S04.E13: Lupe's Story

[ethalfrida]

I dunno, Toaster Strudel... I crave Masa, of all things. It's like I have to eat corn tortillas or tamales when it gets intense enough. 

[Barb23]

It was $30 a day in fast food. I wonder where she got the cash that was in her purse? Also, why does someone who has been bed bound for the last decade need a purse? Just to stash tacos?

I thought the same thing about her purse. I know we did the math before but I think $30/day is on the low side. My adult son & I got Mexican carryout for dinner last night & I thought of Lupe right away. Our entire order was $40, so I'm guessing Lupe & Gilbert's meals in comparison would be closer to $50 incl large drinks & dessert, which we didn't get. I included Gilbert's meal in total but sure Lupe could eat his meal as well. Here is what we got:

1 order Salsa & chips

1 burrito

1 order of 3 tacos

1 Fajita meal (meal incl rice & beans)

1 side order of rice

But all that food will last us for 6+ meals plus snacks of leftover chips we didn't eat. Burrito was cut in half, making for 2 meals, same with dividing of tacos. (The portions are very generous.) The fajitas will be dinner tonite for both of us. There would be no leftovers for Lupe & Gilbert. After eating 1/2 of the burrito, a few small spoonfuls of rice & about 5 chips & salsa I was stuffed. This meal was a treat for us. Like others have said, I can't imagine eating this type of food every day nor can we afford to eat like this, even tho leftovers seem to even costs out. I would really like to know how these people can afford eating takeout/fast food almost constantly & how much money they get from public assistance (disabilty, food, caretaker's salary, etc) ? I realize since they live in a poorer area than I do, their meal wouldn't have cost as much as mine, but it's got to be close. Plus this would just be one meal for them, say dinner. What about the costs of breakfast & lunch? Even if they bought prepackaged & ready to heat up things at grocery store for breakfast & lunch, they still cost money.

Edited April 2, 2016 by Barb23

[Toaster Strudel]

They showed a lot of pee pads and towels... I'll venture a guess that there were innumerable POOP pads that went unmentioned.

 

I don't get what made Lupe so endearing to Gilbert that he'd do all that for her, but who am I to question Cupid's arrows?

Her legs and feet were completely out of alignment from all this Jabba-the-Hut'ing around in bed, no wonder she couldn't walk anymore.

[briochetwist]

 

Lupe, and many people on this show, seem to be possessed by "cravings" - it's a word I never use.  i am hungry therefore I eat... but "cravings?"  Their lives are dominated by those cravings.

 

For all the psychological mumbo jumbo and "comfort eating" one has to be blind not to see the power of genetics.  

Their lives are dominated by those cravings, yeah, because they're addicts. Psychological mumbo jumbo? Seriously? With all due respect, these people are addicts, plain and simple. Instead of alcohol or drugs, they've chosen food. This isn't regular obesity because you overeat and don't make good food choices, this is significantly more than that. One doesn't eat themself to 600+ lbs without a lot of issues, self-loathing and tremendous emotional pain. I don't think some people realize how difficult it is for them to change. Like other addicts who have a rock bottom, 600 lbs seems to be theirs, so they seek help. Can you imagine how hard it would be to change when food is always going to be a necessary part of your life? You can avoid having alcohol and drugs around, but food, nope, always there. 

Edited April 2, 2016 by briochetwist

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

Can you imagine how hard it would be to change when food is always going to be a necessary part of your life? You can avoid having alcohol and drugs around, but food, nope, always there.

Food is necessary to survive, but these people make such horrible choices. If someone in your home is 600 lbs and bedridden, STOP BUYING THEM ICE CREAM AND CANDY AND CAKE AND DONUTS! Just don't have it around to tempt them. When Gilbert brought home that box of donuts, I wanted to scream at the TV. No way should donuts have been in that apartment, and it's not like Lupe could have gone out and bought donuts herself. Edited April 2, 2016 by Sir RaiderDuck OMS

[briochetwist]

Food is necessary to survive, but these people make such horrible choices. If someone in your home is 600 lbs and bedridden, STOP BUYING THEM ICE CREAM AND CANDY AND CAKE AND DONUTS! Just don't have it around to tempt them. When Gilbert brought home that box of donuts, I wanted to scream at the TV. No way should donuts have been in that apartment, and it's not like Lupe could have gone out and bought donuts herself.

I couldn't agree more. The enabling is astonishing. 

[Typhoo]

Food is necessary to survive, but these people make such horrible choices. If someone in your home is 600 lbs and bedridden, STOP BUYING THEM ICE CREAM AND CANDY AND CAKE AND DONUTS! Just don't have it around to tempt them. When Gilbert brought home that box of donuts, I wanted to scream at the TV. No way should donuts have been in that apartment, and it's not like Lupe could have gone out and bought donuts herself.

That drove me nuts too. I'm 462 pounds and I don't eat none of that stuff regularly. The last time I had ice cream was on New Years Day at a party. I had a piece of cake on my birthday last November and I only had 1 piece. I can't even remember when I had candy or donuts. If you don't bring it in the house you cannot eat it. Lupe didnt need those donuts she was shoveling in or that burrito she hid in her purse. I keep shampoo and conditioner samples in my purse for when I go to the pool for people with mobility issues....never food.

[dahling]

The cost of food has decreased.

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/03/02/389578089/your-grandparents-spent-more-of-their-money-on-food-than-you-do

[HalcyonDays]

Hey Everyone. Most of this discussion on the science, psychology, changes and cost of food, etc etc really belong in this thread:

 

The All You Can Eat Buffet - All Episode Discussion.

 

This thread should rightfully be for discussing Lupe and the events on the show. I'll be moving many of your posts to the Buffet thread as it belongs there.

 

Also, I'm posting a link to an interesting article over there about the Canadian Food Guide, which "experts" are now saying is "wrong" and the "high grain low fat diets are actually causing many of the obesity problems of today. Further proving once again that the "experts" know nothing either and we can't win. :')

[Elizabeth9]

Now dropped the ball on this one. She should have been in therapy when she gained 82 lbs instead of losing.

The husband (bc?) both blame each other for the behavior. It's his fault she doesn't walk, because he cheats. He cheats because she refuses to walk. I don't know if there's much that can be done to help a dynamic like that.

[lallalla]

Okay, maybe too honest confession:

 

I've never been super huge and have several times been way too thin, to the point of nutrient deficiencies.  But, even at my semi-normal weight, when I watch these shows, it tips to "worrying I'll end the same way and feeling like a whale"...but when I'm say, 5lbs lighter, on the low side of what's okay for my height/body type, I don't feel whale-sized.

 

FWIW, I'm right under 5'3 and 119 when I swell up from a good 12-17 pounds of PMS weight (I have horrible cycles, that adds tons of weight, mental and emotional trauma, and literal physical discomfort).

 

I don't at all feel good about myself when watching shows like this, I feel even worse.

 

So, now that I've been completely open, and I know have long had a disorder, does anyone else feel the same watching this show?

All of this being said, Gilbert saying she was like a "big assed baby", while I can understand the place that comes from, was awful.

 

I'm so sorry for her. :/

Edited April 5, 2016 by lallalla

[Fuzzysox]

Is there anywhere we can get an update on how she is doing now? 

[kewpiedolls]

I had to laugh when GIlbert walked through a field and on the highway and back to get groceries. I wonder if the production/film crew gave him a ride and just filmed some footage to make it look like he actually made the trek to the store.

[ButterQueen]

After I rebounded from how gross the site of the blood was, I was astounded that Lupe was still menstruating.  At that size I would think the body would shut down that function.  Sort of like Olympic gymnasts? So on top of everything else Gilbert has to change her Always pads??  Yeah, no.

 

People have limits and even if he thought he was okay being a caregiver in the beginning, I could see him being worn down by Lupe constant whining and neediness.  They never really said if Gilbert was doing anything more than talking to other women.  I couldn't blame him for wanting to have a conversation with someone who wasn't asking for a pee pad change.  Lupe didn't really seem to give a hell about him beyond what he was bringing her so she could stuff her maw.

 

I give him a break on reaching out for a bit of companionship.

I agree with this.

Lupe, Gilbert is a saint for putting up with your nasty attitude and whining, while having to take care of you like a child. Watching her eat all that fast food made me sick.

[ButterQueen]

 

Edited to add: I wish they'd shown Gilbert slamming the car door on her one...last...time, while she howled, "Don't slam the...".  Was the only enjoyment I had and two or three wasn't enough.

I'm going to hell, but this made me laugh for 10 minutes! How true!!

[Lightning]

I think that Lupe was not having periods until she lost a lot of weight pre-surgery.  That is why she thought that she had been cut or something -- she saw blood, but give her size, she couldn't see where it was coming from.  When she lost weight, she had her first period in a long time, and didn't recognize it for what it was.

[DropTheSoap]

I give Gilbert props for taking care of her for so long, but these two are so not good for each other.

Lupe's way of punishing those around her is to eat more. Gilbert plays on those insecurities so he can be the hero.

I don't give him a pass on the cheating. He is obviously getting something (besides room and board) for sticking around. I know I couldn't have done it. But he also has helped to keep her dependent so that he can "go preach".

I would hope that Lupe can work through her issues to where she can be happier within herself. I get the comfort food concept. I really do. But all of her issues are harming herself and manipulating her loved ones to assist in the self-harm.

I hope the niece can work out the enablement issues, too. She seemed genuinely sweet.

[Armchair Critic]

For anybody who missed this episode, it is replaying tonight (Monday, April 11) at 9 PM and Midnight eastern time.

[valady]

I am normally a very caring and empathic person and have, in the past, worked in a hospital where a 600 lb female was hospitalized. I have cheered for others on this program to pull it together and live a new life. However, watching Lupe's story, I had a great deal of trouble genuinely caring about her. Her constant complaining, moaning and groaning, demands, and self pity party were so disgusting, that it seemed best if she simply died since she had no motivation to live. I've never seen anybody on any of these shows eat as much greasy, fatty, fast good as she did. Anything and everything was an excuse to continue to eat herself to death. And, although she claimed to be grateful for  her husband's devotion to her, I didn't believe it. Her claiming that he was disrespecting her was just too much. What kind of woman would demand that her husband wipe her nasty butt after she stuffs herself so full of crap that she craps herself? What kind of caring, respectful woman would demand that he continually demean himself to the extent that he did? She had NO respect for him or herself. Period. The woman who was hospitalized where I worked was demanding, entitled, and out and out rude. She never, ever thanked anybody for doing anything for her. Ever. Every sentence was a demand. Never a polite respectful request. Never a "thank you". Lupe appeared to be very similar. Did she ever thank anybody for helping her??One thing I learned in graduate school is that where there is that degree of morbid obesity, there is a personality disorder. A personality disorder is a very dysfunctional way of being in this world that is characterological. Meaning, that it cannot be changed. Lupe appeared to be, at the very least, a dependent personality disorder and maybe several others mixed in such as narcisscistic personalty disorder. Whatever the case, her husband deserved a whole lot better than he he got or will ever get from her. 

[stillhere1900]

I agree. Thank goodness for the FF key on my DVR. I had this on live while I was mostly working in another room where I could hear the TV. Usually I ignore any TV sounds if I want to, but the constant whining, crying, and hollering on this episode was so annoying, I went into the other room and turned off the TV. Did a quick flip through the recorded episode to see if I'd missed anything. I fear that Lupe, with her damaged heart, isn't long for this world, and I wish her well. But, gosh, what a mess her life is. She was given a rare and golden opportunity to work with Dr. Now and his people to rescue her physical health but she just didn't seem emotionally/mentally able to handle it. I agree with whoever upthread, pointed out that her failure to get up on her feet was related to the state of her marriage. She walks, and then he walks (out). So sad.

 

I agree. I think that he's only there because he will feel like a heel (or he thinks her family will make him feel like a heel) if he walks out on her, in her current condition. Yes, maybe she was LARGE when they met but now she is horribly OBESE. He deserves a real like, with a women who shares his life. Not this thing that laying in a bed getting bigger and bigger. He's married to her on paper, and other then that. .......HE"S HER CARETAKER.

 

She's crying that she "feels betrayed" by Gilbert. What?!!!!  What about the betrayal that Gilbert feels?  His "Wife" weighs over 600 lbs and he has to wipe her ass because she's too obese to do it herself. WTFever!!!

[stillhere1900]

There was a lot of disturbing stuff in this episode but maybe the worst for me was watching Gilbert drink milk from a jug. There were several scenes where he was carrying around a gallon of milk and drinking from it. It even happened in the hospital. Who brings a gallon of milk with them to the hospital to chug?

I can't say I much cared for Lupe but I did feel bad for her. She much not think much of herself to to be in a position where she stops walking so that she can cling to a cheating husband and force him to stay.

 

I don't agree that Gilbert is a cheating husband. He may be *legally* married to her, but that's it.  That is not a real marriage.

[dahling]

Nope. It was laid out explicitly at the beginning of the show that she was like this when Gilbert met her.  I'd love to say he doesn't "deserve" it, but he went into this willingly all the facts before him. Do people deserve what they willingly sign up for?  

 

I watched the "supersized" version of this on FF this morning and saw nothing new. But it struck me again how truly marginal these people both are. They're on the fringe of society, just barely part of civilization. I would cry if I had to spend one night in that craphole hut they were living in in California. 

 

And again with the ending scene at the park, seemed even more fake with him hugging and kissing her in her wheelchair.  I wonder what the follow up will be like. 

[Whyyouneedaname]

 

 

Edited April 12, 2016 by Whyyouneedaname

[mmecorday]

OK, when the world ends, it's just going to be Lupe and Keith Richards left to repopulate the earth because I can't understand how either of them could still be alive at this point.

 

Lupe had been in a diabetic coma, right? She knows how serious her condition is. When she tested her blood glucose level and it was in the 400s, she really didn't seem to be all that concerned. Her attitude was, "Oh, well. I'll just eat another box of donuts and sleep it off." 

 

I'm assuming that because of her size or her diet, she hadn't had a period in a while. Even so, how could she not have known what was going on when she had blood "down there?"

 

Her voice over was driving me bonkers. It sounded like she had been highly sedated.

[Whyyouneedaname]

They showed a lot of pee pads and towels... I'll venture a guess that there were innumerable POOP pads that went unmentioned.

 

I don't get what made Lupe so endearing to Gilbert that he'd do all that for her, but who am I to question Cupid's arrows?

Her legs and feet were completely out of alignment from all this Jabba-the-Hut'ing around in bed, no wonder she couldn't walk anymore.

When they were driving to Houston with her niece and she said she had to pee but would "pee on herself to keep from getting out of the car" OMG, then HE has to dispose of the unmentionables.....

I have been married for 28 years, my husband loves me dearly, we have 2 kids and I have, during our marriage had a couple of surgeries so yes he takes great care of me. I said that to say this, I don't think he would do this, nor would I want him to. But what do you do in these situations. I do hope she is doing well now.....

[magemaud]

What a depressing two hours! I couldn't bring myself to "root" for Lupe to be successful because she was just so negative and whiny. The thing that most intrigued me, though, was the broken toilet seat incident. You would think that Dr. Now's office, accustomed to seeing 600+ lb. patients, many of whom are in wheelchairs, would have some kind of "industrial strength" toilet facility. This leads me to wonder if that whole scene was staged (not that I'm complaining about the hunky rescue squad.) 

[stillhere1900]

What a depressing two hours! I couldn't bring myself to "root" for Lupe to be successful because she was just so negative and whiny. The thing that most intrigued me, though, was the broken toilet seat incident. You would think that Dr. Now's office, accustomed to seeing 600+ lb. patients, many of whom are in wheelchairs, would have some kind of "industrial strength" toilet facility. This leads me to wonder if that whole scene was staged (not that I'm complaining about the hunky rescue squad.) 

 I was wondering about this myself. How is it that a weight loss clinic that caters to morbidity obese patients has a toilet or any seat that doesn't support extreme amounts of weight ?  really ?

 

I don't believe it.

 

Firemen are seriously HOT!!!

Edited April 12, 2016 by stillhere1900

[Toaster Strudel]

Maybe it could have supported her weight - but she had a way of throwing herself into a chair that must have put extra torsional forces on the toilet seat and broke it.

[StatisticalOutlier]

These people lie around for years & nothing happens to them.

 

Aah, but some people actually become fused to their furniture.  That's something.  Something pretty impressive, if you ask me.

 

 

Ha!  I was thinking of Tetris but didn't think anyone would get that reference

 

Ouch!

[RCharter]

Nope. It was laid out explicitly at the beginning of the show that she was like this when Gilbert met her.  I'd love to say he doesn't "deserve" it, but he went into this willingly all the facts before him. Do people deserve what they willingly sign up for?  

 

I watched the "supersized" version of this on FF this morning and saw nothing new. But it struck me again how truly marginal these people both are. They're on the fringe of society, just barely part of civilization. I would cry if I had to spend one night in that craphole hut they were living in in California. 

 

And again with the ending scene at the park, seemed even more fake with him hugging and kissing her in her wheelchair.  I wonder what the follow up will be like. 

San Bernardino county is the biggest county in the country.  The part she lives in is just absolutely dismal.  

 

 

Lupe had been in a diabetic coma, right? She knows how serious her condition is. When she tested her blood glucose level and it was in the 400s, she really didn't seem to be all that concerned. Her attitude was, "Oh, well. I'll just eat another box of donuts and sleep it off." 

 

I'm assuming that because of her size or her diet, she hadn't had a period in a while. Even so, how could she not have known what was going on when she had blood "down there?"

 

Her voice over was driving me bonkers. It sounded like she had been highly sedated.

Her answer seemed to be....."well, let me just eat this box of donuts and take some more insulin."  And I get it, insulin is fast acting now and because of it you can plan your insulin around your meals and not the other way around.  But with Type 2 diabetes, its just doesn't really work that way.....I have Type 1 diabetes, but even I'm not eating a box of donuts.  I couldn't tell you the last time I had a donut...and now I want one :(

 

Sadly with all the parts rubbing and chafing down there I could see where she may have thought she cut herself and just didn't feel it or something had been rubbed so raw that it was bleeding.

 

 I was wondering about this myself. How is it that a weight loss clinic that caters to morbidity obese patients has a toilet or any seat that doesn't support extreme amounts of weight ?  really ?

 

I don't believe it.

 

Firemen are seriously HOT!!!

I know right?  Wish there was another way to meet them besides breaking a toilet seat.....

 

I sort of assumed that they had a restroom specifically outfitted for patients of her size, but it doesn't look like anyone asked.  I guess from here on in they should make all restrooms an appropriate size.  Seems like a potential liability issue.

[OSM Mom]

Aah, but some people actually become fused to their furniture. That's something. Something pretty impressive, if you ask me.

I'm afraid to ask or even Google that.

[Whyyouneedaname]

Watched this episode last week, and sort of tuned in to the pop-up video version a few times.  A question - did one of the pop-ups say that Lupe would sometimes eat $30 of fast food a meal?  Or a day?  I'm horrified, but not surprised, by either answer. 

 

This story was too much. 

this made me think....what would happen if they run out of money and she couldn't get what she wanted. Like a drug addict that goes out and steals to get a fix, she is in no way able to do that. I know sometimes our week last longer than our pay check and we eat sparingly until payday.....she doesn't look like she would go for that ;)

[Ocean Chick]

Aah, but some people actually become fused to their furniture.  That's something.  Something pretty impressive, if you ask me.

 

Ooooooh - I remember years ago either reading a story, or watching a show, about someone who became fused with a piece of furniture.  Darn - now I'm AM going to have to google that and see if it really did happen, or if I only dreamt it.  LOL

[preciousperfect]

I sort of assumed that they had a restroom specifically outfitted for patients of her size, but it doesn't look like anyone asked.  I guess from here on in they should make all restrooms an appropriate size.  Seems like a potential liability issue.

I think it probably could have held her weight but the issue was that she slammed down on it because she is so immobile. Extra large potties probably will be a thing I bet soon.

[RCharter]

this made me think....what would happen if they run out of money and she couldn't get what she wanted. Like a drug addict that goes out and steals to get a fix, she is in no way able to do that. I know sometimes our week last longer than our pay check and we eat sparingly until payday.....she doesn't look like she would go for that ;)

I suspect she guilts family members and "forgets" to pay them back.  Or maybe she saves some of those purse tacos for a rainy day.

Ooooooh - I remember years ago either reading a story, or watching a show, about someone who became fused with a piece of furniture.  Darn - now I'm AM going to have to google that and see if it really did happen, or if I only dreamt it.  LOL

I felt like that may have happened in a movie....maybe Seven?  But you are right, it was somewhere, and I think it was a couch/bed.

[CousinOliver]

The weird thing to me, about the toilet issue, is that both Lupe and the show made it about breaking the toilet seat when the real problem is that she got stuck on the toilet.

I've known a couple of normal sized people who broke toilet seats just because its time was up. I'm sure Lupe's size was a factor, but there's nothing about breaking a toilet seat that should keep someone from being able to stand up afterwards.

[Typhoo]

The weird thing to me, about the toilet issue, is that both Lupe and the show made it about breaking the toilet seat when the real problem is that she got stuck on the toilet.

I've known a couple of normal sized people who broke toilet seats just because its time was up. I'm sure Lupe's size was a factor, but there's nothing about breaking a toilet seat that should keep someone from being able to stand up afterwards.

I rewatched that scene and I noticed that she wouldn't even put her right foot down on the floor properly to lift herself up to stand. It's like she wanted people to lift her because she is so emotionally and physically dependent on Gilbert or she cannot move that leg into position due to pain. I have a bad left knee due to severe arthritis but I can manage to move it at my weight to get myself off the toilet. Lupe looked like she wouldn't even try.

[rubinia]

 

I felt like that may have happened in a movie....maybe Seven?  But you are right, it was somewhere, and I think it was a couch/bed.

Not sure about a movie, but there was an episode of Nip/Tuck where the doctors had to surgically remove a morbidly obese woman from her couch.

[RCharter]

Not sure about a movie, but there was an episode of Nip/Tuck where the doctors had to surgically remove a morbidly obese woman from her couch.

its probably nip/tuck!

[aliya]

It's a real thing, folks:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371640/Morbidly-obese-man-fused-chair-sat-years-dies-hospital.html

 

 

Personally, I find the idea of being fused to your furniture incredibly sad. No one helps you move around, no one gets you medical or social services care for months? Years? Do you realize how long you'd have to be immobile to be fused to your chair? Very, very sad. 

[Meraji]

This is the one I remember: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23595533/ns/health-health_care/t/woman-sits-boyfriends-toilet-years/#.VxBono-cGzk ; http://discovermagazine.com/2008/mar/14-how-the-heck-did-a-woman-become-fused-to-a-toilet-seat  Though it's never mentioned whether she was obese I always imagined she was, but clearly there are other issues in this scenario. I believe another article about the court case against the boyfriend mentions she was a dependent adult.

 

I found the bathroom Lupe used in Dr. Now's office to be pretty dinky while catering to large people. The toilet seemed too close to the wall and it looked impossible to manuever a wheelchair in there. Bad floor plan.

[Hero]

It's a real thing, folks:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371640/Morbidly-obese-man-fused-chair-sat-years-dies-hospital.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVcS0scj3aQ

Personally, I find the idea of being fused to your furniture incredibly sad. No one helps you move around, no one gets you medical or social services care for months? Years? Do you realize how long you'd have to be immobile to be fused to your chair? Very, very sad.

Oh man, that is so sad. Why didn't the wife do something? I can't believe she actually just left him on the couch.

[RCharter]

This is the one I remember: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23595533/ns/health-health_care/t/woman-sits-boyfriends-toilet-years/#.VxBono-cGzk ; http://discovermagazine.com/2008/mar/14-how-the-heck-did-a-woman-become-fused-to-a-toilet-seat  Though it's never mentioned whether she was obese I always imagined she was, but clearly there are other issues in this scenario. I believe another article about the court case against the boyfriend mentions she was a dependent adult.

 

I found the bathroom Lupe used in Dr. Now's office to be pretty dinky while catering to large people. The toilet seemed too close to the wall and it looked impossible to manuever a wheelchair in there. Bad floor plan.

I just wonder if they don't have a restroom specifically for super obese clients, but they didn't ask about it so they just assumed there was only the normal sized one.  Or are super obese people usually in an adult diaper situation, because the mechanics of the toilet are too difficult so there is not really a demand for a different restroom?

[Barb23]

I just wonder if they don't have a restroom specifically for super obese clients, but they didn't ask about it so they just assumed there was only the normal sized one.  Or are super obese people usually in an adult diaper situation, because the mechanics of the toilet are too difficult so there is not really a demand for a different restroom?

I think the bathroom scene could have been staged too. IIRC, Lupe sent Gilbert to scope out the rest room ahead of time. He came back saying something like it seemed OK when it really wasn't. Like he wanted to embarrass her or didn't care. The way she seemed to just flop herself into a sitting position, it was no wonder the toilet seat broke off. I was expecting the wheelchair to do the same & give away each time she flopped down into it. She just didn't have the Oomph aka strength to pull herself up.

While we are discussing the bathroom, how do these people even know if they are aligned properly over the toilet? Or do they pray for the best & don't care, knowing they won't have to clean up any misses?

I realize it's the addiction thing, but when you are so big you can't manage getting on & off the toilet & cleaning in that area, don't they realize it may be time to reevaluate their eating habits?

[CousinOliver]

I think the bathroom scene could have been staged too. IIRC, Lupe sent Gilbert to scope out the rest room ahead of time. He came back saying something like it seemed OK when it really wasn't. Like he wanted to embarrass her or didn't care. The way she seemed to just flop herself into a sitting position, it was no wonder the toilet seat broke off. I was expecting the wheelchair to do the same & give away each time she flopped down into it. She just didn't have the Oomph aka strength to pull herself up.

While we are discussing the bathroom, how do these people even know if they are aligned properly over the toilet? Or do they pray for the best & don't care, knowing they won't have to clean up any misses?

I realize it's the addiction thing, but when you are so big you can't manage getting on & off the toilet & cleaning in that area, don't they realize it may be time to reevaluate their eating habits?

 

Also, Lupe (and many others) are not using the bathroom regularly.  It seems like they are using pee pad and bedpans, even if they are somewhat mobile, like Lupe.  While she peed on a pad/in a bedpan at her house and on a rag on the road, she was perhaps too embarrassed to do that in the doctors office.  I'm guessing she didn't realize the toilet would (perhaps) be lower to the ground than her wheelchair or her bed and panicked.  (Again, I find it odd that the focus was on breaking the toilet seat rather than being stuck in the sitting position.) 

 

I'm guessing the participants that are not bed bound, like Nikki from this season, have a pretty good understanding of how they need to sit and/or hover in order to utilize the toilet correctly. 

[Christina]

I never thought about the fact that she plopped down on the toilet, but with that being mentioned, I can relate. I'm not overweight but have multiple sclerosis and little strength in my legs. My toilet at home has handles, and if I'm out, I have to wait for a handicapped stall, or else I can't get down without collapsing on the seat, and they do shift. Getting up is a problem, too. 

 

When there are only a few stalls, of course the handicapped will be taken, and now they are putting the changing tables in them. Parents also often take their kids in because there is more room for two, but I absolutely hate it when I'm standing there waiting because someone went in there to talk on their phone. HATE! No conversation needs to take place on the toilet, and it happens all.the.time.  I want it brought up on a Presidential Debate! What do you plan on doing about people talking on the phone in the restroom, Mr. Candidate?

 

Sometimes, if someone comes in and I tell them to go ahead, I need the handles in the handicapped stall, people will come out. But sometimes not, and I get to hear stupid, stupid, conversations, and think up what the person on the other side of the line is saying, which is usually along the lines of, "Get a life. Why do you care that the person at a different table had pancakes AND French toast?" (A serious conversation overheard a few days ago.) Damn, now I want pancakes and French toast. Save those comments for PTV.  Also the person who ordered it was a 90lb 14-year-oldish? boy, who probably won't gain weight until his next hormone shift. It's amazing how much teen boys can consume; their insides must be hollow.

 

TL:DR Plopping down on the toilet and making the seat shift makes a lot of sense to me, and is likely what broke it.  Also, some people are annoying.

[notyrmomma]

I never thought about the fact that she plopped down on the toilet, but with that being mentioned, I can relate. I'm not overweight but have multiple sclerosis and little strength in my legs. My toilet at home has handles, and if I'm out, I have to wait for a handicapped stall, or else I can't get down without collapsing on the seat, and they do shift. Getting up is a problem, too. 

 

When there are only a few stalls, of course the handicapped will be taken, and now they are putting the changing tables in them. Parents also often take their kids in because there is more room for two, but I absolutely hate it when I'm standing there waiting because someone went in there to talk on their phone. HATE! No conversation needs to take place on the toilet, and it happens all.the.time.  I want it brought up on a Presidential Debate! What do you plan on doing about people talking on the phone in the restroom, Mr. Candidate?

 

Sometimes, if someone comes in and I tell them to go ahead, I need the handles in the handicapped stall, people will come out. But sometimes not, and I get to hear stupid, stupid, conversations, and think up what the person on the other side of the line is saying, which is usually along the lines of, "Get a life. Why do you care that the person at a different table had pancakes AND French toast?" (A serious conversation overheard a few days ago.) Damn, now I want pancakes and French toast. Save those comments for PTV.  Also the person who ordered it was a 90lb 14-year-oldish? boy, who probably won't gain weight until his next hormone shift. It's amazing how much teen boys can consume; their insides must be hollow.

 

TL:DR Plopping down on the toilet and making the seat shift makes a lot of sense to me, and is likely what broke it.  Also, some people are annoying.

LOL!  So its funny because I only go into the handicapped stall if it is the only one available and I have to go really badly.  I really get annoyed at people who are on the phone all the time, not only in the bathroom, but at the supermarket (move aside so I can grab the milk!) or in line at Starbucks.  I actually hate talking on the phone myself and would rather do all my communications in text.  Do you have to use a handicapped placard for parking? I bet you get sideways looks for that too. (MS is the invisible disease - I know because I have it too, but I'm relatively major symptom free now, knock on wood).

 

The whole toileting issue in these 600 lbs amazes me.  How does a toilet even hold them anyway?  They showed that toilet scene in the previews and I would have bet that she cracked the whole toilet.  I read somewhere that she uses bed pans to poop.  Can you imagine the volume of said poop when one eats 10,000 calories???? damnnnnn

[RCharter]

I never thought about the fact that she plopped down on the toilet, but with that being mentioned, I can relate. I'm not overweight but have multiple sclerosis and little strength in my legs. My toilet at home has handles, and if I'm out, I have to wait for a handicapped stall, or else I can't get down without collapsing on the seat, and they do shift. Getting up is a problem, too. 

 

When there are only a few stalls, of course the handicapped will be taken, and now they are putting the changing tables in them. Parents also often take their kids in because there is more room for two, but I absolutely hate it when I'm standing there waiting because someone went in there to talk on their phone. HATE! No conversation needs to take place on the toilet, and it happens all.the.time.  I want it brought up on a Presidential Debate! What do you plan on doing about people talking on the phone in the restroom, Mr. Candidate?

 

Sometimes, if someone comes in and I tell them to go ahead, I need the handles in the handicapped stall, people will come out. But sometimes not, and I get to hear stupid, stupid, conversations, and think up what the person on the other side of the line is saying, which is usually along the lines of, "Get a life. Why do you care that the person at a different table had pancakes AND French toast?" (A serious conversation overheard a few days ago.) Damn, now I want pancakes and French toast. Save those comments for PTV.  Also the person who ordered it was a 90lb 14-year-oldish? boy, who probably won't gain weight until his next hormone shift. It's amazing how much teen boys can consume; their insides must be hollow.

 

TL:DR Plopping down on the toilet and making the seat shift makes a lot of sense to me, and is likely what broke it.  Also, some people are annoying.

People are the worst.  There is no conversation I need to have so bad that I need to have it in a public bathroom stall.  And unless you're a world leader or an ER surgeon, there really isn't a conversation I consider that important.  OK, I could see doing that if maybe I was on a bad date and I needed to call a friend to call me as I was back at the table so I could get out of the date.  But, I wouldn't need the handicapped stall for that.

 

I do love the majestic proportions of the handicapped stall, and I prefer using it if I have to change at the gym but I would feel absolutely awful if I came out and found out there was a person who really needed a handicapped stall and I was using it.

[ClareWalks]

People who talk on the phone in public bathrooms are awful. I know if I were talking to someone and I heard flushing in the background, I'd be like, "where ARE you? ...oh, FFS, just call me back later!" And using a handicapped stall for that is right out. Ugh.

 

I just always wonder if the EMTs and firefighters that are deployed to help these super-obese people move around could have been helping with an actual emergency situation.

[CousinOliver]

Public restroom flashback:

 

My late mother in law, who used a walker and was slow from age (in her 90's), was in the handicapped stall one day.  I was waiting for her, as she couldn't go alone (she could use the facilities alone, but couldn't negotiate walking the restaurant alone, even with her walker.)  Another, much younger woman (maybe 50's-60's), also with a walker, came in and proceeded to complain loudly about the person in the stall who was taking so much time (ie, my MIL.)  The other woman didn't apologize or even have the grace to look embarrassed when it was clear that my MIL needed the larger stall, with handles, just as much as she did (and, as we should all know, not all disabilities are visible.  My late husband had a heart defect and refused to get a handicapped placard for his car in order to avoid the inevitable abuse.)  

 

Really no excuse for wasting time in the larger stall, regardless of disability.  But, I did think it was really interesting that the assumption was that she was not only able bodied, but also "wasting time."