Too FAT for Surgery?!?

Published on February 21, 2005 By Gideon MacLeish In Health & Medicine

Now, don't get me wrong. I struggle with my weight, so this is kinda personal, but something has really been irking me lately.

I have a friend who has had recurrent problems with his gallbladder. Put simply, it needs to be removed. The problem? The doctors won't perform the surgery because he is too large.

This man has always been a large man, even in his youth. While his eating habits are less than optimal, if you know anything about health, you would understand why diabetes and Congestive Heart Failure happen to be limiting factors in his quest to lose weight. But the larger issue here is the blatant misunderstanding of the Hippocratic Oath.

Until some 20-30 years ago, many doctors refused to perform surgeries or tests on the older population, reasoning that their health problems were simply "old age". When that mindset changed, guess what? So did the average life expectancy. Now we reach a point where I'm inclined to ask if SOME of the shortened life expectancy among the obese isn't because of doctors who refuse to work on patients, reasoning that all their health problems are due to them being "too fat".

I'm hoping this mindset changes as well.

Comments (Page 3)

lostintexas

on Feb 25, 2005

Furry Canary
Sorry! Maybe I am caring my feeling on my sleeve. But you have to admit there has been some pretty harsh things said. Again I am sorry to have been one of the ones who was so harsh. You have a right to your opinion. Have a great day!

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 25, 2005

Gideon, you should read more JU posts before you make outrageous claims such as this

Furry,
Welcome to the TROLL club! How is it that you QUOTED the following, yet still MISSED it?

I'm not saying everyone has a legitimate excuse; most DON'T (in fact, in the case of depression, one of the best cures is to get out and exercise, in my experience). But I AM saying you can't put everyone in a box.

My response to Kobrano remains unedited! I said OUTRIGHT that most people don't have these problems, but I ALSO said, and stand by the statement, that Kobrano's outright justification of rudeness to overweight people (He DID say that) was idiotic.

Furry Canary

on Feb 25, 2005

'My response to Kobrano remains unedited! I said OUTRIGHT that most people don't have these problems, but I ALSO said, and stand by the statement, that Kobrano's outright justification of rudeness to overweight people (He DID say that) was idiotic.'

I don't argue with this, Gideon. However, I didn't miss the line you quoted above, I just read it in context. Look at the WHOLE response again:
'This is probably among the most idiotic things I have read in my time on JU. Have you never heard of hypothyroidism? Prader Willy Syndrome? Pica? overeating due to depression? There are many limiting factors that cause individuals to gain weight that have NOTHING to do with being "fat" or "lazy". I'm not saying everyone has a legitimate excuse; most DON'T (in fact, in the case of depression, one of the best cures is to get out and exercise, in my experience). But I AM saying you can't put everyone in a box.'

Why start your response with a list of 'many' 'legitimate excuse[s]', and only afterwards qualify this by saying that they rarely apply? What's your point here? That 'you can't put everyone in a box', but you can put MOST people in a box? Surely not.

That said, I - like you - would oppose any attempt being made to justify rudeness to fat people. But to describe this as 'among the most idiotic things I have read in my time on JU'? Isn't that just a bit histrionic?

Furry Canary

on Feb 25, 2005

'Have a great day!'
Thanks - you too, lostintexas. No offence intended, and certainly none taken.

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 26, 2005

Why start your response with a list of 'many' 'legitimate excuse[s]', and only afterwards qualify this by saying that they rarely apply? What's your point here? That 'you can't put everyone in a box', but you can put MOST people in a box? Surely not.

No, my point is that putting people in a box unfairly targets those who DO have those problems. And I can't say I'm entirely sure the depression reason is rare.

I am not afraid to say what brought about my weight gain: MANY years of physical and psychological abuse (the latter continued well into my adult years until, as my only recourse I had to COMPLETELY sever all contact with my parents to avoid the negative effects. What has hurt greatly in my struggle against weight loss is idiots like kobrano who look at me contemptuously (again, in the minority, but they stand out) and tell me to just "put down the fork"...if only it were that easy!

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 26, 2005

But to describe this as 'among the most idiotic things I have read in my time on JU'? Isn't that just a bit histrionic?

point taken.

Furry Canary

on Feb 26, 2005

'What has hurt greatly in my struggle against weight loss is idiots like kobrano who look at me contemptuously (again, in the minority, but they stand out) and tell me to just "put down the fork"...if only it were that easy!'
And I take your point too, Gideon.

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