Repercussions From 'Fat' Post Still Being Felt

I knew when I wrote this blog post that some people were going to misconstrue what I wrote regarding the lawsuit involving a New Hampshire doctor calling his patient obese that was all over the news last week. I even heard from this person who felt that MY comments were too unnecessarily harsh towards people who are overweight and that I should be ashamed of mysef for making fun of fat people.

With all due respect, I have NOT engaged in fat bashing and do not ever intend to. As someone who has been in that category for most of his life, that would be tantamount to me slamming myself, many of my friends and my family. I still consider myself a kindred spirit with anyone who considers themselves overweight or obese because I know what it is like to be in those shoes.

I care about people suffering with obesity which is why I started this blog. I apologize if anyone was offended by how I wrote the article, but I make no apologies for what I wrote because it is the truth. We have got to start being honest with each other about this very serious weight problem that will not go away on its own.

Even still, the comments keep coming in about how cruel I am being to overweight and obese people. Someone using the name Raven posted this comment at 4:35am today:

Criticising people in this way about their weight can be very damaging. I work for Eating Disorders Association UK and am aware that many sufferers started out on their illness because they were unhappy about being overweight. Often the trigger is a tactless comment like this doctor made. As anorexia nervosa has one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness I don't think this should be laughed off. I think Moe should be congratulated for her work on supporting people's self esteem.

And here's my response:

Hey Raven,

Thank you for coming to my blog today to post your comments about the doctor who told his patient she was obese. However, I have not and never will advocate ANYONE to CRITICIZE others about their weight problem. As a former 410-pounder myself, that is the WORST thing you can do to try to help someone get their weight under control.

However, the role of your doctor is to give you his professional opinion regarding your health and welfare. If he believes your obesity is causing a decline in your health, then it is his RESPONSIBILITY to tell you. Otherwise, we'll be seeing lawsuits in the coming years from overweight patients who will try to sue their doctor for NOT warning them about the dangers of their condition.

I appreciate where you are coming from and the wonderful work that people like yourself are doing, If someone has an eating disorder, then that is serious business that must be handled quickly and appropriately. It's a shame the people can get to that point, but weight can literally weigh on your physically and emotionally. Again, I know because I was there. You're preaching to the choir on this one.

By the way, I'm not laughing at anyone who is suffering from obesity. I am simply pointing out that THEY are the ones who are in ultimate control of whether they do something about it or not. Nobody can lose weight for them. They have to invest the right kind of eating habits and exercise that will bring them closer to the point where they can LIVE again.

As for Moe, I do congratulate her for helping other overweight and obese people try to survive all the hate-filled tactics of people who would truly criticize them for their weight. But that's not what I did.

Rather, I noted that the mentality that you can't improve upon your health and weight problem is just wrong. Interestingly, I used to think the exact same way as Moe. I thought I was destined to be fat for the rest of my life and that no diet in the world was really helping me. I even gave up on caring about how I ate for a long time (obvious by my hefty weight). But I turned the corner when I decided to start livin' la vida low-carb.

The rest, they say, is history. And I'll never be the same again. THANKS for your comments and I hope this helps clarify some of the confusion about what I wrote. God bless you in your work in the UK and come back to see us again soon. Take care!

Jimmy Moore, "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man"
livinlowcarbman@charter.net
http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com

The topic of obesity and how to get it under control will be around for many years and decades to come. People are understandably sensitive to this subject, but something needs to jolt them into reality. Living with obesity cannot and should not be an option. Again, I'VE BEEN THERE! I know what I'm talking about. We can and must do everything we possibly can to give people the information they need to make the right choices about how to get their weight under control. For me, the low-carb lifestyle has been that answer. And my life will never be the same again.