Is Being Obese Disabled?

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Is Being Obese Disabled?

  • Obesity is not a disability.

  • Obesity is a disability - but they do NOT deserve the same treatment as the handicapped/disabled.

  • Obesity is a disability and they DO deserve the same treatment as the handicapped/disabled.

  • I am a raging moron.


Results are only viewable after voting.

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
4,464
596
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Obesity is caused by overeating. Period. Those who disagree, please refer to basic laws of physics.

That's a pretty simplistic view. The underlying causes shouldn't be ignored as it's not really fair to the small minority that aren't just overeating.

Rather than guess I Google'd if obesity on its own is a disability. EEOC says it is, ADA mostly says it isn't, but has lost some court cases. Based on general observation of the state of things in the U.S.A. it looks like actual disabled people with have soon to compete with fatties for resources. That's kind of fucked up but what are you going to do.
 

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
17,168
60
91
I sometimes wonder. My wife came down with diabetes when she was rather skinny at about 100 lbs or so at 5 feet tall. She has neuropathy in her feet and legs and has a hard time walking at the age of 61. I sometimes wonder when we go to Wal-Mart and I see a lot of fairly young looking people who look like they could walk if they wanted to riding in all the handicapped carts. Sometimes I think people get fat and lazy and just are so much of a bum that they would rather not walk around in Wal-Mart.

I weigh about 300lbs and I still walk because I know if I get lazy I may never get off my butt again. I plan on walking till I no longer can. At 57 I am still doing OK. I really need to be walking anyway.
 

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
19
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I suppose it is possible to get so obese that you can't do stuff, so by the literal definition it can be a disability. I also think it's a disability that can be solved better by not rewarding people for it, such as by giving them certain benefits typically afforded to disabled folk.

These people have already demonstrated that they have little control over their internal reward systems. Giving them money or benefits on top of that is rewarding them for not being able to stop rewarding themselves with food. That's doubling down on encouraging them to persist in their behavior. We DO want them to get healthier right? Sometimes a swift kick in the ass works better than a helping hand.
 
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Murloc

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2008
5,382
65
91
I sometimes wonder. My wife came down with diabetes when she was rather skinny at about 100 lbs or so at 5 feet tall. She has neuropathy in her feet and legs and has a hard time walking at the age of 61. I sometimes wonder when we go to Wal-Mart and I see a lot of fairly young looking people who look like they could walk if they wanted to riding in all the handicapped carts. Sometimes I think people get fat and lazy and just are so much of a bum that they would rather not walk around in Wal-Mart.
well using electric scooters provided by a private company doesn't mean they're legally handicapped.

I guess american supermarkets providing this service promotes bad habits although it's good for business.
Real handicapped people already have their own chair/scooter unless they've resigned to just driving everywhere, taking a few steps and not going past that (maybe it's possible in the US, I don't really know) (this also supposes that everyone gets enough public support to buy one).

Still, if this stereotype exists:
r68g0.jpg

at least in some cases you must be right.

I wonder if they think anorexia is a disability? All those people need to do is eat.
it's a mental disorder but it's not a disability if they can work.

But also a flu can take you out of work for a few days, I think the key here is permanency. So the answer would be no.
 
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waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
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81
.
Real handicapped people have their own chair/scooter
.

that's just not true. many can't afford them. teh damn scooters are expensive.

Also many won't get them just out of spite. they can walk but then have to watch what they do.
 
Dec 10, 2005
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that's just not true. many can't afford them. teh damn scooters are expensive.

Also many won't get them just out of spite. they can walk but then have to watch what they do.

They can also be quite heavy, especially if you have a disability, making transportation of such scooters difficult.
 

Phoenix86

Lifer
May 21, 2003
14,644
10
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well using electric scooters provided by a private company doesn't mean they're legally handicapped.

I guess american supermarkets providing this service promotes bad habits although it's good for business.
Real handicapped people already have their own chair/scooter unless they've resigned to just driving everywhere, taking a few steps and not going past that (maybe it's possible in the US, I don't really know) (this also supposes that everyone gets enough public support to buy one).

Providing the scooters to people who aren't disabled is fine, allowing those people to access places reserved for people who are disabled isn't.

The lady who posted this is probably right, maybe 95% right, but not 100%. Not all disabilities require a scooter, some people have limited mobility but are OK enough to get around the house and maybe short trips.
 

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
76
That's a pretty simplistic view. The underlying causes shouldn't be ignored as it's not really fair to the small minority that aren't just overeating.

Rather than guess I Google'd if obesity on its own is a disability. EEOC says it is, ADA mostly says it isn't, but has lost some court cases. Based on general observation of the state of things in the U.S.A. it looks like actual disabled people with have soon to compete with fatties for resources. That's kind of fucked up but what are you going to do.

Ridicule them mercilessly.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
lol

I have bad hips, knees and back (old age catching up with me. need both hips replaced). i have trouble walking past a mile anymore.

I was having a bad day and used one. I'm 5'6 150ish lbs.

I got flack from a lady who obese because i took the last one heh

see i have no issue with that, you had a legitimate use for one. its the young fat fuckers who have no issue walking from the parking lot to the scooter charging station and get on one. those morons need a swift kick in the ass.
 

TheVrolok

Lifer
Dec 11, 2000
24,254
4,092
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Just out of curiosity to those saying obesity is not a disability because they ate themselves there; what about COPD, lung cancer, cirrhosis, valvular disease from endocarditis, etc. etc.?
 

Puppies04

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2011
5,909
17
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That's a pretty simplistic view. The underlying causes shouldn't be ignored as it's not really fair to the small minority that aren't just overeating.

Rather than guess I Google'd if obesity on its own is a disability. EEOC says it is, ADA mostly says it isn't, but has lost some court cases. Based on general observation of the state of things in the U.S.A. it looks like actual disabled people with have soon to compete with fatties for resources. That's kind of fucked up but what are you going to do.

Here is a really really simplistic view for you. If you eat more calories than you burn you get fat. If you can't excercise for other medical reasons you can still not put on weight by eating sensibly.

If you have proof of anyone who is fat and doesn't eat too much then please share it as I will worship them as the second coming of fat christ.
 

HTFOff

Golden Member
Oct 3, 2013
1,292
56
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I think certain disabilities, be it psychological disabilities or learning disabilities can be a precursorto obesity.

I don't think obesity in and of itself is a disability.
 

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
9
81
Going against the grain here, and even though I disapprove of fatties...

Just because somebody caused their problem doesn't mean it's not a disability. If someone goes skiing and breaks their spine, that doesn't mean they're not disabled.Disabled simply means you don't have the same physical ability as an average person.

However that doesn't mean they should get to use up the disabled parking spots and ride their little scooters to the good seats. Screw them, if they walked more often they could fix their disability. Fattie parking should be at the FAR END of the parking lot.
 

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
4,464
596
126
Here is a really really simplistic view for you. If you eat more calories than you burn you get fat. If you can't excercise for other medical reasons you can still not put on weight by eating sensibly.

If you have proof of anyone who is fat and doesn't eat too much then please share it as I will worship them as the second coming of fat christ.

Sure, but so what? What is the benefit of that view to a person who is depressed or addicted or truly stupid? It's not going to do any good to simply tell them the basic truth about overeating.
 

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
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Sure, but so what? What is the benefit of that view to a person who is depressed or addicted or truly stupid? It's not going to do any good to simply tell them the basic truth about overeating.

Forcible commitment to fat camps is the answer. Establish that they are a danger to themselves and others and lock them up in a jumping jack factory with cauliflower at every meal.
 

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
12,653
205
106
No, Obesity is not a disability...

regardless of the cause self inflicted or not, it can be very impairing, and I do believe some ADA-like consessions should be made.

Do you need a full on handicap parking spaces etc? No.

However, Things like Airline Seats, Stadium Seats, hotel bathrooms, etc do need to be more accommodating to the obese, due to the significant percentage of people who are obese.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
33,110
11,289
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Ridicule them mercilessly.
That only works if they give a shit about your opinion.
what about them?
Those are primarily self inflicted things as well. If obesity (to the extent that it impairs your day to day life) isn't a disability because it's self inflicted why are they?

No, Obesity is not a disability...

regardless of the cause self inflicted or not, it can be very impairing,...

You seem to be contradicting yourself there.

If it's impairing you it's a disability.
 

Dirigible

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2006
5,961
32
91
You can make bad choices, break your spine, and that's it. You ain't fixing your spine. You're disabled.

You can make bad choices, become morbidly obese and then make better choices to stop being morbidly obese. You want to continue making those bad choices? You take the consequences. You aren't disabled.

If continued bad choices are all it takes, I'm going to be disabled because of laziness. I will make bad choices to not do a damn thing. I will demand disability social security to pay for may lazy ass to continue to be lazy. I will demand handicapped parking right by the door. Try to fire me for not doing my job and not even bothering to come to work? I'm suing! You can't fire me because of my laziness disability!!!

Fatness being a disability is completely stupid idea.






It is possible that a person could have a disability that causes fatness. That person is disabled. But it isn't fatness that makes them disabled. Fatness is a result of the disability.

I expect those cases to be exceedingly rare. The vast majority of fatness is caused by bad choices.
 

Puppies04

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2011
5,909
17
76
Sure, but so what? What is the benefit of that view to a person who is depressed or addicted or truly stupid? It's not going to do any good to simply tell them the basic truth about overeating.


Quite frankly I don't care about the fat fuck. My point was when they expect special treatment like free mobility scooters or blocking a disabled kids view at an event they can get told to go away because they don't deserve special treatment.
 

CraKaJaX

Lifer
Dec 26, 2004
11,905
148
101
A disability isn't something you can 'fix'. Nobody can regrow a leg, fix a mental deficiency, or fully repair a ruined joint. You are stuck with it for the rest of your life and all you can do is learn to live with it.

Obesity however is something you can 'fix'. It's 100% curable. You simply eat less calories than your body needs on a daily basis. It sucks, it's terribly annoying and it requires you to exercise self control (which is nearly impossible for most americans). However, if you are fat and not disabled, it is only because you lack the fortitude to do something about it.

/thread