Soundoff: Obesity
January 16, 2007
In jest, I posted a comment on Jonniker's website a while back with an image of Manuel Uribe. He's an obese man (weighing in at 1,200+ pounds) in Mexico who, several months ago, made an on-air plea regarding his weight loss.
I'm not really sure how that went, since I never heard the plea, but how can he make a plea regarding his own weight loss? Isn't he the only one who is like, you know, responsible for it? I mean, what can his audience do about it?
Since then, he has apparently lost 200 pounds following a strict high-protein diet. Is that the same thing as the Atkins Diet? Because I'm a professional dieter and all, but not eating bread (and biscuits and rolls and crepes and English muffins and bagels and such) sounds like pure hell to me.
You might as well eliminate dessert, too. And then life is no fun and you can't sit around on a cold wintry day roasting marshmallows on the fire. And what are fires for, if not to roast marshmallows? That's what I want to know.
When I glanc at that picture of Manuel, I can't tear my eyes away from his thighs. Those aren't thighs! They are TREE TRUNKS. (And what mine might look like soon if I don't stop eating marshmallows.) What about his feet? Does he have his shoes custom-made? Or, maybe he doesn't even wear shoes. That's possible.
I realize my comments may seem harsh, but I feel qualified to talk about Manuel Uribe's obesity only because I used to date a guy who was extremely obese - probably more than 500 pounds - before I knew him. I couldn't believe it because when we dated, he was a body builder. He won competitions that were based entirely on his physical fitness, and seeing pictures of him when he was so extremely heavy was a juxtaposition of reality.
He told me that he just woke up one day, upset about his weight and tired of the disgusted looks he would get in public. He started dieting on his own, reading fitness magazines and exercising. And he did it. On his own, naturally, without stimulants or steroids. And THAT's why he competed, because he was so proud of what he had accomplished.
And also because girls would hit on him, and he would love it, and then he would get frisky with them, which totally led to us breaking up, but that's another story for another day.
So that is why I don't get Manuel Uribe's plea for help. Shouldn't he help himself?
Comments
Clearly he is very mentally ill. He just needs help.
Posted by: Kate | January 16, 2007 02:18 PM
He TOTALLY needs to start helping himself. I guess he has done so, by dieting. But what's he pleading for?? Money to pay for a gastric bypass? People are just so lazy.
Posted by: Heidi | January 16, 2007 03:08 PM
Please don't get me started about how his Mother probably fed him junk when he was little. I may not ever shut up about how there are so many obese children at my daughter's school and how they're all gonna end up like that dude.
Man, I just wrote a long comment that sounded heartless, so I deleted, but man, come on. Get to the root of why you thought it was okay to weigh that much. It's so sad that it gets to that point.
I'm not heartless, I swear.
Posted by: Marmite Breath | January 16, 2007 04:07 PM
Wow. You would have a very hard time washing yourself or going to the bathroom. Even just basic walking around would keep a lot of that off. I hope he finds a way to get out of it!
Posted by: Julianna | January 16, 2007 07:23 PM
I'm as speechless now as I was the first time I saw it on my site. I mean, uh, my God.
Posted by: jonniker | January 16, 2007 11:30 PM
I dated at guy who was obese before we got together also. And after he lost all the weight he was a total fuh-reak about everything he put in his mouth. It was to the point that it annyed me, but I have to say I can understand why. He was scared to go back to 500 lbs.
As far as this Mexican guy....yeah, he should help himself -- HE is the only one who can do it. My guess is he was asking for guidance of some sort or maybe financial help for surgury???????
Posted by: Ang | January 17, 2007 10:01 AM
I just can't image who you could get to that point. Where you don't even wear clothes anymore. Just throw a sheet over you. Where you can't even walk around. For some people obesity (or even being unable to lose a lot of weight) is a genetic thing but I can't fathom how he let himself get to that point. I mean come on, put down the dozen eggs and the loaf of bread, drink a Slimfast or something.
Posted by: Mo | January 17, 2007 10:03 AM
There are some studies coming out showing that obesity may be linked to bacteria in your guts - bacteria that make you digest food a lot more efficiently. So while an uninfected person eats 2 cups worth of something and gets 400 calories of energy out of it, an infected person might extract 600 calories out of the same food. So what we have been told about "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie" may actually be incorrect.
As far as eating too much, I can totally understand that. Food is a big issue with me and I struggle every single day. I love food. Love to eat. Love to just keep shoving food in my mouth mindlessly. If I didn't obsess somewhat about it, I might weigh 500 pounds. As it is, I am about 60 pounds over where I would like to be.
To lose weight takes every single fiber of my being. I have to be all about food and exercise, all the time. It is so emotionally exhausting to maintain that level of obsession. But as soon as I back off even the tiniest bit, I gain again.
I can't judge anyone about their food and weight issues.
Posted by: Suebob | January 17, 2007 12:44 PM
I have struggled with my weight almost all my life. Most of my family is overweight by some amount and I dont want to get there. I am scared of getting there.
I try very hard to watch what I eat and work out six times a week. I am proud of the way I look and feel and never want to be at an unhealthy place.
It is a lifestyle though and there is no slacking. A cheeseburger or pizza once in a while are fine but then back to chicken and light or low fat....it is exhausting but I imagine it is possibly more exhausting for this man to even take a breath....
Cant blame the parents though, although nutrition and fitness begin at a young age....at some point, all people can choose what they put into their bodies and how much exercise they get.
Posted by: Willow | January 17, 2007 01:00 PM
I just threw up my lunch... for two obvious reasons.
1. That picture is disgusting
2. I don't want to look like him!
Posted by: eddo | January 17, 2007 01:12 PM
Hey he was on Dateline last night (or was it 20/20? or one of those other news shows). For your FYI, although a little late. And I did think of calling you when I flipped the channel and saw him, but I didn't. Sorry.
Posted by: Katie | January 18, 2007 10:11 AM
Whatever. You're dead to me. DEAD TO ME. How could you not call? How could you keep his glory all to yourself? Geeeezz, Katie.
Posted by: jes | January 18, 2007 10:16 AM
Wow. You'd think there would come a point -- maybe once the wheel on his scale no longer went high enough to actually weigh him -- that he'd have realized he needed to think about being healthier before he reached 1,200 pounds. I didn't even know that was possible.
How can he even go to the bathroom? Can a toilet hold that much weight?
Posted by: my life is brilliant | January 18, 2007 09:54 PM
Oh, Lord, the thighs! I bet you weigh about as much as one of those suckers. :)
Posted by: Zandria | January 20, 2007 08:29 PM
I hope he finds the solution he needs and gets his life back. If you can't move, you're going to need a new plan, and some pretty patient people to help you out. It must just HURT all the time. I can't fathom.
Posted by: Meg | January 23, 2007 01:41 AM