“My 600 Pound Life: The Enablers’ Story”
More attention must be given to the disenchanted souls on “My 600 Pound Life”: the enablers!
One of the recurring themes among the people who enable (bring huge amounts of food to) a person with super morbid obesity is, “I love her; how can I say ‘No’?”
Viewers are incessantly stunned by these types of comments straight from the mouths of the enablers — who may be the spouse, significant other, parent, child or even sibling of the super morbidly obese man or woman who’s bed- or chair-ridden due to their size.
There are many things in life that are incredibly difficult to do. Saying “No” to your 600 pound family member should not be one of them — when it’s literally a matter of their life or death.
TLC’s “My 600 Pound Life” follows the stories of people in their 20s to 50s who weigh at least 600, but sometimes over 750 pounds.
Many enablers are spouses or significant others.
I’ve watched every episode of “600 Pound Life” thus far. A common scenario is that a man marries a woman who weighs around 400 pounds — but over time, she gains even more weight.
Less common is a woman who marries a man of this weight, then post-marriage he gains and she enables, and it’s a vicious cycle.
The eating-disordered spouse (or significant other) continues gaining weight until she or he is rendered either virtually non-functional or semi-functional.
The able-bodied spouse continues to bring the 600 pounder food in gigantic quantities.
How much blame should we place on the enablers in “My 600 Pound Life”?
Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, the bariatric surgeon featured on “My 600 Pound Life,” has passionately called out enablers on quite a few episodes.
He clearly places some of the blame on the enabler. This is obvious when he first meets the patient and the enabler with him or her.
One enabler, the mother of the subject, even explained that there was no point in saying “No” because her daughter was capable of obtaining the food anyways.
Don’t these enablers realize that saying “No” can mean the difference between 600 and 500 pounds?
Perhaps over time, refusing to play the role of enabler would help the subject lose some weight — and “some” is better than continuing to gain.
Weighing 500 pounds is dangerous, but not as dangerous as 600 pounds.
Is It an Issue of Will Power with the Enablers?
It’s a defeatist approach, bringing the food because “She’ll get it anyways.”
She—or he—if severely compromised by all the body weight, will NOT always get the same amount of food “anyways.”
It would be too painful to “anyways” get the same amount of food.
• It takes all of their might just to get into a car.
• It takes all their energy just to walk from bedroom to kitchen.
• It’s logical to conclude that without the enabler feeding them, these subjects would actually consume FEWER calories.
If the enabler stopped enabling, a severely incapacitated overeater would be forced to, for example, consume 15,000 calories a day rather than 20,000.
Several thousand calories less per day would result in weight loss — and again, 500 pounds is not as bad as 600 pounds.
- So 3,500 calories = one pound of fat.
- If someone normally eats 20,000 calories a day, then drops to 15,000 because the enabler is no longer bringing them food, the weight loss will be rapid…AT FIRST.
But they won’t keep losing 42 pounds indefinitely at 15,000 calories per day.
There will very soon be a plateau, because 15,000 a day is enough food for seven adults.
But as mentioned, SOME weight loss is always better than staying at the same gargantuan weight, let alone continuing to gain fat.
But won’t the weight loss make the subject more mobile and hence, more able to get up and cook big meals?
Most likely this is exactly what would happen, and they would be right back up there at 20,000 calories/day — and start gaining.
However … this likely outcome should never be used as an excuse for enabling the individual!
Furthermore, dropping 50 pounds JUST MIGHT spark motivation in the subject to continue trying to lose weight.
The enablers on “My 600 Pound Life” will never be able to come up with a logical, rational, understandable excuse for their behavior — at least none that Dr. Nowzaradan accepts.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
Stronger, Tighter Abdominal Muscles with 3 Core Routines
For tighter and stronger abs, do the following core exercise routines for these muscles.
Not only are these great ab routines, but it’s very important to follow these instructions so that you have the correct form.
Bad form, while performing ab exercises, will sabotage your attempts at getting stronger, tighter abdominal muscles. (more…)
Numbness on ONE Side of the Nose: Causes Include Tumor
Numbness on one side of your nose is an alarming symptom if you have no idea why it’s there, such as a recent blow to the nose or cosmetic surgery (rhinoplasty).
This post doesn’t focus on global or even-sided numbness, but numbness on one side (unilateral) of the nose. Oddball symptoms like this often make people suspect a tumor. (more…)
Can Listening to Live Band Music Damage Your Hearing?
Don’t people realize that sitting on the deck of some bar & grill to listen to the live band music will damage their hearing?
The people who do this tend to do it on a regular basis, and it’s that cumulative exposure that puts them at high risk for permanently dulled hearing. (more…)
Does All that Sitting on a Stationary Bike Flatten Your Booty?
All that time pedaling on a stationary bike, your butt pressing hard into the seat, makes you wonder if over time this can flatter your booty.
It certainly seems that way, based on just how your butt feels even after one hard session on a stationary bike. (more…)
How Cautious Should MEN Be Meeting Online Woman in Person?
Don’t think for a second that just because you’re a man that it’s safe for you to meet that online hot babe in person!
You may end up as dead as a door nail. (more…)
Can a TIA Cause Temporary One-Ear Tinnitus (Ringing)?
Ever get a sudden ringing tone in one ear, along with temporary hearing loss, and wonder if this is a transient ischemic attack?
A TIA can cause numerous sudden-onset symptoms. (more…)
How Is Hearing Loss Detected if Exams Only Go Up to 8,000 Hz?
Hearing loss typically begins at frequencies that are much higher than what a hearing test detects.
You could be losing hearing at higher frequencies without this being detected on a routine test. (more…)
Egg Yolks vs. Cereal for a Heart Healthy Breakfast: Which Wins?
Does the “incredible edible egg” beat out cereal when it comes to a heart healthy breakfast?
After all, cereal has been relentlessly marketed as a healthy breakfast food since the 1950s.
Millions of stay-at-home mothers were suckered into believing that something that was poured out of a box—after being made at a huge manufacturing plant—was the best thing you could give your child for breakfast.
And of course, there’s been more than enough cereal ads targeted at adults, such as adult male athletes and women wanting to lose weight.
“Part of this nutritious breakfast” is the mantra of cereal commercials.
Relatively late in the TV commercial game has been ads for eggs, touting their nutritional value.
While some people have BOTH eggs and cereal for breakfast, let’s look at whole eggs vs. cereal when it comes to heart health.
Which is better for your heart: whole eggs or the “healthiest” cereal?
There are a few ways to look at this. First, from the standpoint of nature vs. processed food, the egg wins.
This assumes that the whole eggs don’t have flour and sausage added to them for an omelet.
That old saying, “If it wasn’t around 50,000 years ago, don’t eat it,” rings true here. In nature, carnivores and omnivores eat eggs. They are 100% unprocessed.
But eggs contain cholesterol, right?
“Gone are the days when we blamed egg yolks for high cholesterol,” says Shana Spence, MS, RDN, CDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York.
“We now know through research and study that high cholesterol is due to saturated fat.
“Egg yolks contain important vitamins and minerals [all in their natural state!] such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, folate, vitamin B12, choline as well as vitamins A, D, E and K, and essential fatty acids [which are good for the heart].
“Whew! Eggs in general are also a healthy protein option that will leave you feeling full and satiated.”
- Two whole eggs contain two grams of sugar.
- A bowl of some types of cereal may contain as many grams of sugar as a candy bar.
“Cereals can be tricky, but if you look for the right option, they can be a great breakfast option,” says Spence.
The second consideration, then, is the type of cereal. Some are loaded with added sugar, plus unnatural colorings and flavorings.
Freepik.com
A third issue with cereal is the deceptive nutrition information label.
The sugar content for a “serving size” may not seem that bad, till you read that a “serving size” may be as small as three-quarters cup. What adult eats only three-quarters cup of cereal?
How many people stop pouring the cereal when it reaches the tiny “serving size” amount that’s on the nutrition label?
Pour your favorite cereal into a measuring cup—three-fourths way. Is that how much cereal you pour into your bowl for breakfast?
Two whole eggs contain two grams of natural carbohydrate. Your heart won’t mind.
But all the added sugar from cereals—even the high fiber cereals—are of the refined type, which promotes inflammation throughout the body.
Egg Yolks or Cereal for Breakfast?
Certainly, if cereal is one of your favorite breakfast foods, keep eating it.
But know that it’s not bad for your heart to sometimes replace cereal with whole eggs.
Furthermore, if you’ve been eating sugary, highly processed types of cereal, you may want to rethink this if you’re conscious of heart health.
“The number one choice I opt for is oatmeal…homemade, not pre-packaged,” says Spence.
“Oats are great because they contain a ton of fiber that will help fill you up and keep your gut nice and healthy.
“They are also versatile because overnight oats can be made the night before for an easy grab and go.
“If oatmeal is not for you, read the labels and look for whole grains such as wheat, barley, buckwheat, millet and quinoa.
“These grains are some of the healthiest and also contain the most fiber. Try to avoid anything corn or rice based which will not fill you up as much.
“When in doubt, check the nutrition label and make sure that whole grain is listed first in the ingredients.”
But even then, you should continue reading the ingredients to see if sugar is third or fourth on the list. This may still mean a whopping amount of sugar for a “serving size.”
Spence adds, “So overall, when choosing a heart healthy breakfast, opt for something that is high in fiber and protein but low in saturated fat.
“Both cereal and egg (yolks) are a great option, but you still need to pair them correctly.
“Have some whole wheat toast or fruit with your eggs for fiber and have some Greek yogurt with your cereal for added protein.”
Shana Spence of The Nutrition Tea is committed to providing trending information and nutrition facts covering a wide range including nutrition for heart disease and diabetes, pediatric nutrition and healthful lifestyles.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Melanoma Diagnosed within Minutes without a Biopsy
No, this is not a suspicion of melanoma based on looking at the skin with a dermatoscope, but actual DIAGNOSIS via a special laser microscope.
This groundbreaking technology is called multiphoton microscopy. (more…)