stallboy

Ok... we have excuses for two of the options... Oh come on you're not even trying here... are you really attempting to sweep away a whole set of suggestions with a wishy-washy back-hand comment like this... So just to be clear are you saying hand-on-heart you think parents of obese children are doing everything possible for their children ? Oh by the way, isn't it your turn to be constructive now? One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Knowing my luck I'll end up with that turkey on thanksgiving! One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

http://www.channel4.com/news/gallery/2006/photo_ooops/index_2.html One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Ok then. We all agree it's not easy... there are things we can do about the problem, but choose not to? It is not an insummountable problem, not easy granted, but not impossible either. Gee a meeting of minds? an uneasy truce in Dropzone??? Ok then lets move onto an easy topic .... The Middle East anyone? By the way, does that mean I'm not an asshole anymore? One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

In my defence it was a brain dump, not a well researched list of options. My point is there are things we could do.... One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

7) Form a "Gym" pact with some of your larger friends 8) Have a fun day out with the kids with a healthy packed lunch. 9) Walk to work, if its close... park further away if its not 10) Take the stairs 11) You and your partner take a evening stroll 12) Once a week turn the tv off and have an activity day 13) Play twister 14) Do a sponsered walk in aid of your favorite charity One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Ok here are some ideas: 1) Make physical education a prominent part of education policy 2) Serve wholesome food in schools that is not freeze dried, deep fryed fat laden junk 3) Ban the advertising of junk foods on kids TV programs 4) Invest in after-school soccer/base ball/football clubs 5) Parents: eat at the table with you kids, talk to them make eating a social event 6) Tax high fat food Top of my head stuff... Mike One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Ok, let me see if I get Chris' points 1) There are a lot of obese people who simply do not care that their lifestyle choice means that they're sharing 1/2 of your seat on a plane etc 2) There are assholes out there but he is not one of them and anyway that's not the problem we're discussing 3) That he admires people who try to do something about their obesity, but unfortunately many do not 4) He thinks that obese people are ruthlessly targeted by companies who exploit their problem 5) He probabily feels a little surprised at the backlash of bringing up what are rational valid opinions Now does that help you Karenmeal? because I'm a busy person, I do have puppies to strangle. Chris, if I have missed your point then please let me know. Mike One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Well I take my kids to the park, we only occasionally go to fast food places, we don't eat in front of the tv and we enjoy sports together. Ah, this might not fit your view of me, hmm ok if it helps; I eat babies, whip orphans, molest goats and hide old peoples teeth. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Ah, ok Chris, here we see the real problem, some don't like to think there are people that actually don't try. Everything is really ok, we're all doing as much as we can to solve the obesity problem. Lets stick our head in the sand, and simply sweep away valid points with accusations of being an asshole or mean or whatever. Shall we reconvene the discussion when the country reaches 70%, 80% or 90% obesity levels? One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Eat right and excercise a liitle and you probabily will be! And of course if you go hiking in Utah, make sure your penknife is sharp. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Don't be sad, that wasn't the point I was making. The point I was trying to make is that people should get the "difficulty" into perspective, if something is perceived as being unachievable (ie too difficult) then they will not try. If people accept that something needs to be done and it is achievable they they are more likely to give it a go. Perhaps rather than saying "It's difficult" a better message would "Look I did it, so can you!" I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who have beat their addictions, whether it was with drugs, alcohol or food. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Because I'm not good enough. It's not because the sky's too big/not big enough, or fellow jumpers are being mean to me, or the canopy is the wrong shape, or gravity is too strong where I live, or the plane was flying at the wrong way, or that my family has a history of flying bad, or the clouds got in the way, etc etc etc. If people are honest and say "I am too weak, please help", then fine. If people say "fuck it, I know the risks I want to enjoy myself", then fine. Its when people make a whole sack of excuses blaming everyone but themselves that we get in the mess we are in now with obesity at 60%!!! We're not talking about people who need to drop a few pounds, we are talking about people who use electric carts designed for disabled people just because walking around wal-mart is too much effort. I am not being mean, I am not being nasty, I may be saying something that people don't want to hear...but it needs to be said. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Hmmm, difficult you say... I read this story about a hiker who got trapped under a huge bolder in a canyon in Utah, he had no water and his chances of survival where slim. In order to free himself, this guy took out his penknife and CUT HIS OWN FRIGGIN' ARM OFF!! Now where were we... oh yes, you were telling us all how difficult it is to eat sensibly and do 30mins of walking a day. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

That's a bit harsh. For the record I too think its wrong to be mean, as I also think its wrong to selfishly eat oneself into an early grave without a thought to family that's left behind. If my flippant one-liner distracted you from that message, then I apologize. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

No don't do it!! Think of the tape-worms! One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

I was once sent to one of those trendy dilbert-esq management courses and the guy running it was a complete nut bag. One of my colleagues asked if anyone had an aspirin 'cause she had a headache, the conversation went as follows: Mr NutBag: You don't need an aspirin. Tell me what shape is your headache? Mrs Sane: Err.. Triangle? Mr. Nutbag: Ahhh, what color is it? Mrs Sane: Err... Black... I suppose??? Mr. Nutbag: Right imagine your headache turning slowely from a black triangle into a fluffy white cloud! How do you feel now? Mrs Sane: Do you have any paracetmol then? It was funny. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Eat some tape-worm eggs One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

My Dad used to get annoyed with everyone banging on about his smoking. One day I took him for a cup of tea at a Cafe and had a long chat to him about it. I told him that if he died from smoking and I had not done everything I possibly could to help him quit, then I would feel guilty for the rest of my life. He thought for a few moments sipped his tea and asked if those nicotine patches were any good... Anyway practical advice. Cook a nice healthy meal for her Go for a walk together One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

It is also the problem of their family and friends when they are standing around the grave of a person who ended their life early. As for denigration, hmm is it unreasonable to criticise those who eat vast quantities of food, do no exercise when they know it will knock decades off their lifespan? Isn't that reason enough to put the fork down, are these people really waiting for my understanding and empathy before they do something about it? It is not hatred, it is disgust that the precious gift of life is wasted on people who have such little regard for it. As for compassion.... do you want fries with that? One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

There is a lot of "blah blah" about this debate, on both sides. The truth is that this is (in virtually every case) a self inflicted condition. When I read stories about people, especially children with diseases that have no cure it is a bit difficult to sympathise with someone who is by choice eating themselves to death! The problem is one of personally responsibility, if someone thinks their condition is "genetic" or "glandular" and not in their control they will do nothing about it. Before leaping to the defence of the morbidly obese, I seriously suggest people stop and think are they really helping these people? In most cases this "help" reinforces the view that "it's not my fault I'm fat". One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Perhaps the law should be changed so that all the checkouts at McDonalds etc, should be forced to have one of those "travalators", like they have in the TV show Gladiators, that way people would be forced to jog on the spot whilst they order their McTripleBypass Burger! One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

If you want to fix the problem then cure the disease, not the mask its symptoms. Campaign for educational reforms, for better understanding and to make racism socially unacceptable. The point is that the country is heading in the right direction and that has not been achieved through positive discrimination, but through individuals and groups that believe people are equal and should be taken on their own merit. I believe that I understand your point, that their are still people who discriminate on the basis of race, but why join them? Positive and negative discrimination are two sides of the same coin. One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

By definition, positively discriminating towards one group is negatively discriminating against another. If this is based on race then you are being racist. Discrimination is Discrimination, people should be judged on the ability, not their colour. Your heart may be in the right place, but the solution is not to "lower the bar", it is to give people equal opportunities in education. Look at it this way, if you had to have heart surgery would you prefer a doctor who has been hired to fill a quota, or would you want the one who was the best person for the job? Not the same thing? Am I being silly... I know, let's have a list of jobs where it is acceptable to hire based on quotas... One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...

Religion gets a bad name from the extremists. Perhaps we could learn from the food industry and insist that all Churches, Temples, Mosques etc have a sign outside "Warning, may contain nuts" One day, I'm gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless...