S05.E09: Nicole's Story

[LocalGovt]

8 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

Is that a tongue ring I see in the mouth breathers tongue? Yuck!

Why yes, yes it is!   We were wondering if he is developmentally disabled to a degree. (not because of the ring)

[LocalGovt]

I kept hearing her say that her dad was being distant after the surgery. What was that all about?

[Catfin]

Was Charlie bio-dad to either child? 

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Was her special meatloaf that no one could make to her specifications just 50% chuck and 50% crushed Party Mix?

Just so you know, I woke up this morning still laughing about this.  

20 minutes ago, Catfin said:

Was Charlie bio-dad to either child? 

Yes, the youngest one was his.

46 minutes ago, LocalGovt said:

I kept hearing her say that her dad was being distant after the surgery. What was that all about?

I think "distant" is code for drugs. 

That last scene? Where Nicole was holding court with the family? Charlie and Nicole's father were definitely high as kites. 

I agree about the drug raid -- they either knew about or were benefitting from the drug operation in the garage. 

As much as I was disgusted by these people, I also felt deep sorrow for them. They're uneducated, they're poor, and they're all stuck in their own addictions/mental health issues that I fear that's no recovering from. I know it all comes down to personal choices, but when you're that entrenched in your own mindset (like none of them at all interested in the value of good nutrition or being decent parents) there's really no turning around. 

Speaking of parenting, Nicole needs to eat a burger filled with the special "shut the fuck up" sauce about how much she cares about her kids. i don't think there was ever a scene in the show where we saw her interacting with her children ... like, at all. (Except to scream at the one kid like it was his fault she couldn't fit through the bathroom door -- not to mention the kid was left in a bathtub alone unsupervised.) She could have parented from her space on the sofa or bed -- she doesn't need to be mobile to show concern. And I don't blame her father for going ballistic when Nicole and Charlie were sitting around doing nothing while he moved furniture out of the house and the unsupervised child almost got crushed by a stove. They COULD have been watching the children at the very least. 

The best thing Nicole could do for those kids instead of her "weight loss surgery" would be to turn them over to DFS and hope they were adopted to good homes since they will never have one with her. They're doomed. 

Edited March 2, 2017 by Guest

[operalover]

Doomed is right! They are uneducated, not too bright, probably developmentally delayed, poor and not much hope. The most jaw dropping part for me was when she said "now it's worse, now I have to lose weight for 2 months in a row!" when Dr. Na told her to lose 30 pounds this month and 30 pounds the next month. Honey, you are going to have to lose weight forever! I guess they never saw the show. I guess they can't afford cable. They all say "If I knew how hard it would be to get the Houston, I would not have done it". I thought she had an easier time- able to stay in the car for over ten hours- than Diane. Because Diane was 50 and I think being 23 helped with her energy and ability to move around. But once she got to the hotel she couldn't get onto the bed! That was a scene. I hope the film crew put the bed back together. 

I imagine they couldn't find an apartment because they didn't have a security deposit. Also they had a tight budget and wanted a house and not a complex with 4 adults, 2 kids, 4 cats and a dog (and one of the adults as big as 3 people?) I'm sure Houston has plenty of those shit apartment complexes as we have seen most of the patients live in.  You think they would have looked into this before they left.

This skin show is terrible: whine whine whine...I hate my skin I hate my skin for 45 minutes.

[Kid]

6 hours ago, Kramermom said:

Dad is definitely doing drugs!  I'd bet big $$$ he was trading the rent in the garage apt for drugs.  His disappearance for the rest of the show after the raid was very telling too.

I thought exactly the same thing!!!!  Also, in a later scene, his eyes were "hooded."  Definitely under the influence in my opinion.  

Also, how could it possibly be a coincidence that an ex-addict rents to people who are dealing drugs?

[suzeecat]

Quote

As much as I was disgusted by these people, I also felt deep sorrow for them. They're uneducated, they're poor, and they're all stuck in their own addictions/mental health issues that I fear that's no recovering from. I know it all comes down to personal choices, but when you're that entrenched in your own mindset (like none of them at all interested in the value of good nutrition or being decent parents) there's really no turning around

This was one episode that I kinda wished I didn't watch just because I'd rather not know that people actually live like this.  GiantMisfit, you said it best.  The whole scenario was just depressing from start to finish. 

[suzeecat]

After being hosed down on the back porch, how did she bathe after they moved to Houston (and during the trip there)?  Yeah, I guess I don't really want to know the answer to that one  . . . !

[TwinkleToes]

I feel so sad for the children.  These people are swearing, smoking and continually arguing around them.  I'm hoping someone from a children's welfare agency was watching and follow up with them.  They didn't ask for this nonsense.

[operalover]

Just now, TwinkleToes said:

I feel so sad for the children.  These people are swearing, smoking and continually arguing around them.  I'm hoping someone from a children's welfare agency was watching and follow up with them.  They didn't ask for this nonsense.

I believe that is not enough to remove children. As long as they have shelter and are being fed and not physically abused. You can't take kids away because the parents are morons. 

[poeticlicensed]

9 minutes ago, operalover said:

I believe that is not enough to remove children. As long as they have shelter and are being fed and not physically abused. You can't take kids away because the parents are morons. 

Yep, we had neighbors who basically lived in squallor, they put mattresses in the living room to sleep on, had no furniture, the kitchen cabinets were falling off the walls, the had random animals running around that were not vaccinated, the dad used to dig holes in the back yard and fill them with water so the kids could swim. Mom spent her days going to yard sales and goodwill and the Goodwill and the kids were never supervised. One of our other neighbors was a cop so we asked him to look in the windows to see if legally, there was any chance the state could intervene. He came over when they weren't home and looked around. He said clearly the kids were being fed and they went to school and didn't look abused, and that's the benchmark, no way would CPS intervene. It's very sad that people make choices to live like that. My observation is that it's generational. If that's how you were raised, that's how you live. It takes a lot to break the cycle. 

Does TLC pay them for filming? You would think that they could use that money to find a decent place to live. But then again, most landlords want to see paystubs and they came with no jobs. Also, it's been a long time since I rented, but don't most landlords ask if anyone has a criminal record? At least dad did, and although he may not be on the lease, he should be listed as an occupant. So 2 strikes, no income, convicted felon. Add to it a large dog, 6 people and no money for a deposit. No wonder they had trouble finding housing. 

[Kellyee]

Quote

I believe that is not enough to remove children. As long as they have shelter and are being fed and not physically abused. You can't take kids away because the parents are morons. 

Child Welfare can act on emotional abuse as well, but I'm not sure how often they do. It would be difficult to prove. Its easier to prove people in the house are on drugs, and take the kids away for that. I wanted to feel bad for Nicole because of her childhood, but she had no business getting pregnant twice and having two kids she can't possibly care for, and then leaving them in the care of her drug-addicted, verbally abusive parents.

Is being 600 pounds some kind of class issue? Almost without exception, the people we see each week are living in total or near poverty. They always seem to be in some crappy house or welfare apartment, wearing rags (or just a cheap sheet), and none of them ever seem to have had a decent job EVER. Does the obesity make them poor, or is being poor a risk factor for extreme obesity? Or does this show just always look for the biggest train wrecks?

And don't tell me two drug addicts couldn't spot a drug dealer living on their property. There were probably "friends" coming and going at all hours of the day and night.

[poeticlicensed]

5 minutes ago, Kellyee said:

Is being 600 pounds some kind of class issue? Almost without exception, the people we see each week are living in total or near poverty. They always seem to be in some crappy house or welfare apartment, wearing rags (or just a cheap sheet), and none of them ever seem to have had a decent job EVER. Does the obesity make them poor, or is being poor a risk factor for extreme obesity? Or does this show just always look for the biggest train wrecks?

Obesity and poverty are interrelated. There has been a lot of research done about the nutrition education and food availability in poor neighborhoods and it shows that low income areas tend to have less fresh food availability, which means that people eat fast or processed foods. It's also an education thing. If your parents didn't teach you to cook, then you are likely not to cook and neither are your kids. That's why you see that in many of the families, the whole family is fat, not just the patient. 

[AZChristian]

1 minute ago, poeticlicensed said:

Obesity and poverty are interrelated. There has been a lot of research done about the nutrition education and food availability in poor neighborhoods and it shows that low income areas tend to have less fresh food availability, which means that people eat fast or processed foods. It's also an education thing. If your parents didn't teach you to cook, then you are likely not to cook and neither are your kids. That's why you see that in many of the families, the whole family is fat, not just the patient. 

I'm not disagreeing with what you're saying here, but almost all the people on M600PL seem to have vehicles that are capable of getting them to Houston - but none of them can get to a grocery store with fresh produce?  Food stamps cover healthy food as well as processed foods.

People make choices.  The folks on this show make bad ones, at least when it comes to eating.

[Lizz]

Well, I just couldn't stay away from this one. 

First, I'm just glad they aren't from the South this time. But they could be ....

With none of the 4 adults working, that I could tell, they did have money for gas, motel rooms, possibly drugs, and lots of fast food. My guess is that Nicole draws disability and it's likely that the rest of the family is on some form of assistance. She probably also gets benefits as a single mother so she sure doesn't want the kids taken away. If it's enough to support their standard of living, they'd rather lay up on the couch all day. I want to grab the kids and animals and run.  

Glad she saw a therapist and I wish they provided some guidance for Nicole to get some education.... she could take online classes on her laptop and probably wouldn't have to pay.  She seemed to be somewhat articulate and have the most cognitive ability of the bunch, although that's not saying a lot. You would think she might want better for the kids that she "puts first," but it's easier to let her mother raise them.

Count me in as not understanding how she could have sex and deliver a baby with that body.  I really hope she's on birth control now!  Now stop thinking.....

Did she have a Juggalo tat?  I missed that but I saw Charlie had a Juggalo cap and rubber wristband.  

[Pepper Mostly]

I am laughing so hard! Everyone is in rare form with this one!

 

12 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

So she can't care for her kids but she had a set up so she can make couch meatloaf to her own specifications . Uh huh. I see.

Her kids look a bit chunky too. And call me an asshole but I judge people that eat with spoons.

My mouth was as wide open as Charlie's during that scene. Girl, really? You are such an awesome cook you can trust no one to prepare your fine gourmet specialties as well as you do? Takes a fine hand to pour out that bottled barbecue sauce I guess. Let's not even talk about how this dainty dish was served with both mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese! Both from a box, too. Guess Nicole's mad cooking skillz don't include side dishes. Sheesh, its easier and cheaper to peel a few potatoes than use that boxed shit. And oh my god oh my god oh my god, the hand washing in the bucket! Skeeve times ten.

12 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

The house, the toilet on wheels, the bathing outside, just ack! 

Mr poetic wants to know how she bathes in the winter, since Ohio gets super cold. Thoughts?

The porch bathing finished me. I thought the same thing. Fully half the year it'll be too cold to bathe outdoors!  You just know she has Charlie wipe her down with baby wipes the rest of the year.

12 hours ago, CouchTater said:

I wish Charlie, Crack Mama, and Cocaine Daddy would have just left her ass sitting in that wheelchair in that empty house, and let her find her own way to Texas.  Ugh.

OK, this is hilarious. I laughed for ten minutes straight.

 

11 hours ago, kittyinthecity said:

This is absurd. There are options. Go to the deli at a grocery and pick up a rotisserie chicken or some sliced turkey, get grilled nuggets from Chick-Fil-A, come on. Every major grocery store these days has a hot bar and/or salad bar. This isn't rocket scientist.

 

Right? I was thinking the same thing. Even fast food places have salads. She could even get those diet meals for the microwave, Stouffer's Lean Cuisine or something. That way she'd have portion control and be able to count calories accurately. They are expensive but if she took the money she was spending on fast food and soda and salty snacks and spent it on those instead she'd probably still come out ahead.

7 hours ago, CarolMK said:

The family dynamics in this episode were truly awful. She would have been better off leaving her home in her early teens- wasn't there anybody else, a grandmother, aunt, who could have cared for her? Drug addict parents, homelessness- how in the world did she even manage to weigh 400 lbs when they were homeless? Do soup kitchens supply enough food at mealtime to keep a person at that weight?

 

Yeah, I doubt the homeless shelter soup kitchen had sufficient to fill the bottomless pit that is Nicole. Some more of her fanciful embellishment of her story, along with "my family makes me eat fast food".

I couldn't figure out why no one could get a job in Texas either. Then I thought OK, Charlie has to look after Nicole, Crack Mama has to watch the kids, and Crack Daddy has at least one jail term under his belt, making it tougher to find work. I'm sure everyone had an excuse.

Those poor kids.

[AZChristian]

6 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

And oh my god oh my god oh my god, the hand washing in the bucket! Skeeve times ten.

My first thought was, "she only washed her hands because the cameras were there."  

[Kellyee]

Did Nicole say at one point "I don't want my kids to have to bury me wearing a diaper."???? Was she wearing a diaper because she couldn't get in the bathroom? I haven't been this horrified since the last horrible episode of this show 2 weeks ago.

Quote

I'm not disagreeing with what you're saying here, but almost all the people on M600PL seem to have vehicles that are capable of getting them to Houston - but none of them can get to a grocery store with fresh produce?  Food stamps cover healthy food as well as processed foods.

My sister works at a staffing agency that helps a lot of unskilled and homeless people. Almost without exception, they all have Iphones.

[Pepper Mostly]

But you can get iphones cheap, or free nowadays. As soon as the new ones are introduced, the older models are free with a lot of plans.

[operalover]

18 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I'm not disagreeing with what you're saying here, but almost all the people on M600PL seem to have vehicles that are capable of getting them to Houston - but none of them can get to a grocery store with fresh produce?  Food stamps cover healthy food as well as processed foods.

People make choices.  The folks on this show make bad ones, at least when it comes to eating.

 I think another reason is that people with more education and not living in total poverty tend get help before they are 600 pounds and immobile.  They would tend to nip it in the bud at 300-400 pounds. Once you can't wipe your own ass and are in constant pain and lymphedema's growing out of your legs you would look for help. The family would do an intervention. A lot of the enablers seem almost developmentally disabled. They keep bringing the food and don't seem to understand they are killing the person. I  think that someone in a nice neighborhood with money and an education would not let it get so far. The only exception to this rule we saw was Diane. 

My favorite quote from the episode was "we are potato chip connoisseurs" HA HA HA HA HA it does take a fine pallet to distinguish between Spicy Ranch Doritos and Sweet & Sour BarBQue.  What a couple of snobs! Loved how they knocked everything down in the store.

[dahling]

....

....

That's me watching this episode with my mouth hanging open like Charlie's.

Before I really say the obvious mean stuff, I would like to say something nice: Nicole is a real beauty with her blue eyes, blonde hair, and sweet face. Sure it's hard to tell underneath all the fat, but if she keeps it up and gets down to 200 or so, she's going to be drop dead gorgeous (but please lose the face jewelry, dear).

Dear sweet Jesus this was the most marginal group of people I have ever seen.  What hope is there for those kids? Their models are uneducated, unmotivated drug addicts. I can't believe I'm watching people who live in the same country as me. I can't believe she got pregnant twice (especially the second one). Those babies were not that far apart in age. The life of constantly living in rentals peppered with a bit of on-again off-again homelessness.  Why couldn't she and the mom work when dad went to jail?  My husband noted that the mom looked like a Troll. Maybe it was meth mouth. Of course it was hard to rent with no money for a deposit, probably bad credit or no credit, a menagerie of people, babies, and animals, and no jobs. As has been noted, why didn't someone think of this beforehand? Of course, I screamed "why" in my head a lot during this two hours.  They wound up renting a shithole but at least Nicole didn't almost fall through the floor like Michael(?) last week in their first rental. No way did their landlord approve that sublease.

I tend to get annoyed people on these forums announce their saintly ability to create a healthy meal under any circumstances and judge these 600 people for not being able to do the same - but - even McDonald's has a grilled chicken salad with low fat ranch dressing. That would have worked with Dr. Now's diet. This is the second time (I think Diana was the first) that we've seen people in the first weight loss phase eating corn on the cob. Nooooooo. Noooooooo.

Every day across Texas, children are legit being abused and neglected by their parents. Getting the shit beat out of them. You would not believe the stuff that CPS workers see, it would turn your hair white. That's part of the reason the turnover for CPS workers is so high.  This wasn't abuse and neglect, guys.  This is just a lost family that created two more doomed people who we're going to end up supporting, either with some kind of social programs, or by paying for them to be in prison. And those babies will have babies that my grandkids will end up supporting in the same way, if something doesn't change.

If you are interested in class issues in America I highly recommend the book White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America.

Edited March 2, 2017 by dahling

[IOU Payne]

Quote

As much as I was disgusted by these people, I also felt deep sorrow for them. They're uneducated, they're poor, and they're all stuck in their own addictions/mental health issues that I fear that's no recovering from. I know it all comes down to personal choices, but when you're that entrenched in your own mindset (like none of them at all interested in the value of good nutrition or being decent parents) there's really no turning around. 

Nicole started to improve after working on the homework assignments from her therapist.  If only Dr. Now had a social worker as part of his team. Then Nicole could have had assistance in getting stable housing, and would have been directed to resources such as parenting courses, community kitchens, story time at the library for the kids, and so on.  I have guarded optimism for her and her family, now that she's managed to extricate herself from her parents, a.k.a. the Ass-Clown Posse.  Charlie's a good sort, and even with his obvious limitations, he has a semblance of a work ethic. 

 

It amazes me that Nicole managed to survive her semi-feral upbringing as well as she did, which isn't saying much.  Hopefully, her therapist will help her tap into her resilience and she'll be a success story on many levels.

[operalover]

She didn't really survive her upbringing too well considering she weighed 684 pounds and had 2 kids while unmarried at 23 and had no job and couldn't walk. 

 

She also claimed she gained weight eating at soup kitchens because it was their fault they were serving pasta and casseroles..lol

[Yokosmom]

The thing is, she was already huge before her father started doing drugs and went to jail.  I kept waiting to hear what early childhood issues got her started.

[rlc]

Why do these people always have brown sofas? Wait- maybe I don't want the answer to that question.

[Cherrio]

9 minutes ago, rlc said:

Why do these people always have brown sofas? Wait- maybe I don't want the answer to that question.

LOL     Needed a good laugh.

Towards the end of the episode I noticed a very disturbing stain on the right side of the couch.   It looked really bad.

All I know is that while I usually stay at much nicer places, my first purchase will be a huge jug of sanitizer for my room.  The small bottle I always carry is no longer acceptable.      Maybe 2 large bottles.........

[Ocean Chick]

24 minutes ago, Yokosmom said:

The thing is, she was already huge before her father started doing drugs and went to jail.  I kept waiting to hear what early childhood issues got her started.

According to Nicole, her food issues started young, as her mom had that same nasty temper we saw with the grandkids.  Nicole's escape from the browbeating and yelling was to decamp to the garage where her dad was when he was at home.  He'd give her snacks (probably as a way to keep her busy and out of his hair as he tinkered with his car or whatever).  So she came to view food as synonymous with comfort and feeling protected.  When dad was one the road with his rig, Nicole would eat to relieve the stress she felt from mom.

I just wanted to slap ALL the "adults" here.  For many, many hours.  Days even.  Druggie dad, who was still using (even after a stint in prison, he STILL could have found a job if he really wanted to.  It's not like he was found guilty of rape or murder).  But of course finding a job is hard if you can't pass a drug test.  And then druggie mom, with the violent temper.  No wonder why she can't find a job - she probably couldn't even get through an interview without exposing that little flaw.  And mouth-breather Charlie.  A sweetheart with only a lonely couple of brain cells floating around in the empty space between his ears.  And our heroine, Nicole - who is constantly put-upon  by the universe!  Nothing is ever her fault.  These evil people are holding her down and FORCING that food down her throat!  No, really!  And they won't support her!  They only uprooted their lives and moved to another state and help raise their own grandchildren.  But they refuse to support her.  I mean, if they were really supporting her, they'd do the diet themselves and let Nicole eat what she wanted, and their weight loss would magically transfer to her, so that she could have her potato chips and meatloaf and corn and still be a size 4!  That's real support.

I, too, wanted to grab that lovely little red-headed, curly haired moppet and run.  Such a doomed cutie.  She and her brother will no doubt grow up with Issues.  Whole subscription sized issues.

[xwordfanatik]

14 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Alrighty then, so I'm not the only one who noticed her "special" meatloaf recipe? All I saw was meat, some otherworldly orangey, yellowish bullshit mixed in, and what looked like BBQ sauce on top. But only she  could make it! My meatloaf requires a lot more effort than that. Well at least it wasn't Pee Pad Meatloaf a la Penny!

LOL, Pee Pad Meatloaf!  Great name for it!

[xwordfanatik]

14 hours ago, BXD said:

Is it bad I totally want to try making meatloaf with cheez-its for breadcrumbs like now?

I had a coworker that used smashed-up fried pork rinds.  He said that way, he avoided carbs.  I just thought it sounded weird.

[Kellyee]

Quote

According to Nicole, her food issues started young, as her mom had that same nasty temper we saw with the grandkids.

In the pictures they showed, it looked like she was already fat as a toddler. I do think genetics and body type figure in. And it doesn't help when you have horrible parents who don't notice that you weigh 400 pounds when you're barely in high school. But Nicole didn't want to acknowledge her bad choices were contributing to the problem and making it worse. I think she had a bad food addiction, especially when she seemed so excited at just the thought of food.

[cpcathy]

I checked out even before surgery. So much yelling and telling each other to shut up. I just could not stand Nicole. I hope she knows how she came off on TV.

[xwordfanatik]

13 hours ago, CouchTater said:

I just want to thank you all for participating in real-time on this forum.  It's fun reading and watching!

No one in my off-line life watches this show.

Same here.  My husband refuses to watch it.  

[aliya]

2 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

Obesity and poverty are interrelated. There has been a lot of research done about the nutrition education and food availability in poor neighborhoods and it shows that low income areas tend to have less fresh food availability, which means that people eat fast or processed foods. It's also an education thing. If your parents didn't teach you to cook, then you are likely not to cook and neither are your kids. That's why you see that in many of the families, the whole family is fat, not just the patient. 

Maybe the difference is the availability of fast food these days, but it used to be that if you were poor, you cooked at home. Many poor women were good cooks because they knew how to make the most use of the fresh foods available to them.

Growing up in the late '50's and 60's, we weren't poor, but we didn't have a lot of processed food. It was more expensive. A TV dinner was a treat. Jiffy Pop was a treat. When McDonald's came along, it was a treat.  Otherwise, we had real food all of the time.

One thing I notice is that, if they are going to choose fast foods, none of these people choose interesting frozen foods. Stouffer's lasagna isn't bad. There are some pretty good international foods. Amy's has vegetarian food (OK, at this point I realize that I'm delusional). Kashi has interesting food. Even a family size box of frozen lasagna and a bag of salad would be a better, and cheaper, choice for these folks who always complain they have no money, but no... 

[xwordfanatik]

13 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

Bright side: Nicole was far more mobile at 700lbs than we've seen of folks who have weighed much less.

Dear Penny comes to mind.  She was what, about 500?  With the oxygen that Dr. Now said she didn't need.  Scammer.

[Aw my lahgs]

6 months to get on section 8 in Houston? in her dreams. If you want to be on section 8 in Houston, you're out of luck. You'll be placed on a mile long waiting list and will have to wait years before a limited number of spots open and you can apply.

Having said that, there are plenty of <$500 apartments all over Houston. If she remained in SW, not far from dr Nows office (20-30 min), she would have an easy time finding some. Others on the show have. If she were smart, she'd move into a $650 all bills paid apartment. Because it gets hot and humid in the summer and the AC will be blasting, and the power bill can be hundreds $.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Nutella

[Pepper Mostly]

15 minutes ago, aliya said:

Maybe the difference is the availability of fast food these days, but it used to be that if you were poor, you cooked at home. Many poor women were good cooks because they knew how to make the most use of the fresh foods available to them.

Growing up in the late '50's and 60's, we weren't poor, but we didn't have a lot of processed food. It was more expensive. A TV dinner was a treat. Jiffy Pop was a treat. When McDonald's came along, it was a treat.  Otherwise, we had real food all of the time.

One thing I notice is that, if they are going to choose fast foods, none of these people choose interesting frozen foods. Stouffer's lasagna isn't bad. There are some pretty good international foods. Amy's has vegetarian food (OK, at this point I realize that I'm delusional). Kashi has interesting food. Even a family size box of frozen lasagna and a bag of salad would be a better, and cheaper, choice for these folks who always complain they have no money, but no... 

If you watch any of Anthony Bourdain's shows, for instance, he's always waxing rhapsodic about how poor folks can take something lowly or scorned by the more well off folk, and make it delicious. Its was a necessity.  Jacques Pepin is always doing some humble dish he ate as a kid, when his mother had to be frugal and feed her family on little money. Its possible. It requires ingenuity and creativity, or at least the willingness to make the effort. For the cost of a fast food meal, they could have bought a pack of chicken thighs, a bag of potatoes or a box of rice, a bag of carrots, an onion and roasted that in the oven with a little lemon and pepper and had a home cooked meal in 45 minutes.

And I agree re: interesting frozen foods. There's a lot of choice out there now. Some of them are spendy but Stouffer's, for example, goes on sale every other week at my grocery store. And there are often coupons available for some of the other brands you mention. It can be done. But I can see Nicole and her family being very suspicious of quinoa, or lentils, (cheap, delicious, and good for you), or wild rice.

I mean, its not like these folks are isolated to the point where they don't have the ability to find out how to expand their horizons a little. They have a TV. They have a computer. How long does it take to type "cheap, healthy recipes" into Google? or Youtube? Turn on Cooking Channel and watch a show or two.

[TurtlePower]

19 minutes ago, aliya said:

Maybe the difference is the availability of fast food these days, but it used to be that if you were poor, you cooked at home. Many poor women were good cooks because they knew how to make the most use of the fresh foods available to them.

Growing up in the late '50's and 60's, we weren't poor, but we didn't have a lot of processed food. It was more expensive. A TV dinner was a treat. Jiffy Pop was a treat. When McDonald's came along, it was a treat.  Otherwise, we had real food all of the time.

One thing I notice is that, if they are going to choose fast foods, none of these people choose interesting frozen foods. Stouffer's lasagna isn't bad. There are some pretty good international foods. Amy's has vegetarian food (OK, at this point I realize that I'm delusional). Kashi has interesting food. Even a family size box of frozen lasagna and a bag of salad would be a better, and cheaper, choice for these folks who always complain they have no money, but no... 

 

3 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

Obesity and poverty are interrelated. There has been a lot of research done about the nutrition education and food availability in poor neighborhoods and it shows that low income areas tend to have less fresh food availability, which means that people eat fast or processed foods. It's also an education thing. If your parents didn't teach you to cook, then you are likely not to cook and neither are your kids. That's why you see that in many of the families, the whole family is fat, not just the patient. 

I agree part of it is lack of nutritional education and the other part is that food addicts don't want better solutions, they want excuses to eat fast food. My dad managed a food bank/community garden and he told me that even when free, poor families did not want things like green beans, beets, swiss chard or other veg--and it had just come from the garden, fresh. They refused the veg and instead wanted SPAM and hot dogs. That kinda blew my mind, but it could be they didn't know how or didn't want to take the time to prepare these foods.

I know there's lot of cheap junk out there but once provided with education, it's a lousy excuse. Money was tight early on in my life and we managed to eat healthfully and cheaply. Instead of hot dogs or bologna, I learned to make many varieties of chili and other soups from whatever ingredients were on sale at the time. 

[Azubah]

2 minutes ago, Runnergirl said:

poor families did not want things like green beans, beets, swiss chard or other veg

Well hell, I don't want them either. I eat them because I know they're good for me. The food industry has spent a ton of money creating highly-palatable food. Swiss chard just isn't as good as Doritos. (Oh, go ahead, lecture me about how awesome Swiss chard is. I'll wait.)  I get my 5-a-day fruits and veg, but if tomorrow it turned out that fruits and vegetables are terrible for your health, I'd probably stop eating all of them except bananas. 

[Pepper Mostly]

1 minute ago, Runnergirl said:

poor families did not want things like green beans, beets, swiss chard or other veg--and it had just come from the garden, fresh. They refused the veg and instead wanted SPAM and hot dogs.

this kills me. I would love to have fresh green beans or beets or swiss chard. One of the kids who lives with us (my son's friend, long story...) grew up in a, not really similar but probably equally precarious environment, and his go to was hot dogs and ramen. (and this guy is diabetic!). But when we took him in he was essentially homeless, was getting SNAP, and those things were cheap.

[SkinnyMinnie]

When she was at the pool, why didn't she take her children swimming?  Swimming would have been a treat for them. Very little interaction with the babies :(

[poeticlicensed]

3 hours ago, Lizz said:

With none of the 4 adults working, that I could tell, they did have money for gas, motel rooms, possibly drugs, and lots of fast food. My guess is that Nicole draws disability and it's likely that the rest of the family is on some form of assistance. She probably also gets benefits as a single mother so she sure doesn't want the kids taken away. If it's enough to support their standard of living, they'd rather lay up on the couch all day. I want to grab the kids and animals and run.

So if Nicole is on disability and others are on some kind of assistance (food stamps, welfare, etc), what happens if you up and move? Maybe SSI travels with you, but if you move and are on Section 8 and food stamps, which are federal programs that are administered locally, don't you have to register in your new state? That's why I don't see how they have money at all, because I doubt that the welfare office is waiting with cash just in case a new person arrives that day. I have no idea how assistance works, but it can't be so easy that you just walk in and someone hands you a check

[Tinfoil Hat]

On February 15, 2017 at 8:35 PM, MsVixen said:

 

 

10 minutes ago, SkinnyMinnie said:

When she was at the pool, why didn't she take her children swimming?  Swimming would have been a treat for them. Very little interaction with the babies :(

I'd be nervous with somebody that out of shape and with such obvious mobility problems watching young children alone in the pool, without another adult (in better shape) present. 

[TurtlePower]

9 minutes ago, Azubah said:

Well hell, I don't want them either. I eat them because I know they're good for me. The food industry has spent a ton of money creating highly-palatable food. Swiss chard just isn't as good as Doritos. (Oh, go ahead, lecture me about how awesome Swiss chard is. I'll wait.)  I get my 5-a-day fruits and veg, but if tomorrow it turned out that fruits and vegetables are terrible for your health, I'd probably stop eating all of them except bananas. 

Ok, I know the food industry does this and am grateful for my palette. I was brought up in a homestead-like environment and we didn't have Doritos, Little Debbies or anything like that. We grew/canned/froze just about everything we ate and did not have sugar in the house (we even made our own yogurt). I suppose it's easy for me to say chard is good because I grew up eating a lot of it (sautéed in garlic olive oil, delicious). 

I will say this--one thing about vegetables, how they're prepared is critical. I grew up HATING zucchini. Turns out my mom didn't know how to cook it properly (it was always tasteless mush when she made it). If kids hate certain vegetables, it could be the parents don't know how to prepare them.

[steff13]

16 hours ago, kittyinthecity said:

I think it was Grippos - local brand of chips. She had them in her cart I believe...(I've since moved from the area and have an eagle eye for them)

Grippos are amazing.  But, they sell the seasoning now in a jar, she could have used that instead of the chips themselves.

I had hearings in Marion, Ohio, yesterday. 

I think she should have left her parents and kids here in Ohio and headed to Texas with the BF alone. 

[mmecorday]

In Nicole's honor today, I purchased a sandwich from Subway, took a few bites out of it then had a fit and threw it around my car.

[Jeeves]

2 hours ago, aliya said:

Maybe the difference is the availability of fast food these days, but it used to be that if you were poor, you cooked at home. Many poor women were good cooks because they knew how to make the most use of the fresh foods available to them.

Growing up in the late '50's and 60's, we weren't poor, but we didn't have a lot of processed food. It was more expensive. A TV dinner was a treat. Jiffy Pop was a treat. When McDonald's came along, it was a treat.  Otherwise, we had real food all of the time.

One thing I notice is that, if they are going to choose fast foods, none of these people choose interesting frozen foods. Stouffer's lasagna isn't bad. There are some pretty good international foods. Amy's has vegetarian food (OK, at this point I realize that I'm delusional). Kashi has interesting food. Even a family size box of frozen lasagna and a bag of salad would be a better, and cheaper, choice for these folks who always complain they have no money, but no... 

I grew up in the 50's and 60's. We weren't poor but honestly I didn't really learn to cook either. My mom didn't enjoy cooking, and she worked a full time job outside the home plus kept the books for my dad's business. She fell joyfully upon the convenience foods that were introduced in the 50's and 60's. We had frozen fish fingers, frozen vegetables, canned vegetables, canned fruit, instant mashed potatoes, along with a Sunday roast cooked with fresh veggies, canned soups, and TV dinners more than occasionally. To be clear, we didn't subsist on junk and she did cook from scratch but usually just on Sundays. We also went out to eat at cafeterias and got balanced meals there too.

Mom didn't teach us to cook - what I knew I'd learned from a grandmother - and as I never had a kid to take care of I never had to learn to cook as an adult. In my old age I prepare more of my own food, and eat more fresh whole foods, than I did earlier in life. But I don't enjoy cooking. I find it's a chore, and I get all anxious when following a recipe for the first time. My idea of torture would be locked in a room with a TV blaring cooking shows that I couldn't turn off or even mute. The only time I watched a cooking show was the first season of Worst Cooks in America or whatever they called it. I thought I had found my people!!!

About the choices of fast food. They don't even have to go the salad route in order to avoid the starchy empty carbs. Every fast food chain that I know of, will serve you a burger without the bun, or a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun. You get something substantial and hot (cold salads often just don't do it for me when I want a *meal*) that's mostly protein with a piece or two of tomato, some lettuce and maybe pickles. They'll put it in a little box and usually give you a knife and fork to eat it with. 

Edited to add: I've appreciated all the articulate comments about the truly dysfunctional and disadvantaged family shown in this episode. Whoever said "marginal" really nailed it. I couldn't watch much of the episode because of the behavior and I also grieve over those tiny kids. 

Edited March 2, 2017 by Jeeves

[poeticlicensed]

15 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

I grew up in the 50's and 60's. We weren't poor but honestly I didn't really learn to cook either. My mom didn't enjoy cooking, and she worked a full time job outside the home plus kept the books for my dad's business. She fell joyfully upon the convenience foods that were introduced in the 50's and 60's. We had frozen fish fingers, frozen vegetables, canned vegetables, canned fruit, instant mashed potatoes, along with a Sunday roast cooked with fresh veggies, canned soups, and TV dinners more than occasionally. Mom didn't teach us to cook - what I knew I'd learned from a grandmother - and as I never had a kid to take care of I never had to learn to cook as an adult. In my old age I prepare more of my own food, and eat more fresh whole foods, than I did earlier in life. But I don't enjoy cooking. I find it's a chore, and I get all anxious when following a recipe for the first time. My idea of torture would be locked in a room with a TV blaring cooking shows that I couldn't turn off or even mute. The only time I watched a cooking show was the first season of Worst Cooks in America or whatever they called it. I thought I had found my people!!!

About the choices of fast food. They don't even have to go the salad route in order to avoid the starchy empty carbs. Every fast food chain that I know of, will serve you a burger without the bun, or a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun. You get something substantial and hot (cold salads often just don't do it for me when I want a *meal*) that's mostly protein with a piece or two of tomato, some lettuce and maybe pickles. They'll put it in a little box and usually give you a knife and fork to eat it with. 

I grew up in the 60s and had almost the same diet. I know how to cook, but I don't enjoy cooking. I d cook though, because the difference between me and Nicole and her family (one of many) is that although cooking is something I don't enjoy, I am educated, so I realize the effect that a steady stream of fast food, sugar and processed foods would have on me. If you don't learn as a child by having good nutrition modeled or as an adult because you choose to learn, then you will be ignorant and eat tacos and burgers and weigh 600 pounds. Combine that with a sedentary lifestyle and it's a recipe for a bad health outcome. Take a look at the family members of some of the patients on that show who primarily eat fast or processed foods. Many are obese, and even the ones who aren't don't look healthy. I'm guessing that diabetes, HBP and many other health ailments run rampant in those families, in addition to the drug abuse that wreaks havoc on the body as showcased by the family last night. The mom was probably what, 40 something? She looked 60+. I'm sure no one sees a doctor regularly, much less a dentist, which is key to overall heath. Some of shots of teeth (or lack thereof) on this show are truly gag-worthy

Edited March 2, 2017 by poeticlicensed

[ClareWalks]

I am 40 minutes in and they still haven't gotten to Houston. First of all, the screaming at each other and horrible language around the kids, these people elevate white trash to the level of art. Second, Nicole seems to look down on her parents for cocaine addiction but her addiction is just as dangerous. She does not come close to having the insight to comprehend how similar she is to them, and she acts like she's so much better. Barf.

[cpcathy]

Question: if you know you're going on the show, why don't you start the diet ahead of time, since you know it will be no carbs and protein and getting up and moving a bit. Or, is that a production conceit, so we get the footage of the grocery store shop and the bathing shot and the stuffing food in your mouth shot.

[gardendiva]

The sliding bed in the hotel scene really made me laugh: "WHAT HOTEL USES WOOD FOR A COCKADOODIE FLOOR?" *

*Kathy Bates in Stephen King's "Misery" movie reference