I watched a re-run the other day of "True Life" on MTV about people who are happy being fat. It got me thinking: how can anyone be content with being overweight or obese. From my personal experience I'm always in pain, can't find nice clothes without breaking the bank, and it's hard doing things that I like to do. Maybe it's just me, but I hardly believe anyone who says they have no problem with being fat.

I agree with you. I can see how some people may think being slim is not worth the effort, and may not be inclined to actually do anything about being overweight or obese. But I have a REAAAAAALLLY hard time believing that if someone came to one of these people's homes and said "Here, take this pill for free, and you'll lose all you excess weight on the spot," these people would say "Absolutely not."

I find it hard to believe too. I used to be happy even though I was fat, which is very different, but I am so much happier now that I've lost weight

Don't forget the relativity theory These people are "relatively" content, in part because they have never experienced anything different, let alone better. Even a frog in a beaker over a bunsen burner is happy to be warm and wet - at least till he starts to cook, suffers muscle damage and can't get out.

They are also probably riding high on the endorphins the body puts out in response to eating. What greater pleasure than to stuff yourself full and then go back for more? There is a reason it is pleasurable, the same reason taking recreational drugs is pleasurable for some.

Until the diabetes, heart disease and other problems start cropping up they probably will not get a clue, even then some do not. I've heard of people on oxygen therapy still smoking cigarettes like a chimney. That's both stupid AND dangerous, yet they have very few compunctions about it and their "reward" outweighs their "risk".

I got wise when by blood pressure, sugar, resting heart rate, glandular problems and joints started to make their complaints known and did something about it. Some people will NEVER learn. They've made their own bed and must lie in it.

Until recently I would have told you that I was content where I was. I have been overweight my entire life... I am only 20 and I cannot remember ever being at a normal weight. I was a "chubby" kid and then an overweight pre-teen and then an obese teen and now I have a BMI close to 50... I don't have any pain, I can sleep on my stomach, I can play with my 5 year old sister for long periods of time, I have never been a shopper so shopping for clothes is neutral for me, I have never been bullied because of my weight, I am a confident person, and I like who I am.

I can also truly say that I did not notice how big I was getting until a year or so ago. My weight gain was gradual and steady and I didn't notice the 5 pounds here and then the 5 pounds there. I saw someone's reflection in the window at the mall and I was honestly shocked when I realized it was me. At that point I went to my PCP and asked for help. I found out then that I am borderline diabetic but other than that I have no issues. I just couldn't lose the weight.

Until that point when I quite literally shocked myself out my bubble I was very happy and content with being a fat person. Not all fat people have physical problems and I also think that the majority of fat people who are "happy" are in a state of denial. I know that a large majority of fat people are also in the lower socio-economical bracket. Those people do not go to doctors, heck they might not even have one. They struggle to keep their heads up on a day-to-day basis and the extra expanse of doctor bills is going to be enough of a deterrent to prevent them from being checked out. Those people will never know that they have high blood pressure, or diabetes, or any of the other issues until there is an emergency. That is what I mean by denial.

Also, can anybody truly say they have no problems with how they are? Whether they are fat/average/skinny/anorexic... everybody has something they don't like or wish they could change. That doesn't mean that they are not happy though. If you asked a skinny person if they were happy to be skinny they would probably say yes... and then go complain about how bony their shoulders are or how much they hate the diet they are on. I guess it is just all about perspective and each individual's definition of happy.

I don't believe much of anyone is actually happy to be fat. Content either. I personally think it's an auto defense mechanism to convince others they are glad to be the way they are. Much like the person who always jokes about their weight to prevent others to do it to them first.

Being overweight is not something most folks would aspire to be given the choice. Guaranteed.

Okay, folks, I have never seen the TV show, but I *know* I would be content at a weight many of you would find much too high. I'm 5'6" and have been overweight my whole adult life - even before. I weighed 254 when I graduated from high school. I feel fanTAStic at 180-190 pounds. Many people consider that fat.

Okay, folks, I have never seen the TV show, but I *know* I would be content at a weight many of you would find much too high. I'm 5'6" and have been overweight my whole adult life - even before. I weighed 254 when I graduated from high school. I feel fanTAStic at 180-190 pounds. Many people consider that fat.

Actually no I don't consider that fat at all. I'm just under 200 Lbs and I'm really seriously comfortable with my weight now. I can move easily, I can run, I have more energy than I ever have in my life, I'm very healthy, I can dress cute and I feel amazing.

I personally was not talking about folks at this size at all. I'm talking significantly overweight, about 80-100 Lbs. at least depending on height.

But again, that's me and my personal opinion. I guess some would still consider me fat too.

Okay, folks, I have never seen the TV show, but I *know* I would be content at a weight many of you would find much too high. I'm 5'6" and have been overweight my whole adult life - even before. I weighed 254 when I graduated from high school. I feel fanTAStic at 180-190 pounds. Many people consider that fat.

Actually no I don't consider that fat at all. I'm just under 200 Lbs and I'm really seriously comfortable with my weight now. I can move easily, I can run, I have more energy than I ever have in my life, I'm very healthy, I can dress cute and I feel amazing.

I personally was not talking about folks at this size at all. I'm talking significantly overweight, about 80-100 Lbs. at least depending on height.

But again, that's me and my personal opinion. I guess some would still consider me fat too.

Gotta agree with Irene -- I'm at 182 for the first time in over 20 years and I DO feel fantastic, even though my BMI says I'm still overweight. Do I still need to lose 17 pounds? Yup. Will I? Yup. Am I content to feel fantastic at 182? Hell no!! I want/need/desire/crave to be normal. NORMAL!! So I will be normal, come hell or high water!

Yeah, I wasn't really thinking of the people who weigh 180. I definitely feel better at my current weight of 135-140, I can run/walk faster, I get tired less quickly, and clothes fit much better - but it's not a HUGE difference. When I weighed 180, I felt ok overall. Now, when I was pushing 210, I felt like crap - out of breath anytime I walked up a serious hill, feet hurting, back hurting, not able to fit into any dress pants or anything else nice. All of us have a certain weight threshold above which we REALLY start to notice the difference the extra weight makes in our lives and reduces our quality of life.

Until recently I would have told you that I was content where I was. I have been overweight my entire life... I am only 20 and I cannot remember ever being at a normal weight. I was a "chubby" kid and then an overweight pre-teen and then an obese teen and now I have a BMI close to 50... I don't have any pain, I can sleep on my stomach, I can play with my 5 year old sister for long periods of time, I have never been a shopper so shopping for clothes is neutral for me, I have never been bullied because of my weight, I am a confident person, and I like who I am.

I can also truly say that I did not notice how big I was getting until a year or so ago. My weight gain was gradual and steady and I didn't notice the 5 pounds here and then the 5 pounds there. I saw someone's reflection in the window at the mall and I was honestly shocked when I realized it was me. At that point I went to my PCP and asked for help. I found out then that I am borderline diabetic but other than that I have no issues. I just couldn't lose the weight.

Until that point when I quite literally shocked myself out my bubble I was very happy and content with being a fat person. Not all fat people have physical problems and I also think that the majority of fat people who are "happy" are in a state of denial. I know that a large majority of fat people are also in the lower socio-economical bracket. Those people do not go to doctors, heck they might not even have one. They struggle to keep their heads up on a day-to-day basis and the extra expanse of doctor bills is going to be enough of a deterrent to prevent them from being checked out. Those people will never know that they have high blood pressure, or diabetes, or any of the other issues until there is an emergency. That is what I mean by denial.

Also, can anybody truly say they have no problems with how they are? Whether they are fat/average/skinny/anorexic... everybody has something they don't like or wish they could change. That doesn't mean that they are not happy though. If you asked a skinny person if they were happy to be skinny they would probably say yes... and then go complain about how bony their shoulders are or how much they hate the diet they are on. I guess it is just all about perspective and each individual's definition of happy.

Emily, what a nice post this is. . . it is so true. . . people can be happy and sad all at the same time. I was huge at 350 lbs but even though I was not happy as to how I looked, I was happy with my life. . . now at 200 and size 16/18 I no longer unhappy with the way i look, but i'm not happy either. I can enjoy the "healthful" things, yeah that is great, but i'm not mentally happy. So to all of those newbies who think that losing the weight will make you happy, you are SO WRONG. But oh well, it's almost over right! Chow

Until recently I would have told you that I was content where I was. I have been overweight my entire life... I am only 20 and I cannot remember ever being at a normal weight. I was a "chubby" kid and then an overweight pre-teen and then an obese teen and now I have a BMI close to 50... I don't have any pain, I can sleep on my stomach, I can play with my 5 year old sister for long periods of time, I have never been a shopper so shopping for clothes is neutral for me, I have never been bullied because of my weight, I am a confident person, and I like who I am.

I can also truly say that I did not notice how big I was getting until a year or so ago. My weight gain was gradual and steady and I didn't notice the 5 pounds here and then the 5 pounds there. I saw someone's reflection in the window at the mall and I was honestly shocked when I realized it was me. At that point I went to my PCP and asked for help. I found out then that I am borderline diabetic but other than that I have no issues. I just couldn't lose the weight.

Until that point when I quite literally shocked myself out my bubble I was very happy and content with being a fat person. Not all fat people have physical problems and I also think that the majority of fat people who are "happy" are in a state of denial. I know that a large majority of fat people are also in the lower socio-economical bracket. Those people do not go to doctors, heck they might not even have one. They struggle to keep their heads up on a day-to-day basis and the extra expanse of doctor bills is going to be enough of a deterrent to prevent them from being checked out. Those people will never know that they have high blood pressure, or diabetes, or any of the other issues until there is an emergency. That is what I mean by denial.

Also, can anybody truly say they have no problems with how they are? Whether they are fat/average/skinny/anorexic... everybody has something they don't like or wish they could change. That doesn't mean that they are not happy though. If you asked a skinny person if they were happy to be skinny they would probably say yes... and then go complain about how bony their shoulders are or how much they hate the diet they are on. I guess it is just all about perspective and each individual's definition of happy.

I can relate a lot to your reply. I was that confident, bubbly, fun-loving, outgoing, content person that never realized just how huge I was. I was fat, but I didn't see myself "that fat". I didn't have any health issues either. I had knee pain, but I was also diagnosed with arthritis in my knees at 21 yrs old.

I can say that being skinny has brought on a new slew of "misgivings" about my body, my shape, my mentality on how I look that I never dealt with at 270lbs. I started having sex with my shirt on again with a man that worships the ground I walk on, and loves me endlessly regardless of pant size. He married me at 270lbs, and loved me just as much then as he does now. It has nothing to do with him, it's all me and how I see myself now. I don't "hate" my body, but I hate some of the things about my body like most 34 year moms. I have more wrinkles today that my 52 year old mother, and my husband is absolutely me getting fillers and botox, sadly, he doesn't get a say in what I do to my body so as soon as I recover from the c-section with Sprout, I'll be hitting my derm's office for some juvederm and botox.

The only time I've had someone talk to me about life post-op was a few months ago when we were discussing my reasons for WLS. My friend is obese (has about 100lbs to lose), suffers with type 1 diabetes and high blood pressure, and when she was asking me about VSG, life post-op, all the normal questions, her last comment was " well, I'm not miserable yet so when I get there, I'll want to talk to you more." I ended the conversation with "please don't allow your health to deteriorate just because you aren't miserable and don't think getting skinny has fixed me. Surgery was my last resort, my last option to prevent the conditions you are dealing with now, and to promote a healthier life for my future. I'll always be here to support you, and please know that surgery is not always sunshine and rainbows, it took me a long time to get where I am today."

Everyone has to come to their own reality when it comes down to making changes. I hope I can inspire others to take that step, and realize that being skinny is only a small part of the equation.

Until recently I would have told you that I was content where I was. I have been overweight my entire life... I am only 20 and I cannot remember ever being at a normal weight. I was a "chubby" kid and then an overweight pre-teen and then an obese teen and now I have a BMI close to 50... I don't have any pain, I can sleep on my stomach, I can play with my 5 year old sister for long periods of time, I have never been a shopper so shopping for clothes is neutral for me, I have never been bullied because of my weight, I am a confident person, and I like who I am.

I can also truly say that I did not notice how big I was getting until a year or so ago. My weight gain was gradual and steady and I didn't notice the 5 pounds here and then the 5 pounds there. I saw someone's reflection in the window at the mall and I was honestly shocked when I realized it was me. At that point I went to my PCP and asked for help. I found out then that I am borderline diabetic but other than that I have no issues. I just couldn't lose the weight.

Until that point when I quite literally shocked myself out my bubble I was very happy and content with being a fat person. Not all fat people have physical problems and I also think that the majority of fat people who are "happy" are in a state of denial. I know that a large majority of fat people are also in the lower socio-economical bracket. Those people do not go to doctors, heck they might not even have one. They struggle to keep their heads up on a day-to-day basis and the extra expanse of doctor bills is going to be enough of a deterrent to prevent them from being checked out. Those people will never know that they have high blood pressure, or diabetes, or any of the other issues until there is an emergency. That is what I mean by denial.

Also, can anybody truly say they have no problems with how they are? Whether they are fat/average/skinny/anorexic... everybody has something they don't like or wish they could change. That doesn't mean that they are not happy though. If you asked a skinny person if they were happy to be skinny they would probably say yes... and then go complain about how bony their shoulders are or how much they hate the diet they are on. I guess it is just all about perspective and each individual's definition of happy.

I can totally relate. I have never been "happy being fat" and hey Emily, you and I are kind of on the same time line. I should be having my surgery early August too/!

Until recently I would have told you that I was content where I was. I have been overweight my entire life... I am only 20 and I cannot remember ever being at a normal weight. I was a "chubby" kid and then an overweight pre-teen and then an obese teen and now I have a BMI close to 50... I don't have any pain, I can sleep on my stomach, I can play with my 5 year old sister for long periods of time, I have never been a shopper so shopping for clothes is neutral for me, I have never been bullied because of my weight, I am a confident person, and I like who I am.

I can also truly say that I did not notice how big I was getting until a year or so ago. My weight gain was gradual and steady and I didn't notice the 5 pounds here and then the 5 pounds there. I saw someone's reflection in the window at the mall and I was honestly shocked when I realized it was me. At that point I went to my PCP and asked for help. I found out then that I am borderline diabetic but other than that I have no issues. I just couldn't lose the weight.

Until that point when I quite literally shocked myself out my bubble I was very happy and content with being a fat person. Not all fat people have physical problems and I also think that the majority of fat people who are "happy" are in a state of denial. I know that a large majority of fat people are also in the lower socio-economical bracket. Those people do not go to doctors, heck they might not even have one. They struggle to keep their heads up on a day-to-day basis and the extra expanse of doctor bills is going to be enough of a deterrent to prevent them from being checked out. Those people will never know that they have high blood pressure, or diabetes, or any of the other issues until there is an emergency. That is what I mean by denial.

Also, can anybody truly say they have no problems with how they are? Whether they are fat/average/skinny/anorexic... everybody has something they don't like or wish they could change. That doesn't mean that they are not happy though. If you asked a skinny person if they were happy to be skinny they would probably say yes... and then go complain about how bony their shoulders are or how much they hate the diet they are on. I guess it is just all about perspective and each individual's definition of happy.

Very thoughtful, Emily! <)

ill tell you what i was never severly obese but i was 50-70 lbs over weight my entire life and i always felt off and on on the weight issue, untill i turned 21 and told my self i was sick of being bipolar with my weight. do i miss stuffing my face? no i dont and i want to keep it that way =)