Morbid Obesity

The other night I was watching a documentary on the "750 pound man." I know, I know... I watch so little TV as it is and I am watching that? Well for me it was more of wanting to know what it is that leads a person to morbid obesity and, in the case of John, the person profiled in the documentary, what kept him bed-ridden for 7 years. I mean obviously he had an enabler, but I wanted to know more about the whole dynamics of this. I learned some very interesting things and the answers to many of my questions.

1. What caused him to be bed ridden? I couldn't understand someone simply diving into bed one day and laying there, day after day, growing heavier by the minute. In John's case, he was at home when his knees suddenly gave out on him and he crawled to his bedroom and his bed to heal his knees. His knees never supported him after that.

2. Why didn't he lose weight? I know, the obvious answer right? Well I was surprised at some of the obvious answers to this. First, when a person is bedridden, they have very little control over life and one of the few things they can control is what they eat. Given that someone has to provide for them, emotionally it is a very difficult situation complicated by a level of depression (on everyone's part) and in the case of his enablers, wanting to give him something to help him emotionally too. The second one was even more obvious now that I think about it, a person who doesn't move doesn't use many calories. Once a person is not moving, muscles waste away reducing the caloric expenditure even more. Even a strict diet (which would be devastating emotionally) would yield a very slow weight loss because of the lack of calories expended.

3. Who was supporting him, both financially and well, food-wise? His wife and sister did, both of them wanting the best for him and loving him very much. He had complex health issues which further complicated his condition, the biggest one being diabetes, and they were constantly trying to stabilize his body nutritionally and his blood sugar levels, but were unable to do so. Given that, both of his enablers were obese (not nearly to the extent he was though) and love to them also equaled food. A difficult situation with, I doubt, few supports from the community.

4. Why didn't he exercise? In watching the footage, they home he was in during the documentary (he was living in a nursing home that specialized in obesity) tried to support him with physiotherapist support. But at 750 lbs he was only able to be in one position. His muscles had wasted away and he was no longer able to move much beyond pulling himself with his arms a little. To lay on his back made him breathless because of the crushing weight of his abdominal fat, to the point that his ribs were ready to break. Being in one position (on his left side) made it difficult to exercise at all.

5. And finally, what is morbid obesity? The definition is a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or more which is essentially double your ideal body weight.
I watch as my sister very slowly creeps into obesity as I slowly from the cusp of the very same and I want to help understand better the complex reasons for this so that I can better support her, after her precious baby is born in February that is! What a reason to want a healthier lifestyle than for your children. I know there is more to it than that (like the sleepless nights and constant demands of a newborn that play havoc on even the most dedicated), but I want to be there for her too. I love you sis!!