I was sleeved April 16, 2018.

I was a member of Bariatastic until Facebook lost my trust in their security and privacy.

Today I decided to try BariatricPal app on my iPhone. I was shocked to be fat shamed by a support app.

High Weight: 600 lbs

Surgery Weight: 390

Current Weight: 238

Goal Weight: 225

—————————-

I’ve been excited all day. I haven’t seen these numbers since I was 15 yrs old. That was 30 years ago.

This is news you want to share with anyone who will listen.

This is where the Fat Shaming in app started.

The app has you create an account. Then starts asking your weights. They asked for starting weight, and since I assumed they didn’t mean 8 pounds 6 ounces, I put in 600 pounds. Here comes the twist.

This bariatric app, doesn’t accept 600 pound users. Discrimination. If they don’t believe bariatric patients should weigh 600 pounds at any point. Disenfranchisement. I have to lie about my weight to use the app. Fat Shaming.

I hope the BariatricPal gets it together and accepts that Bariatric Patients lean toward obese and you should discriminate when someone needs social support.

Well this was my rant. It’s not about my diet or progress. I am 40 pounds below my team’s projected weight loss before my first year out and I was sure it was take a year and a half to two years. It sucks to go through this without peers.

I found the same when I tried to enter my starting weight. I don’t even remember what I put in but I DO remember thinking it was weird! Anyway - your weight loss is an inspiration to me and I’m sure many others! Don’t let that sour your from this site. It’s a great resource!!

3 hours ago, Walter.Sobchak said:

6 hours ago, DeltaBravo said:

Yep a tech support issue that’s cost me two hours trying to set up my profile.

This is why I’m posting to the rant section.

Were you forced to spend two hours of your time? Or did you do it willingly?

Forced, if I want to use the app. Forced to move to a use a computer to do what should be possible in the mobile app, mobile web page.

So, forced to try to use their mobile app and site. No warning, no Quality Assurance.

You shouldn’t need to jump through pointless hoops.

There’s a store front. If the development staff is this negligent, will my data be secure in the face of a security breach?

Oh I could go to app support and wait 48 hours for a reply saying sorry it doesn’t work that way and you will have to use your computer.

Leading me to rant about the app and website.

You have all been supportive as a community.

But in a world where chairs didn’t support us, cars didn’t support us, workout equipment aimed at people who weigh 250lbs.

It may not be sinister form of fat shaming, but the one app that’s there specifically for us and we can’t put in accurate data. So the app and mobile website fat shames.

its not the first weight loss app or site that prevents you from using your real numbers.

So, I didn’t do it willingly, I did it begrudgingly. I’m still here which means I have found something I like, but the app isn’t designed for obesity.

3 hours ago, Alex Brecher said:

This is clearly a bug. We do appreciate you bringing it to our attention and our developers will be adding a fix for this issue to our next app update. We have some exciting things planned for our app this year. Stay tuned for some interesting developments.

Thanks Alex. Looking forward to it.

And Luckily rants and raves is designed for complaints... tech support for answers. Hopefully it'll be resolved soon.

1 hour ago, GreenTealael said:

And Luckily rants and raves is designed for complaints... tech support for answers. Hopefully it'll be resolved soon.

Unfortunately rants and complaints are squeaky wheels.

i used to work in tech support. Squeaky wheels get fixed. But a polite call get support, they probably won’t see a resolution. But they get support.

Tech Support call Handle Times are limited to 6 minutes. You get warnings and write ups for long handle times. This is why recidivism rate in tech support is so bad. Because tech support companies reward short handle times rather than customer satisfaction.

I never worked a tech support job where it didn’t take more than 6 minutes for a client to explain their problem and for me to get their personal information for tickets.

So this thread has been a rant, but I’m not worked up. When I’m worked up I’m not as polite because I feel threatened at that point.

Also, I never specifically felt BariatricPal was fat shaming me, I was appalled that the app did. And again, I thought it was hilarious, like weight limits on gym equipment that prevents obese people from trying to become more active. It’s too funny to be angry about.

i have a twisted sense of humor. Sorry but not repentant for finding the humor. :)

Not a Rant:

i want to thank everyone who has followed and helped through this. So far I don’t feel judged, even over this lol.

To me, the bug has helped me learn about the community faster, and since I’m agoraphobic. This is a perfect type community.

So, in spite of my bellyaching (pun (un)intentional, I have felt very welcome here and accepted.

Btw, I love puns that happen naturally.

3 minutes ago, DeltaBravo said:

Unfortunately rants and complaints are squeaky wheels.

i used to work in tech support. Squeaky wheels get fixed. But a polite call get support, they probably won’t see a resolution. But they get support.

Tech Support call Handle Times are limited to 6 minutes. You get warnings and write ups for long handle times. This is why recidivism rate in tech support is so bad. Because tech support companies reward short handle times rather than customer satisfaction.

I never worked a tech support job where it didn’t take more than 6 minutes for a client to explain their problem and for me to get their personal information for tickets.

So this thread has been a rant, but I’m not worked up. When I’m worked up I’m not as polite because I feel threatened at that point.

Also, I never specifically felt BariatricPal was fat shaming me, I was appalled that the app did. And again, I thought it was hilarious, like weight limits on gym equipment that prevents obese people from trying to become more active. It’s too funny to be angry about.

i have a twisted sense of humor. Sorry but not repentant for finding the humor.

As long as your issue gets resolved, no one gets hurt at the gym, phones don't burst into flames in your hands... Rant away! That's what the section is here for

Holy shit. It’s an app they offer for free on a site that offers membership for free. You didn’t pay for it. It doesn’t owe you anything.

That said, the mobile app is a bit buggy. I eventually logged into the desktop site and put in my info.

Also- if you viewed the source code to see what was causing the value limits on the input, didn’t you have to do this on a desktop or laptop? So you were on a desktop anyways.
And if you were on a desktop, why not just alter the code that’s being processed client side so it accepts the value you’d like it to?

21 minutes ago, insta_adventurer said:

Holy ****. It’s an app they offer for free on a site that offers membership for free. You didn’t pay for it. It doesn’t owe you anything.

That said, the mobile app is a bit buggy. I eventually logged into the desktop site and put in my info.

Also- if you viewed the source code to see what was causing the value limits on the input, didn’t you have to do this on a desktop or laptop? So you were on a desktop anyways.
And if you were on a desktop, why not just alter the code that’s being processed client side so it accepts the value you’d like it to?

Mom is that you?

This is the sort of support I’m used to.

A free app which can’t be setup and used is useless.

Source code, I didn’t read the source code and you didn’t read my post. I said in apps like these int variables are and it appears this is using an if else statement between two ranges.

f**k me for being a developer and knowing how coding works. I’m sorry I didn’t realize I wasn’t permitted free thought.

Take a chill pill and remember what the forums say here. Don’t rant on users.

Also, If you think bariatricpal is free, you misunderstand the concept of the web. They offer services to get you to their web front store. I can’t tap go to post, and get to this thread because I get to the post, not logged in, then a splash pop up for the bariatric store, the. I’m at the home page not this thread and I have to log in and seek out the thread.

but the point is, this is a portal for a store, with a place for a support group.

01/07/2019 06:27 PM, DeltaBravo said:

Also, If you think bariatricpal is free, you misunderstand the concept of the web. They offer services to get you to their web front store. I can’t tap go to post, and get to this thread because I get to the post, not logged in, then a splash pop up for the bariatric store, the. I’m at the home page not this thread and I have to log in and seek out the thread.

but the point is, this is a portal for a store, with a place for a support group.

Dude, go away. You are clearly a troll. I think I know why you left your old group, members got sick of your trolling.

Um, pretty sure it was just an oversight. I can’t really see what BP would have to gain from fat shaming a bunch of fat people. Guess what? Secret’s out. We already know we’re fat

I received this reply in my email is this an example of the community? I’m hoping not. I hope there is a way to block these types.

Hi DeltaBravo, Walter.Sobchak quoted one of your posts in a topic. Posted in Fat Shaming On 01/07/2019 at 18:27, DeltaBravo said: Also, If you think bariatricpal is free, you misunderstand the concept of the web. They offer services to get you to their web front store. I can’t tap go to post, and get to this thread because I get to the post, not logged in, then a splash pop up for the bariatric store, the. I’m at the home page not this thread and I have to log in and seek out the thread. but the point is, this is a portal for a store, with a place for a support group. Dude, go away. You are clearly a troll. I think I know why you left your old group. Members got sick of your trolling.

I spent much of my career designing mobile interfaces. An upper boundary of 362 on the mobile app doesn't sound malicious, it sounds like an oversight or placeholder setting (possibly from an initial QA trial profile) but worthy of flagging it so Alex can get the devs to add it to the backlog. He's done that, so good.

From what I hear there are a lot of slightly-quirky bits on the app compared to the website, probably because maintaining both is a heavy lift for a marginal business. You may find them, and if you do, best to send them directly to support. It's unlikely to be deliberate discrimination.

This is also the definition of a free site, without qualification. Whether or not there's a merchandising concern attached, interaction here is free. Paying for goods is optional, and there is not payment for pure interaction. That is worth considering when you think of the money available for development efforts.

Using the range if else statement in this case seems to over complicate.

As for the store front, when I click to login it takes me to the store, when I the. Login and click account it takes me to the store. When I click the x to close the store banner it takes me to the store. When I have finally done all that I can get rid of the store link.

if your a developer, look at the member count, post count and consider the money it takes to operate this site. People literally think this is free, as in free beer. You and I both know better.

Starbucks has a Social area, but you wouldn’t call their service free. The hope is goal is always sales.

Like the ad for vitamin patches when I logged in.

Now if it were ad free, and just a link to the store. Then yes it’s free. If we get email ads, it’s not free.

Its a revenue generator.

As it should be.

To put it another way, BariaticPal pays $99 a year to keep an app on Apple’s App Store. That’s cheap, but it’s not a philanthropy project. Regardless of how sincere they are about their mission.

And yeah, uninstalled the app. You can’t ignore people on it and ignored people on the forum aren’t ignored on the app.