg and its additional burdens.
And the oxygen deprivation issues caused by megaloblastic anemia, compinded by pernicious anemia
And of course the ME/CFS hasn't gone away!

Just let me know how to ameliorate them, lose weight and be healthy and I'll nominate you for a Nobel Prize!

Sorry OP! I'll explain them to your family member/s in great detail, all the big medical words. And then they can have a Nobel Prize if they can fix me!

They are being ludicrous! Sod them!

Yup..

My disability was missed because I am fat, medics didn't take me seriously, go for a walk, go on a diet, those palpitations are just panic attacks have these sleeping pills... the joint pain is because you are fat.

I asked if I had congestive heart failure - no don't be silly.

I did.

I nearly died.

I have a connective tissue disorder (Ehlers Danlos) which has lead to damage to my heart valves and left ventricle.

I am now on so many meds I rattle, I am not allowed to do more than gentle swimming or pilates, however ive yet to find a pilates class that will accept me with my risks.. I use a power wheelchair now after years of a manual chair that has shredded the rotator cuffs and joint surfaces on both shoulders.

My sister showed signs of heart failure a few years back... now my DX took 4 years.... shes slim, hers took 3 weeks. Ok the fact she has a family history because of me has helped but still...

When I used a scooter I would get tons of abuse, nasty comments, spat at.. because fa + scooter = lazy fat fucker.

I now get ignored, because power wheelchair = severe disability, avoid at all costs.

Manual wheelchair interestingly, people smile and talk to me, as this means 'poor disabled person, probably mentally competant, fat because of disability'.

Being overweight is itself a disability if it affects your mobility and quality of life. As such, there is no excuse for treating overweight people other than with compassion and respect.

It is not always "self-inflicted" either so blaming the individuals is abhorrent. I have a friend who has been severely overweight since she was a small child. There is evidence that once you reach a 'tipping point', your brain is permanently re-wired in a way which makes you crave unhealthy foods and makes weight loss very difficult. She has been trying very hard to lose weight since she was an older teenager but she's been fighting all her life with one hand tied behind her back. She never had a chance to start at normal like the rest of us.

I understand you OP and I agree.

As a very short disabled person I have thought about this a lot recently. I have reduced mobility (joint condition) and also take epilepsy meds which can cause weight gain - and even more annoyingly make me want to eat all day every day as well as making me huge anyway

I know my joint problems are worse when I'm overweight - it's like carrying a load of heavy luggage around. I couldn't pick up a suitcase and carry it around now but in some ways I was choosing to do that when overweight.

The pain in my joints has been worse over lockdown - I'm waiting for an operation for one in particular which obviously hasn't happened yet. It's actually spurred me to lose a shitload of weight (being honest I lost my appetite for a bit as I felt so fucking fed up) but the combination of being really short, inactive and on AEDS is fucking lethal for losing weight. It has been so hard - I only lose/maintain weight on about 800 calories a day. Obviously I take vitamins etc and eat as healthily as possible.

I can see why people find this so hard to do - I couldn't do it myself for years! It was the realisation (which makes me sound a bit thick ) that the weight I was carrying was actually like lugging a couple of suitcases, and a backpack, filled with rocks, around with me everywhere.

Eating so little is shit but I simply can't eat more and "cancel" it with exercise. I so miss all the rituals and all the comfort I got from food but the pain in my joints has really lessened, to the point I've been able to reduce a certain painkiller (which is also a seizure risk so doubly beneficial to me).

Also I am shallow - but there is also the benefit to my mental health as I know I look better (my neck doesn't, it's a bit like a chicken but oh well ) and the feeling of my clothes being too big makes me happier as it's a visual progress.

I'm absolutely not trying to sound smug or if I can do it anyone can do it but I'm only sharing it in case it helps anyone. Although I doubt anyone is as thick as I am that the luggage thing is a sudden revelation

Dunno, why can't people spell the word because? How long is a piece of string?
Can a person be a fart?

When I was very very overweight I had all kinds of medical issues, GPs never seemed interested in helping always because I was fat I was just another obese person taking the time up, too busy eating rather then listening to their advice, I ate emotionally because I was stuck in DV relationship couldn’t escape, I ended up very ill, lots of foot and leg issues, lost lots of weight they all went away

There is no way to tell, so you should really just MYOB

yes

Of course being obese can cause disability, extra weight putting stress on your bones and joints, making it harder to walk and do day to day things. Also it can work the other way, someone who had a disability and finds it hard to exercise can become overweight.

@FlowergirlRose that is horrible that she was shamed and forced to try and do that in front of everyone when she said she couldn't, but realistically often CPR etc will be done on the floor; someone shouldn't be passing the course if they are unable to. If it's for general awareness then sure, but if it's through work which would land you potentially being rota-d on to duty first aider then you should be able to do what is required.

Until a couple of years ago I was a 12 most of the time. (Occasional steroids meant occasional changes). Since then, my condition has deteriorated and I am now a size 20 due to the steroids and various other meds I take daily (some days up to 15 tablets). If I see a new GP they usually tell me how much better my migraines/arthritis/psoriasis/EDS/IBD would be if I lost weight.
I put them right.

There are some awful stories on here. My thoughts go out to all of you. It really is a struggle when you can’t move. I can’t walk well because it hurts sooo bad. Each step is like a shock and makes the pain worse but you have to keep going otherwise you’d just give up, right? My lovely darling son said to me when we were out one day ‘ why are you walking if it hurts so much? Why don’t you just not go to the shops’? I said because what am I supposed to do, do nothing because it hurts and just sit in a corner and waste away, or keep trying as much as I can? What sort of life will I give to myself if I just stay in because it’s painful? Being. Disabled sucks. I hate my crutches because they get in the way of everything and are such a pain in the arse when you’re trying to shop, for food, meds, clothes, whatever. And I looked at mobility scooters. And I thought, it seems so nice to think I can travel around and not be in pain! But I can walk short distance. Like I can go from house to car
Not bad, but that’s hardly 100m dash! But my dh says you don’t need that. And my sister says you don’t need that. Even our parents don’t need that. So despite being my family forever, they still don’t get it. And that’s horrible. I feel for anyone struggling with weight , especially through illness or disability. It’s hard going. And telling people you need less calories doesn’t always work.

I long for the day when people don't think they need to know why a person is fat before they accord them some basic dignity and compassion.

You're fat because you're disabled/on meds? Oh, I'm sorry.

You're not disabled/on meds? - well, you ate all the pies and should just stop.

If only life were so simple.

@PuzzledObserver

Exactly. We as a society just judge. That was my original point. And it’s really unfair, and as others have stated no ones business. But I constantly feel like I have to justify myself to people, even my own family , cos they just don’t seem to understand. Or are unwilling to.

I have Ehlers Danlos type 3, polycystic ovaries with insulin resistance, arthritis, hypothyroidism, hypotension, Freibergs disease, Mortons neuroma in both feet with claw toes...and another bunch of disorders besides. I am on a morphine patch for the neuropathic pain. Since being diagnosed I have often been offered mobility aids like crutches, and a mobility scooter to get about. I have refused. I am a size 6/8 slim build, and all the doctors I see at consultant and GP level remark that they are surprised I am that size given the health issues. There is an assumption based in their training and clinical experience that being disabled goes hand-in-hand with being fat. I don't drink alcohol (due to the meds), and eat a vegetarian diet. I cannot walk far some days, but I do exercise like yoga and gentle stretches at home like a physiotherapist showed me from a chair or bed. I recommend this to anyone with pain issues because a little movement is better than none, and empowers you to stay as strong as you can. Like others have said, some conditions do cause weight gain, and obesity does cause diseases as well. The Government should do more to encourage disabled people to exercise and offer support groups, as there is so much hate crime and stigma still in society.

My mum was a tiny slip of a thing. However her illness has progressively got worse so now she is fat. Think double the size she was. Her ankles have collapsed and she fell and shattered both arms a few years back so now has restricted mobility In her arms as her elbows are shattered and they couldn’t fix them properly. She still has tiny bits of bone floating about. So she can’t walk or exercise her upper body!

Because a lot of people (dh's consultant to name one) do not seem to understand that "cause" has to precede "effect" and not vice versa.

@stablemaple

I'll say it again. In your haste to justify, you missed it.
She finds out later that the dummy could have been lifted onto a table, as she asked at the time. The trainer lied.

It was never a requirement for passing the course.

Just last week I was walking at my normal speed when someone I thought was a friend said to me “Gonna overtake you as you’re being incredibly slow! Nothing personal!”

Then the following day another friend felt it was OK to say she was grateful every day that she didn’t wake up to the conditions that I have.

I’m currently thrashing it out with another Mner on another active thread who has the inability to see disabilities.

It’s the same with the facemasks though. Village idiot posting on FB asking why some of us aren’t wearing them Quite a few of responses to that one!

Porcupineinwaiting

People become overweight for exactly 1 reason - because they consume more calories than they burn off. Some conditions and medications make it a lot easier to do this but at the end of the day it's about what you eat.

Please try and do a bit more research. It isn't always all about what you eat, how much you exercise etc. New paragraph I started a new drug recently. I still walk at least 5 miles a day, I still do yoga almost every day and I still follow exactly the same diet as I did before. I have don't feel hungrier than pre-new drug or have the munchies. I gained two stone in weight in 2 months. I am starting to wean off this drug so if you're around in 2 months time give me a shout and I'll let you know if my excess weight disappears as quickly as it accumulated. New paragraph perhaps a little bit more understanding and compassion would go a long way towards curtailing your arrogance fullstop