Half-ton Man Dies, family blames government

Originally Posted by Shin

Well I wasn't suggesting encouraging bullying so much as turning a blind eye when it happened. I agree the actively pursuing fatties with sticks would be going a little far and obviously, one doesn't want to affirm to the bullies that that kind of behaviour is how to get ahead in life (Even if it is, let's keep that a secret until people join the work force). I do think that treating fat people and kids in particular with kid gloves is morally wrong though and they should be made to stand up to their responsibilities.

While I agree the bullying may create some initial desire for the fat kid to do some exercise and lose weight or run away from the bullies, it's one of the most psychologically damaging experiences a child can go through during school.

What if the child had the opposite problem? What if it was the scrawny tiny little shrimp that was being picked on? Should she/he start drinking milk to the point where they'd puke so their bones would grow? What happens or who is it to blame if the shrimp became depressed and fell to a psychological distress point that she/he started dieting and became anorexic (or the opposite, over-eating).

Of course, the cynical response for the kid being bullied is "grow some balls and tell the bullies to fuck off."

While I agree that physical activity will do the kid better, the psychological damage that it does may even have an opposite effect than intended (i.e., the fat kid getting depressed and over-eating to deal with his depression). At that point it really isn't helping the fat kid, is it?

These people have a physical disorder. Their bodies physically cannot process nutrition properly. Some of these people eat less and still gain weight, so it's likely not a problem of eating habits or amount of exercise at that point (that is, if they are physically active and are eating properly but still gain weight). It's too late to deal with if it gets to the point if they're bedridden. The disorder has to be dealt with before that and proper health care / attention needs to be administered. In the case of the the man described in the opening, he called for help a bit too late, but at least he called for help. The fact that the people whom he called out to did not respond in a constructive manner is still disturbing.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Shin

Shorty, honey, the instances of someone having a genuine metabolic disorder that causes them to be a huge blubbery mass, despite eating hardly anything and jogging a lot are so few and far between as to almost have gained urban myth status. It's just an excuse fat people use for being lazy, greedy bastards. "It's my metabolism, it's really slow" and I'm sure it's your metabolism that makes you drive to Burger King and stuff your face with cow sinews twice a day too right? What the fuck ever.

Eh, I just wanted to argue "what is the point of bullies damaging someone's psyche when it's the parents fucked up enough to feed them McDonald's 4 times a week, shouldn't we punish them first?" point, but you got me there.

I really do sympathize those whom have genuine problems losing the weight for whatever reason (provided they are doing everything possibly right in a healthy eating manner, of course). Those whom aren't eating properly or not making the effort and complaining, yes, that sort of laziness and gluttony should be frowned upon. Heavily.

But yeah, it still makes me sad when I see obviously obese 2 year-old children running around inside Sears with a foot-long-hotdog with mayonnaise piled on it in one hand and a 1-pound bag of Doritos' in the other. That's got to be some fucked up parenthood going on there.

There's nowhere I can't reach.