Scribblings

"Weighty Issues"

Years ago, Randy Newman came out with a song that totally flipped people out. It was called ?Short People?. The lyrics were outrageous and people became really offended. Randy Newman said he wasn?t being serious; he was making a parody out of the way we all seem to want people to be a certain way. Well, I think he could have written a song and called it ?Fat People? to reflect how well us BBP (big beautiful people) fit into the perfect world. So I changed the words to Newman?s song a little:

I?m not saying we should be fat. I?m not saying we should blame fast food restaurants. What I am saying is, don?t judge us! Where does that happen? In schools ? kids are so cruel to each other. It happens in families where well-meaning family members make cutting remarks. It happens in some doctors? offices where some of these professionals say, ?Look, just drink Slim Fast.? It happens on Widownet where posters write ugly things about us hefty people. It happens in the work place.

Have you ever been discriminated against because of your weight? What opportunities have you missed out on because of your size?

Luckily, I didn?t suffer much discrimination. I think, though, that is because the need with someone fluent in ASL was greater than the need for a small body. But I have not ever gotten a management position I applied for (interpreter coordinator in 3 or 4 different places) and I?m thinking it?s because of my weight. I can?t say how many times interviewers told me that I was highly qualified and ?up high? on the list of candidates. I was always passed over, though, for a smaller more ?professional? looking person. What really galled me was that in some cases, the new coordinator couldn?t sign very well. So it goes.

Weigh-In Wednesday:

Where do you stand on weight related surgery? Are you in favor of it? Why or why not? Do you agree with it in certain circumstances and what are those circumstances? Would do you it if you had to?

I know that there are health risks to being morbidly obese. I know that I am not happy when I look in the mirror. Still, I would not consider gastric bypass surgery. It?s too extreme and way too dangerous for me to want to risk it. Other people are having the surgery. It?s going to become the surgery du jour at this rate.

The surgery involves taking out a part of the stomach and intestines ? or at the very least, clamping it so that it can only hold one ounce of food. Is that ridiculous or what? One ounce is very little and it?s incredibly inadequate if you ask me. I think that might be way people struggle with it so. There?s foods you can?t eat any more.

The weight people lose after having the surgery is about the same as a person would lose following a weight control program so one could keep on Weight Watchers or Atkins or South Beach. I wouldn?t risk my health; I?d stay on Weight Watchers.

Another reason I don?t think the surgery is any good is because the operation won?t change me. It won?t change my cravings. It won?t change the thinking patterns that caused me to be heavy in the first place.

And the biggest reason of all: a friend of mine died after having the surgery. He had a lot of back pain but the surgeon wouldn?t operate it while he was so heavy. So he decided to have the bypass so he could lose the weight and then have surgery on his back. He was young, less than 40. He and I were co-writers on an online soap. He and my other friends from A New Vintage were so supportive after Rich died. When he told me he was having the surgery, I felt really scared.

I don?t know why I had such a bad feeling about it. Maybe it?s because I?ve heard other people suffered complications. My friend came through surgery all right and I was so relieved. I sent him a get well ecard anticipating he?d see if when he was discharged and went home. The day he was supposed to leave the hospital, he died.

I?ve never forgotten how I felt. I don?t forget the feeling of horror I get when I hear this one or that one is considering the surgery.

I would only consider the surgery if I was at death?s door. While I?m still strong enough to exercise and eat healthily I?m going to get as much weight off the ?old fashioned? way as possible!