Sunday, June 27, 2004
Letter/blurb in the Hampton Roads Daily Press - Newport,VA,USA
Well put, Ms. Thurman.
Issues of obesity
All of my life I have been obese. Not merely overweight, but obese. I weighed more than 100 pounds by age 6, I weighed more than 200 by my early 30s, and I weigh 230 today at age 50. At one point in my life, I managed to weigh 113, only to quickly put on 50 pounds in a year.
I have listened to the obesity issue, and while I am happy that so much attention is being paid to it, I have become disgusted with the "just push away from the table and exercise" attitude. It isn't that simple. I have tried many diets. All of them have been sensible, all have included all of the food groups, and all have been ultimately unsuccessful. I have exercised, I have counted points, I have moved to beats, and I have avoided junk foods.
There are many dieters out there who have bodies that do not respond to dieting. I have seen physicians, and the upshot is that my metabolism shuts down when I try to lose weight.
I wish physicians would try to understand the mechanisms of fat-retentive bodies better. This "push away from the table" mentality takes the issue away from medicine and puts it into a type of "low character problem," just like the stigma attached to mental illnesses like depression.
Don't assume that obesity is due to an emotional problem only. Don't ridicule the obese person. Instead, support obesity research. Tell me, and others like me, why we can't lose when we want to so badly. Find a way to get us past plateaus in weight loss as we try to diet. Find a way to make us lose the weight that won't come off.
Patricia Thurman
Well put, Ms. Thurman.
Friday, June 18, 2004
No News, Just Reviews
In the past year, I have overcome a major eating disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, launched a new, successful business venture, bought a house and all while being obese. To boot, I came out to the world as a psychic.
I am proud of myself for all that I have survived, proud that I did this all without bowing to the pressures that weigh so heavily upon me. I wore those pressures like an itchy cloak that has recently been shed.
I am not in your eyes beautiful. In my eyes, I am amazing. For the first time in my life, I am happy with who I am and who I have made myself become.
Six years ago, I was a severely anorexic, lonely, isolated person with no interests or hobbies, money or direction. I have since married, forced myself to make friends, developed dozens of hobbies that I actively pursue and now have a career that I absolutely love. Hell, I have even made a name for myself as a needlework artist.
My success has been due to my hard work, determination and, very much, to my wonderful and supportive husband. There were a number of treatment resources whose full effect has yet to be completely understood.
The most pivotal point in my development, however, was the beginning of this blog.
In the past year, I have overcome a major eating disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, launched a new, successful business venture, bought a house and all while being obese. To boot, I came out to the world as a psychic.
I am proud of myself for all that I have survived, proud that I did this all without bowing to the pressures that weigh so heavily upon me. I wore those pressures like an itchy cloak that has recently been shed.
I am not in your eyes beautiful. In my eyes, I am amazing. For the first time in my life, I am happy with who I am and who I have made myself become.
Six years ago, I was a severely anorexic, lonely, isolated person with no interests or hobbies, money or direction. I have since married, forced myself to make friends, developed dozens of hobbies that I actively pursue and now have a career that I absolutely love. Hell, I have even made a name for myself as a needlework artist.
My success has been due to my hard work, determination and, very much, to my wonderful and supportive husband. There were a number of treatment resources whose full effect has yet to be completely understood.
The most pivotal point in my development, however, was the beginning of this blog.
