Fat-shaming needs to make a comeback…
Bill Maher is that super-rare breed, the Practical Liberal. I find myself agreeing with him more often than not, and his comments yesterday regarding American healthcare were spot-on.
Patients become offended when you tell them they are morbidly obese. My standard response is, “It’s not ‘body-shaming’, it’s math.” I was horrified when McDonald’s was offering free meals to healthcare workers. And doubly horrified when many were actually accepting them! Rather than shutting down the gyms, the government should be subsidizing them to get people in shape and increase their COVID-19 survival odds . Public health is a double-edged sword, and personal responsibility is the other side. Of course, Americans never want to take the blame for anything they do. So maybe it’s time for some personal accountability.
Make no mistake America fighting COVID is like a boxer who went into the ring out of shape and is taking a beating for it.
Posted by Bill Maher on Friday, July 31, 2020
the ones that accepted the meals probably ate that type of food anyway
@kaliko Very true! I’ve seen some amazingly bad habits in American healthcare workers – people who should know better. Respiratory Therapists smoking! You’d think that dealing with people who can’t breathe because of smoking-related conditions (COPD, emphysema, etc.) would scare them off smoking.
@bedlamhillfarm So true! My Aunt is a pulmonary doctors and she smokes and drinks heavy! she actually is going to Texas to help out with their covid 19 I just shake my head… if I were her I would stay locked in my house right now because she is a smoker
@kaliko I’ve known a few healthcare workers who have died from COVID-19, and all had comorbidity issues.
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McDonald’s ought to be put out of business as lethal, as should all the other fast food corps. that specialize in fat & sugar.
@ghostdancer It’s a minimally-regulated industry. As long as their products pass FDA muster, it’s perfectly legal. But is it right to put out one sandwich that has more calories, fat and sugar that is suggested for a whole day’s consumption?
@bedlamhillfarm Well I don’t think so, but I’m definitely in the minority. My son lived on McDonalds until his daughter grew up & went vegan, which has prompted him to eat better. But it’s so cheap & so easy — no wonder people go for it. I sometimes wonder if it’s not a conspiracy to keep poor people unhealthy …
Legal but lethal … think that would make a good marketing slogan …?
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I’m severely obese. A contributing ongoing factor is due to some of the medication I am required to take which is linked to weight gain. I presently weight around 255 pounds and I’m only 5 feet tall. I was just recently diagnosed with diabetes. I’m doing everything I can to lose weight but it’s not going to have done me any good if I become ill with COVID-19 because it’s too late. That’s very discouraging. And unfair. COVID-19 is a death sentence for me. I am doing all I can to lower my risk, but still. No one is safe from COVID-19 no matter what they do. It is highly contagious.
@wildrose_2 Well, happily it’s never too late. An 80 year old friend in Australia has dropped 10kg since March with diet and activity adjustments because he was terrified of becoming a COVID-19 statistic. I had COVID-19 in November 2019 (before we knew what it was). Happily my comorbidity issues are minor, and I had a mild bout – really only felt flu-ish for 4 days with a mild fever, but the cough lingered 3 weeks. Had I been 10kg heavier or had elevated blood pressure or blood sugar, who knows? Just living is a risk, is what I tell patients, but we can mitigate or eliminate so many of them.
Stay strong, stay focused, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not too late as long as you can draw your next breath.
@bedlamhillfarmI’m so glad you only had a mild case of COVID-19. Thank goodness for that! I’ve been following a low carbohydrate diet. When I began, I weighed 282 pounds. I’ve lost 27 pounds. Oh, I might mention my A1C is 6.3. It was 6.5. Mark my words, the next time I receive the results it will be even lower. Much lower.
@wildrose_2 I don’t think Bill Maher meant it in quite that way. I think it was aimed at the fast food industry in general, & how much Americans (& can the rest of the world be far behind?) have gotten into the habit of eating way too much of it. It’s not bad as a treat every now & then, but an almost daily diet of it is deadly. I’m also morbidly obese, for various reasons, so COVID-19 would probably be a death sentence for me if I caught it — you can be sure I’m doing everything in my power not to. 143 days isn’t a joke: I go nowhere but to doctor’s appointments (& then only if a phone appointment won’t work) & once every 2 weeks or so to the grocery store, with a mask & a face shield. I’d order my groceries online but InstaCart won’t accept my credit card. And you’re right, no one is absolutely safe from COVID, but a person can do all they can to keep from getting it. I know you’re taking those precautions too.
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Just look at Trump. His idea of a low fat meal is Fried chicken. I think everything in moderation and lots of fruits and vegetables and also walk or exercise is the key to keeping your weight down and being in good shape.
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I started weight training at the start but due to work and office, I wasn’t able to continue it so I discontinued it. But just after discontinue I put on like 75-80lbs of weight and everyone used to stare at me, made a joke on me, used to tease me because of my obesity. So finally I decided to do something else other than weight training, I changed my diet using some products to kill my food cravings, and trust me it helped a lot. When I found out that my food cravings are no more, and I have automatically put on a diet because of no food cravings. https://sites.google.com/view/whatcanyoueatonaketodiet-keto/home
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