I was recently at a friends house where people were having a conversation about how "some people are trying to say obesity is a disease" and a generally negative conversation about this subject. I felt very uncomfortable and even offended. They were not directing it at me, I was just in the room. I chose not to join in the conversation because I am kind of sensitive about my weight and how hard it is to be overweight.

It upsets me that people who have never been this way can be so negative and mean about it. I wouldnt wish obesity on anyone and will forever be able to sympathize with those who are.

How do you deal with conversations like this?

Like you, I usually don't dignify that kind of converstaion with a response. I figure people like that NEED to put others down, in order to feel good. So, they're happy in their ignorance and wouldn't want enlightenment any way. Now, if I DID get roped into that kind of conversation, I would ask if they felt alchohoism, drug addiction, mental disorders, etc, were diseases. If they answered yes to ANY of the before mentioned diseases, I would challange them to re-evaluate if they were being hypocritical or bigoted in thier so called opinions.

well said musicalmomma!!!!

I might get flamed for saying this, but for me personally, I never felt that I was ill or had some disease. I've been overweight my whole life, but at the same time I know full well that I was 100% to blame. I ate what I wanted when I wanted how I wanted. I tried dieting, lost some weight, but then gave up and gained it all back. Story of my life! But bottom line, I know and accept that it was my fault. I never once looked for sympathy and again, I really didn't feel like it was something out of my control like disease. I obviously don't think negatively about us overweight people, but I do think disease is too strong of a word. (Sorry if anyone takes offense to that, really not my intention.)

I might get flamed for saying this, but for me personally, I never felt that I was ill or had some disease. I've been overweight my whole life, but at the same time I know full well that I was 100% to blame. I ate what I wanted when I wanted how I wanted. I tried dieting, lost some weight, but then gave up and gained it all back. Story of my life! But bottom line, I know and accept that it was my fault. I never once looked for sympathy and again, I really didn't feel like it was something out of my control like disease. I obviously don't think negatively about us overweight people, but I do think disease is too strong of a word. (Sorry if anyone takes offense to that, really not my intention.)

No offence at all I never really viewed obesety as a disease either, before talking to my surgeon. He made some really good points. I know I put my self here, much like an alchoholic put himself/herself there. It comes to a point tho, where we're beyond controlling it without help.

Oh I would diet, lose 40-60 pounds, then give up, because I was always hungry and sick of feeling deprived...then that nagging inside would turn into outright termoil within. Be it a mental disorder or disease, I know I needed help and therefore don't appreciate skinny people telling me I'm just lazy and took the easy way out.

So, I see your point and appreciate it too.

I dont know, I think there's more to it than a simple lack of self discipline, but then again, when I look at my friends who have never ever been overweight, they do simply HAVE self discipline that I lacked. I've developed a lot of that.

But I really truly believe that I am just simply "more interested" in food than the next person. For me not being hungry is no reason not to eat. I've struggled with that even banded. There's definitely something wrong in there.

I mean there's an ad on telly at the moment one of Australia's Biggest Losers is now the face of Jenny Craig here and she's regained quite quickly virtually all the weight she lost. When you think about it, with a whole country watching you, why on earth would you allow that to happen to yourself? It simply cannot have been completely in her control, there's got to be more to it.

But I'd probably participate in good healthy debate on a subject like that - its interesting. I do think too though that people who have never been obese simply cannot understand it.

yeah ive heard these conversations. I never felt like i had a disease either...i knew that when i was much more active, it wasnt as MUCH of an issue and that id go through periods where i just gave up. im not sure what it was, but it was/is beyond what i can regularly maintain.

STILL...

if someone would be so callous as to entertain that conversation in front of me, my response would be quiet too for a while to see if it would pass, then look the instigator right square in the eye and say, "F*(k You and yer opinion."

Well, I'm ALWAYS one who likes to give my opinion so here goes. Disease is not a word that I would use either, however, I would argue until I was blue that food is an addiction! Just as alcohol, nicotine, or any other drug. Some people are more prone to this addiction just as some are with alcohol. What makes this addiction even harder is that you can never just stop. It is an addiction that you have to face each and every day. Binge eating disorder as is now an accepable diagnosis in the DSM-IV just as anorexia and bulemia. Now, I'm not saying that everyone who has a weight problem is addicted, I think there are many different reasons for that, however if you are a person that has struggled your whole life as opposed to someone who was thin throughout their highschool years and then put on weight after having children, I think you should evalutate the possibilities. I could go on forever but anyway, these are some of the things I would share in a conversation like that one.

Food addiction is a disease, just like alcoholism and drug addiction, though we don't like to think of it as such. Obsession and addiction to food can be similar to addiction to alcohol or drugs. Food addiction is a disease in which the addict craves refined sugar, flour and fats just as a cocaine addict craves cocaine. Food addicts get a feeling of pleasure and comfort from these foods and therefore continue to seek out the pleasure/comfort feelings. They use food to numb feelings of pain, anger, or depression. The food addict is often obsessed, unable to control the behavior even when they know intellectually of the negative health consequences. The physical craving overrides the power to make better eating decisions.