S03.E11: Joe's Story

[TEEVEE]

What I wonder about is how these people support themselves? They clearly cannot work? Are my tax dollars paying for fat people to live? Man, that pisses me off!!!! 

[Darknight]

I think these people know about healthy food and calories but just don't want to change. They go from eating whatever they want when they want to being on a strict 2000 calorie a day diet.

[TEEVEE]

He has a very feminine look, despite the facial hair.

I would imagine his hormones aren't firing properly. Yes, I agree, he had a very feminine quality.

[RedKoolAide]

Joe also complained about how stressful the move was, but all he did was eat the entire ride. He didn't help load anything onto the truck and he wasn't eating healthy when Dr. Now had already given him instructions to do so.

[gunderda]

What I wonder about is how these people support themselves? They clearly cannot work? Are my tax dollars paying for fat people to live? Man, that pisses me off!!!! 

 

Likely disability checks. 

[Brooklynista]

I think these people know about healthy food and calories but just don't want to change. They go from eating whatever they want when they want to being on a strict 2000 calorie a day diet

^^THIS. This right here.  They know salads are good and sodas are bad, but they say to Hell with that.  You think I don't Shake Shack every day?  Maybe wash it down with a milkshake or three?  Of course I would.  That would be EASIER.  But life aint about easy.  These people choose the easy way and then look up and say "oh my, I can't wash my own ass" .  Also, "I can't work anymore so hand me those papers so I can get some money from the gub'ment."

 

Hearing all these hard luck "why I'm a thousand pounds" stories are really being lost on me.

[gunderda]

I think these people know about healthy food and calories but just don't want to change. They go from eating whatever they want when they want to being on a strict 2000 calorie a day diet.

I love food so much. I'm probably lucky I don't have an unhealthy obsession with it because I love bad food the most. To be honest I don't think I would want to have surgery if it meant that I couldn't eat the food I love!

But then again I'm not sure how I would feel if it meant I would likely die if I didn't quick eating that food. 

 

I'm trying to work out on a consistent basis and try to watch what I eat, but I do not tell myself I can not have something. I try to eat pretty decent during the week and during the weekend it's a free for all pretty much. I am not skinny but I am not huge.  But if it means I have to restrict myself A LOT to lose a lot of weight then i'm not sure I want to do it. 

[gunderda]

HOWEVER - one year I got pretty heavy and I hated it and I lost 15 pounds and have been able to maintain to keep 10 of that off and I told myself I would never get that heavy again.  So if I do then I start cutting back more. So at least I have a line that I don't plan to ever cross. 

[Guest dutronc]

I work in healthcare and see the complications from gastric bypass. Probably 1 case a day through the ED. Either early in the process or years down the line, there will always be a complication. And...most of these pts never get at a healthy weight. They always endure nutrition issues, have a grey hue to their skin. I am totally against these surgeries but Dr. Now has a lucrative business. I am in agreement that these people need therapy first to succeed, and then a nutrionist.

 

I wonder if there's a bit of selection bias at work--since you work in healthcare and emergency patients, aren't you only seeing the patients who are having a medical crisis? This is a different population than all the people who have weight loss surgery. I also wonder if most patients are okay with complications in exchange for being alive, or if the complications they have from the surgery are less damaging than the complications they had the surgery to correct.

 

I thought this episode was rather dull, but I think it's an interesting addition to the series overall. I was wondering about Dr. Now's directions to lose before the surgery, so I researched it (in Medline, nothing fancy) and it's been demonstrated that over the long term, patients who lose weight before the surgery tend to have a better chance of maintaining a stable weight after the surgery. It's not an amazing revelation to make the connection, but I think it adds to Dr Now's credibility that he's following the research and advising his patients accordingly.

Edited March 12, 2015 by dutronc

[peaceknit]

I wanted Joe's mother to stand on the scale.

 

Do the apts that the patients stay in while in TX belong to the hospital ? They are the same ones, right ?

 

It looked like a residency hotel to me, not an apartment.

[Bellalisa]

HOWEVER - one year I got pretty heavy and I hated it and I lost 15 pounds and have been able to maintain to keep 10 of that off and I told myself I would never get that heavy again.  So if I do then I start cutting back more. So at least I have a line that I don't plan to ever cross. 

Some people just never hit bottom or have a line they won't cross. I love food and I am an emotional eater and would eat crap all day and every day if I could but when my weight gets to a certain place, I get serious, join weight watchers and work like crazy to lose it. Lots of people don't have that line where enough is enough, especially when they get up to 400,500 and then 600 pounds! If this guy didn't think he had a problem at 450 pounds, he never will. I love how Dr. N kept saying to him "I can't do surgery on an 800 pound person- you are one small event away from death- a cold could kill you"! WOW just unreal. I hope he says much more to them than they show us on the show about how dire their situation is. Those who don't think they are given a diet when they leave- well he handed them a piece of paper and said - this is what you need to do. I imagine it was the diet- no carbs, no sugar and no junk. 

[CarolMK]

Is it possible that due to such excessive weight (Joe is one of the heaviest people we've seen, starting at 792 pounds) that he has an excess of estrogen and a lack of testosterone from it?

 

Also, in regards to the top weight a person won't cross over before they start dieting/exercising, for

pretty much all of the people featured on this show, they don't have any idea what they weigh..because scales sold in stores don't exceed 350 lbs, or do they? Mine won't exceed 300. And if they aren't weighing themselves and don't really seem to have a handle on how much they are eating then there is no limit that they are even aware of. Pretty much all of the patients have looked shocked when they found out what they weighed. Back in the days when I was attending Weight Watchers meetings, they emphasized to us that we should weigh ourselves once a week, and it was required to have a weekly weigh in at the meetings as well. Some weeks went a lot better than others, but I don't think anyone attending was shocked to find out they weighed about 600 lbs.There was one man who weighed about 400 lbs when he started the program, and he did very well on it..losing about 50 lbs the first month and then about 40 the second. He moved out of our area after his third month and i remember how much everybody was cheering him on at the meetings, especially since at the time he was the only man attending. 

 

Edited March 12, 2015 by CarolMK

[Guest dutronc]

Is it possible that due to such excessive weight (Joe is one of the heaviest people we've seen, starting at 792 pounds) that he has an excess of estrogen and a lack of testosterone from it?

 

I was thinking about the testosterone/estrogen, too, but I also think that Joe might just have a baby face naturally. James still looked pretty masculine, and so did Ricky Naputi from 900 lb Man. Donald also was kind of unambiguously masculine.

[silversage]

I wished his mother would have followed the advice of the nutritionist also. It could have helped her to lose weight and eat healthier.

[gunderda]

I think they get so large because they're in huge denial about how much they weigh.  And not being able to step on a scale helps them stay in denial. 

I wished his mother would have followed the advice of the nutritionist also. It could have helped her to lose weight and eat healthier.

I wonder why there wasn't more focus on her.  It was like she wasn't even there. It just felt very odd.  Makes me wonder if maybe they wanted the story to go there and she refused to be apart of it, other than being filmed very minimally.

[NYCFree]

Food addiction is complicated. It's not like alcohol or drug abuse where you can entirely omit the substance from your life. You have to entirely retrain yourself to actually limit the substance that you are addicted to abusing. Imagine telling an alcoholic that they must have one shot a day for the best of their lives and the trigger of having some of the substance is just something they will have to get used to.

I have a lapband and track everything I eat to make sure I get the necessary nutrients and vitamins. It is really hard to get everything one needs on a restricted diet, impossible if one has had gastric bypass. You not only have to commit to a diet change, but also must comment to taking vitamin and mineral supplements daily for the rest of your life. The supplements are not covered by insurance by the way.

[stephinmn]

I think Joe is the type of guy who refrains from making goals. Hopefully, as he loses weight, he will start to dream a little more and make some goals, like working, having a relationship, etc.

 

I know someone who was around 500 lbs and got GBS. Before she got the surgery, she talked about how much her life would be different, but it was always in a passive voice. She did lose a few hundred pounds, but still died a few years later. He lifelong obesity just took over.

[4leafclover]

 

What I wonder about is how these people support themselves? They clearly cannot work? Are my tax dollars paying for fat people to live? Man, that pisses me off!!!!

 

"fat people" as well as drug addicts, alcoholics and many others that most of us would disagree about supporting through taxes if we had a choice.  However, those in healthcare must be able to put aside their disdain and not let their disapproval of how the patient got "there" or how they are supported get in the way of the care they need.  

 

Joe wasn't admitted to the hospital because there were no imminent medical issues to warrant admission.  Even on Medicare or Medicaid, certain criteria must be met for admission and need for a controlled diet apparently isn't criteria--if he had secondary issues with his heart, blood pressure, glucose, etc.  the doctor may have been able to justify the need for inpatient care.  Unfortunately, Joe's passive suicidal thoughts may have allowed him a few days in a psychiatric hospital but that wouldn't have helped the diet aspect.  It was a good call on Dr. Now's part to prescribe nutrition and mental health counseling.

 

ETA:  I totally understand the need for the surgery.  The weight loss that is required beforehand is (IMO) like dangling a carrot--and the person knows that this attempt at weight loss will result in surgery, kind of like running in a relay race as hard as you can because you know someone will soon be there to take the baton from you.  If they could have lost all that weight on their on to begin with, don't you think they would?

Edited March 12, 2015 by 4leafclover

[AnnaBaptist]

Why, oh why does Dr. Now not insist that his patients see a nutritionist and therapist immediately after the initial visit? Joe wasted several months stuck in the same bad habits when he desperately needed help with nutrition advice and with his emotional problems. Is it an insurance issue?

 

I can see, five years from now, Joe at 270 lb., while his mother is 450 lb. and will need Joe and his sister to take care of her.

There were times when Joe annoyed me, but good for him that he always bathed himself and made an effort to walk, even when nearly 800 lb. Interesting, at the end, how the mother was in a wheelchair or scooter while Joe was walking slightly behind her.

[Cherrio]

I have a feeling that a lot of these people and their almost as heavy enablers also have drug problems. There is a lot of pain that comes with being that heavy.   All it takes is one doctor to give them some Vicodin and it can become part of the so called routine.

          Joe's extremely obese mother just sat there in her wheelchair just zoned out.     I just get the feeling that its eat a meal, take a pill, eat another meal, take a pill and on and on.

            I dont have a lot of hope for most of these people, one because the odds are definitely not on their side. And if they go back to their uneducated and clueless lives, then what?

              I know its daunting, but they can lose the weight without the surgery. You most certainly can continue to eat well and less,   Healthy changes become habit in a short amount of time.    

          Also the surgery does not guarantee eating less as we have seen quite clearly with Penny and Pauline.

[purpleflowers]

 I wish Dr. Now would have still checked him into the hospital and saved him from himself because he wasted an entire year (trust me, he will struggle with eating correctly after his surgery whether or not the dr made him "prove" he can do it on his own first).

I actually think Dr. Now made the right call with Joe. Putting Pauline on a monitored diet at the hospital did her no good in the long run as her episode showed; she didn't learn how to cook healthy for herself afterward (or at least wasn't willing to learn) and the weight loss only continued at a crawling pace after her surgery. Although I did want to see more of Joe's progress after his surgery and it's too bad the episode ran out of time for that, I think his time was well spent learning how to relate to food in a more normal and healthy way. 

I do see the point others have made about how people on this show seem to be unemployed but able to afford good housing, amenities, and healthcare. It is unfortunate if they have decided to take advantage of government resources, especially if they didn't attempt to work to support themselves at least when they were still small enough to be mobile. 

In regards to Joe's choice of diet, I agree that some of it is about being in denial about how much he is eating and having no concept of portions or how large he was getting. Although, obviously he got to a point where he did become aware of his dire situation but just kept eating. I think this is a sign with him and others that there's truly a food addiction going on. His helplessness in the things he was saying indicated an inability to resist the food. Although, he did have the will power later after Dr. Now set a goal for him and sent a nutritionist to him, so I am still a little baffled. 

 

And I just had to add--although I know there's been plenty of other comments about Pauline--I thought of her when Joe was saying how he was in excruciating pain after walking around his apartment complex. I hope she is paying attention to that. If Joe can fight through the pain to walk a little, I think you can too Pauline! 

Edited March 12, 2015 by purpleflowers

[SaucyMommy]

This show really, really depressed me. To be that heavy and to be at the 12 month mark and he's just getting surgery?  And then he ends the show just under 600 lbs. I really can't understand this type of addiction.  Clearly it's an addiction because most of us wouldn't willingly do that to ourselves.  I also find it odd that Joe like last week's case appear clinically depressed. Why aren't they working with doctors, psychiatrists and nutritionists?  The surgery is going to fail if the reason they eat isn't resolved. All this talk about hormone stuff seems silly to me.  I have a child that produces zero testosterone on his own and he looks like a boy. Lack of testosterone doesn't soften features per say. It's one of many hormones that plays a part.  I didn't find his appearance overly feminine at all.  

[Guest dutronc]

 All this talk about hormone stuff seems silly to me.  I have a child that produces zero testosterone on his own and he looks like a boy. Lack of testosterone doesn't soften features per say. It's one of many hormones that plays a part.  I didn't find his appearance overly feminine at all.  

 

Why is it a silly question? Joe is fat. Fat cells produce estrogen. Joe did not demonstrate pronounced secondary sexual characteristics like a deeper voice or noticeable facial hair--his voice was medium-high, I would say. Estrogen is also linked to depression in some people. Estrogen is a feminizing hormone, and women tend to have more trouble losing weight than men. I don't think he's especially feminine, but I didn't think he was especially masculine, either. Since he has an extreme health situation, it's reasonable to ask if it's a multi-system situation. 

 

Low facial hair growth and face shape are more genetic than anything, but I think it added up to a not-unreasonable question. 

Edited March 12, 2015 by dutronc

[ethalfrida]

This one was strange and depressing.  I thought Joe would have to stay in the hospital for much longer to get his weight down.  His mother had a bit of a creepy vibe where she was just staring at him and crying.  I think she needs help as well.  

 

Even though he seemed defensive, the nutritionist appointment helped Joe understand food a lot better.

 

Happy to see that there are wider crocs available to wear since a foot cut or injury could be disaster for some of the people on this show.

I agree. I was sad right from the beginning then when I saw his weird mom it really made me feel his struggle. She was huge, for pete's sake. 

I am posting this before I read all the posts but it really steams me when I hear a person say they had a problem with food since childhood. No. You. Didn't!!! Your parent(s) did. Children can learn early on what is healthy and what is not. It doesn't matter what they want to eat parents have the

responsibility of providing good choices to them. There were times in our household where a kid just wasn't feeling what he or she was served so they didn't have to eat it. But there were no snacks or substitute foods for them. And all of our food was cooked the old fashioned way... long cooking soups, stews, greens, roasts.... even hamburgers. To this day that is still respected.

But Joe's mom you could just tell she was the super enabler. She really creeped me out too. I could just see her methods in my head.

He moved pretty fast too. It was easy to cheer for him. And he did look more like a girl than his sister. 

Edited March 13, 2015 by ethalfrida

[YoureSoUrban]

My DVR cut off a minute or so before the ep ended. Can anyone tell me if there was an update for Joe? Did he lose more weight?

[Stripper Glitter]

1) Oh I'm so sorry "fat people" aren't worthy of your tax dollars. Really, what an offensive and judgemental statement. And yes I'm fat. They're living off my tax dollars too.

2) I feel like this should be a 2-parter. Very little pay-off from this one. No one to be furious at a la Penny, no one to cheer for.

3) This episode and Angel's were so darn depressing. I could hardly handle it. Think they should have started with Prozac then worried about WLS.

[AdorkableWitch]

I agree. I was sad right from the beginning then when I saw his weird mom it really made me feel his struggle. She was huge, for pete's sake.

I am posting this before I read all the posts but it really steams me when I hear a person say they had a problem with food since childhood. No. You. Didn't!!! Your parent(s) did. Children can learn early on what is healthy and what is not. It doesn't matter what they want to eat parents have the responsibility of providing good choices to them. There were times in our household where a kid just wasn't feeling what he or she was served so they didn't have to eat it. But there were snacks or substitute foods for them. And all of our food was cooked the old fashioned way... long cooking soups, stews, greens, roasts.... even hamburgers. To this day that is still respected.

But Joe's mom you could just tell she was the super enabler. She really creeped me out too. I could just see her methods in my head.

He moved pretty fast too. It was easy to cheer for him. And he did look more like a girl than his sister.

I am one of those people you hate. My parents hid food, and locked it up. I have always used food to soothe myself and not feel. They tried the best they could.

[ethalfrida]

I am one of those people you hate. My parents hid food, and locked it up. I have always used food to soothe myself and not feel. They tried the best they could.

Who hates you? Perhaps you meant to quote someone else. 

 

Anyway, I was trying to get across that parents are in charge of their household. There never an argument, back talk or hiding food We just understood our parents meant there was no other food coming our way if we didn't eat what was on our plate. There was nothing locked up in the house which included guns, chemicals and money. 

[Meraji]

...it really steams me when I hear a person say they had a problem with food since childhood. No. You. Didn't!!! Your parent(s) did. Children can learn early on what is healthy and what is not. It doesn't matter what they want to eat parents have the responsibility of providing good choices to them.

 

I have deleted this episode from the dvr, but wasn't there a voiceover from the mother to the effect that (as a child) Joe always went for the fast food? I think that was the phrase. As if he drove himself to McDonald's at eight years old. If his childhood was anything like the day of meals we saw him consume at the beginning of the show I believe that's all we need to understand about "how" he went for the fast food. It was brought home for meals and he ate it, plain and simple. And it wasn't just during a stressful few months or a weeklong binge. It had to have started early and often.

 

And whoever mentioned that he was eating two hot pockets (aka, the entire box, which is twice the recommended serving) I believe he was actually eating three. He was eating one and there were still two in their crisping sleeves.

 

I, too, wanted to see more of his progress post-surgery, but I suppose it's only been a month or two since he had it? I couldn't believe how large his mother was the first time we saw her! Maybe she's depressed or feels like it's too late for her, but I desperately wished she had followed Joe's new eating plan, too. She didn't seem to express any interest in doing it with him, at least for his benefit. Very frustrating. How can medical professionals such as Dr. Now and the dietician seemingly ignore her weight?

 

Finally, I think in addition to therapy sessions and guidance about eating habits, it would also be valuable to have them attend group support sessions. Do any of these tv patients know and support each other? 

Edited March 13, 2015 by Meraji

[Guest dutronc]

In the first series, there were clips of Melissa making presentations in her role as a patient liaison, and I saw Donald and Henry in the sessions. Dr Now's website has information about support groups, too. I can imagine that it might be difficult to get consent to film. I also cynically expect that filming the support group meetings might not make good tv. 

[Granny58]

I half bought into the story that Joe over ate because his father always ignored him, until I saw the size of his mother. That boy's main problem, was eating at his mother's table, period!

I'm more under the impression that they BOTH ate out of depression.  After all, the father/husband left....abandoning them both.

 

To me, their apartment looked like a hotel situation, not an actual apartment.  

 

I just finished watching this episode this morning and I really like Joe.  I want so much for him to do well.  Come on, Joe!  YOU CAN DO IT.  And then work on your mom.  She is too young to be so immobile (I am assuming she's approx my age - mid 50s - given Joe's age).  

 

"I hope he says much more to them than they show us on the show about how dire their situation is. Those who don't think they are given a diet when they leave- well he handed them a piece of paper and said - this is what you need to do. I imagine it was the diet- no carbs, no sugar and no junk."  Just from my work and personal experiences, surgeons spend A LOT of time going over every aspect of the procedure, the risks, benefits, complications.  Considering it is all about weight loss I have to believe there is a lengthy discussion about food choices too.  True, I can't speak for all surgeons, but have consistently observed this.  

Edited March 13, 2015 by Granny58

[KarmaG]

It looked like he was using the same Ap I do, MyFitnessPal. 

 

MyFitnessPal is great. My husband and I used it for a time. Was awesome to be able to show him just how many calories he/we were consuming a day and how fast it adds up.

I hope he gets down to his goal weight so that he can wear pants that don't have holes in them in the thigh area. I understand. I'm not morbidly obese but my thighs do rub together.

 

 

I hope he keeps the weight off so he can wear proper under garments so that his urine doesn't stain/bleach the crotch of his pants. Was so gross to see that, more than once. I felt bad for him going out in public like that.

I just don't understand how people don't know about calories and nutrition, even a little, 'Oh, I didn't realize it added up like that!'  No sh$t, Sherlock.

 

 

I would say most people in America don't know about calories and nutrition. Even those that watch shows like we're commenting on. 

[KarmaG]

I wanted Joe's mother to stand on the scale.

 

Do the apts that the patients stay in while in TX belong to the hospital ? They are the same ones, right ?

 

The apartment Joe stayed in was new to the show. Definitely not like the ones shown previously. These, if possible, seemed even more run down than the others. 

I'm living with anorexia myself (and am hoping to work with a nutritionist soon). 

 

Good luck! It's something that can/will get better but will be a lifelong issue. I know because I will forever battle it though for the most part I've beat it. Or at least the 15lbs overweight I am tells me I have :P

[gunderda]

I am posting this before I read all the posts but it really steams me when I hear a person say they had a problem with food since childhood. No. You. Didn't!!! Your parent(s) did. Children can learn early on what is healthy and what is not. It doesn't matter what they want to eat parents have the

responsibility of providing good choices to them. There were times in our household where a kid just wasn't feeling what he or she was served so they didn't have to eat it. But there were no snacks or substitute foods for them. And all of our food was cooked the old fashioned way... long cooking soups, stews, greens, roasts.... even hamburgers. To this day that is still respected.

 

I agree with you - I learned a lot of my bad food habits from my dad.  My mom has always watched what she ate and eats like a mouse.  My dad went for seconds, which made me think seconds was ok.  My dad drenched his salad in dressing and I thought "oh that would be delicious!"  so I did it too (and still do it). 

I don't recall ever being offered fresh veggies.  We always had balanced meals and never ate out that much but we never ate "healthy" per say. 

I grew up eating the stuff that is deliciously bad for you.  And I still love that stuff lol 

[KarmaG]

What I wonder about is how these people support themselves? They clearly cannot work? Are my tax dollars paying for fat people to live? Man, that pisses me off!!!! 

 

Yes, yes they are. I'm sure a great deal of them are receiving SSI (disability money). And that annoys me because I certainly can't afford to eat a) as much as they do b) as much take out/fast food as they do.

[gunderda]

All their food and stuff is probably bought via food stamps or WIC so then they get a disability payment on top of that. 

[Taylorh2]

I asked about the apts because I don't understand how they can just rent out an apt or a month or two. I was thinking that since this hospital does 'weight loss surgery' for many people who live out of state, that the hospital's program must have some sort of 'short term' rooms/apts set up.

[stormy]

ITA I  wish we could've seen what happened to Joe after he had surgery.

[KarmaG]

All their food and stuff is probably bought via food stamps or WIC so then they get a disability payment on top of that. 

 

WIC is for pregnant women, infants and children. It does NOT apply to any of the people on this show. It also does not provide the junk food they are consuming. It would provide milk, cheese, cereal, lentils and juice. Not Totinos pizzas, Doritos chips, Soda etc.

[gunderda]

WIC is for pregnant women, infants and children. It does NOT apply to any of the people on this show. It also does not provide the junk food they are consuming. It would provide milk, cheese, cereal, lentils and juice. Not Totinos pizzas, Doritos chips, Soda etc.

I had a feeling it wouldn't apply them but I didn't know - I just hear it thrown around a lot with food stamps.

And actually I think WIC and food stamps allow for a lot of unhealthy stuff. My friend used to work at a grocery store and would get really irritated with all the crap people would 'buy' with that stuff instead of buying the stuff it was meant for.

[KarmaG]

I asked about the apts because I don't understand how they can just rent out an apt or a month or two. I was thinking that since this hospital does 'weight loss surgery' for many people who live out of state, that the hospital's program must have some sort of 'short term' rooms/apts set up.

 

There are a lot of low rent/month to month places in my part of Texas. Also, many of the people on the show stay in the Houston area for a year or so, that's the length of a regular lease. I don't think the hospital has anything to do with it other than Dr Now has practice privileges there.

I had a feeling it wouldn't apply them but I didn't know - I just hear it thrown around a lot with food stamps.

And actually I think WIC and food stamps allow for a lot of unhealthy stuff. My friend used to work at a grocery store and would get really irritated with all the crap people would 'buy' with that stuff instead of buying the stuff it was meant for.

 

WIC is actually a heavily monitored program and any store allowing someone to get things not on the voucher can and will lose their ability to accept WIC. WIC, as stated above, has specific items people can get. The worst thing on there is the somewhat sugary cereals and fruit juices. Now food stamps on the other hand, peeps can get whatever garbage they seem to want with them. I have no experience with them, just with WIC.

 

(edited for spelling)

Edited March 13, 2015 by KarmaG

[stephinmn]

Adults with no dependent children and no income can get a max of $190ish a month. However, there are work requirements and a single, childless person is expected to be working or looking for work through their mandated program. Thanks, Obama!

 

They can use them at Papa Murphy's because the food isn't hot. In some states, they can get side items like col e slaw, from KFC because, again, it is not hot.

 

I don't care what anyone buys on their food stamps. The bottom line is there are lots of politics involved with food stamps, and they are part of the farm bill. If they decided people could no longer buy soda, then Coca Cola and Pepsi would be lobbying like crazy.

 

Sorry to go off topic, but just wanted to throw in my .02.

[flappa1016]

I'm another compulsive overeater/food addict whose parents were diligent about feeding us healthy food while we were growing up.  My mom would occasionally have sweets/pop/chips available in the house, but only if there had been a party.  We never had fast food growing up, unless a friend's parent would buy it.  My parents never, not once, ever brought us to McDonalds.  My mom would have a few Sara Lee/Pepperidge Farms frozen cakes in the freezer in case she suddenly needed to produce a dessert if unexpected guests showed up.  As a child, I remember sneaking down to the freezer in our basement and bringing a frozen cake up to my room and eating the whole thing, then hiding the evidence.  When I got to college it just ballooned because I had no one monitoring my food intake/quality.  So the addiction/compulsion aspect of it often overrides the proper nutrition that some parents do impart on their children. 

 

I gained and lost weight over and over during my adult life, always ending up heavier than when I started.  It wasn't until I was 45 years old that I was able to rein in my eating.  Thank god for Dr. Atkins and the low carb/high fat lifestyle, or I'd still be an active food addict.  Being able to eat all the satiating fats, while eliminating the grains/sugars that drove my hunger, is the only thing that was able to control my hunger and give me the freedom to overcome the compulsion to eat.  That's why my eyes rolled back in my head when the nutritionist came in this episode.  I was all "Good for her, for pointing out all the sugar in those seemingly healthy items".  But then she talked up the low-fat/non-fat yogurt.  No, no, no!  When they remove the fat, they add *more* sugar and other carby fillers to replace the taste/mouth-feel of the missing fat.  He could have eaten a smaller conainter of full fat greek yogurt, and ended up with less sugar than in the low-fat/non-fat versions!  And it would have controlled his hunger for a longer period of time.  Also, when she talked about "Great!  You have a lot of eggs here".  Then followed that with "Have all the whites that you want, but throw away the yolks"  WTF?????  Yes there is fat/cholesterol in the yolks, but that's also where all the nutrients are located!  Heck, even the USDA 2015 dietary guidelines are removing the "fear the cholesterol" hysteria that they've erroneously been promoting all these years.  SMH.

Oh, and I don't know if any of you are from the Chicago area, but Joe totally reminded me of longtime radio personality Steve Dahl.

[ethalfrida]

"That's why my eyes rolled back in my head when the nutritionist came in this episode.  I was all "Good for her, for pointing out all the sugar in those seemingly healthy items".  But then she talked up the low-fat/non-fat yogurt.  No, no, no!  When they remove the fat, they add *more* sugar and other carby fillers to replace the taste/mouth-feel of the missing fat.  He could have eaten a smaller conainter of full fat greek yogurt, and ended up with less sugar than in the low-fat/non-fat versions!  And it would have controlled his hunger for a longer period of time.  Also, when she talked about "Great!  You have a lot of eggs here".  Then followed that with "Have all the whites that you want, but throw away the yolks"  WTF?????  Yes there is fat/cholesterol in the yolks, but that's also where all the nutrients are located!  Heck, even the USDA 2015 dietary guidelines are removing the "fear the cholesterol" hysteria that they've erroneously been promoting all these years.  SMH."

 

Same here... I know a nutritionist is better than no nutritionist but some of them need to update their studies.

Edited March 13, 2015 by ethalfrida

[aliya]

Hearing all these hard luck "why I'm a thousand pounds" stories are really being lost on me.

Me too. You got fat because your father didn't pay attention to you?  Your grandma died?  Your parents divorced? You divorced? Give me a break. As Mrs Slocum used to say, "Weak as water! Weak as water!" These things or some variation happen to everybody. I came downstairs to make dinner one day, just to find my husband dead on the kitchen floor. I know what getting smacked around by life feels like. You have to deal with it. Live your life like a human being, not like Jabba the Hutt on the couch all day. I do feel sorry for some of these people, but I just don't understand how you let the everyday trials of life get you so out of control that you can't wipe your rear end.

 

And yeah, I saw Joe eat while the movers were working. How rude.

[notyrmomma]

I gained and lost weight over and over during my adult life, always ending up heavier than when I started.  It wasn't until I was 45 years old that I was able to rein in my eating.  Thank god for Dr. Atkins and the low carb/high fat lifestyle, or I'd still be an active food addict.  Being able to eat all the satiating fats, while eliminating the grains/sugars that drove my hunger, is the only thing that was able to control my hunger and give me the freedom to overcome the compulsion to eat.  That's why my eyes rolled back in my head when the nutritionist came in this episode.  I was all "Good for her, for pointing out all the sugar in those seemingly healthy items".  But then she talked up the low-fat/non-fat yogurt.  No, no, no!  When they remove the fat, they add *more* sugar and other carby fillers to replace the taste/mouth-feel of the missing fat.  He could have eaten a smaller conainter of full fat greek yogurt, and ended up with less sugar than in the low-fat/non-fat versions!  And it would have controlled his hunger for a longer period of time.  Also, when she talked about "Great!  You have a lot of eggs here".  Then followed that with "Have all the whites that you want, but throw away the yolks"  WTF?????  Yes there is fat/cholesterol in the yolks, but that's also where all the nutrients are located!  Heck, even the USDA 2015 dietary guidelines are removing the "fear the cholesterol" hysteria that they've erroneously been promoting all these years.  SMH.

Bingo!  You can live long term on low carb, you can't do low carb and low fat for more than a couple weeks.  Why do so many people still think fat/cholesterol in food=fat/Cholesterol in body.  It's like saying a calorie is just a calorie, which it's much more complicated than that.  Google Gary Taubes (I bet flappa1016 already knows who he is).

[Taylorh2]

I think Joe was eating while everyone else was moving his stuff because the producers told him to,

[Barb23]

Yes, yes they are. I'm sure a great deal of them are receiving SSI (disability money). And that annoys me because I certainly can't afford to eat a) as much as they do b) as much take out/fast food as they do.

These people who have only themselves to blame for their weight gain & size, getting disability really makes me mad. I don't see how they qualify. I started receiving SSI disability for Rheumatoid Arthritis last year. Luckily I got it on the first round. Most people don't & have to wait over a year to get an appeal hearing & then have to wait months for another decision. I had to submit records from all my doctors & get an evaluation done by one of the Social Security's specialists along with accounts of my work history. The payment differs for each case-it is based on your previous salaries, how long you have worked (&put into the system) & there is a cap. I worked for over 30 years. My monthly payment is roughly a third of what I made while working a clerical job. So it makes me mad,too, that if they do get SSI disability, it goes mostly for Big Macs when there are much more deserving people out there that don't get a thing.

[DangerousMinds]

I just had a conversation with a convenience store clerk a few days ago because they had a sign on the door stating the EBT machine was out of order.

She told me that was the food stamp machine. I asked what they could buy at a gas station with food stamps?!

Pop, chips, candy, coffees, cold sandwiches, burritos, ice cream... Anything in the store except the cooked foods.

There's a sign I noticed in the window of a popular pizza place "EBT accepted." They sell take & bake pizzas.

I was a bit shocked. I was also shocked that single, childless able bodied adults can get $220/month in FS.

Yes they can, because they can't afford food, for whatever reason, FFS.

[DangerousMinds]

Btw, the amount a single adult can get in food stamps each mint varies by state. I was sick and unemployed for about 3 months in California in 2009 and go $200/month until I was healthy enough and able to find work (which was not easy). And that didn't buy much food. It can happen to anyone. I am not going to judge others, nor try to tell thrm what foods they should buy for THEMSELVES. I do have a problem, however, with my tax dollars mostly going to fund wars.