Which of the following would disqualify a candidate from receiving your vote for President?

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Alex, you might be surprised. I have. It makes me even more animate about by stance. I understand metabolic setback. But it can also be repaired. It takes effort, mental and physical.

So I shall be, "Intellectually lazy". I will keep my monthly subscription to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) Still have never seen anyone go on "Survivor" that was fat and not lose weight.

Sure, eat less, exercise more, and almost everyone will lose weight.

The problem is usually keeping it off (as I suspect it was for anyone who lost weight on Survivor, although I've never seen that show). Why? People have trouble making long lasting changes. Why? Often emotional problems and eating disorders. But even more often, it's the hormonal changes that happen when obese people lose weight. Unlike you, when they get down to a normal weight they get signals from their brains that they are starving to death. Their bodies hold onto calories more readily than other people's, recent studies have shown. (Google is your friend.)

Losing weight is a relatively straightforward activity for a majority of people. Keeping it off is just not that easy.

Have you ever thought about how sometimes, things are easier for certain people than they are for others? I know it's hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes, but what the heck, give it a try.

[Alex+R 0]

Of course it takes effort. Sometimes that effort is beyond human capacity.

Sometimes, that positive outlook and can-do attitude are just not enough.

Unless you respond that you have personally struggled with obesity, I'm not really interested in your adorably naive perceptions of how it is done. You just don't have any idea.

With that in mind, you might want to hold off on all the judgment. It's unbecoming. I'm sure the people you claim to be concerned about would really rather you left them alone, if your way of showing concern is by calling them "porkers" and insinuating they are lazy. Don't you?

[~Chad~ 0]

Ok, fine. If someone is obese because they're using food as comfort, then I hope they get treatment for the eating disorder they have. The real problem isn't whether I wish them to stay obese. The real problem is that you refuse to understand that obesity -- even when "self inflicted" -- is often rooted in psychological disease, physical disease and other things. Much, MUCH more often than you think it is. The idea that obese people are all glued to the couch is prejudiced, and I suspect in 20 years it won't be acceptable to say things like that. For now, try to imagine what compassion would be like. Try to accept that academic studies have shown the obese are not lazy or without willpower. That's almost never the case. Even the medical establishment has decided that's just not true in a majority of obesity cases.

So are drugs, gambling, child abusers, and etc. but I wouldn't want them in office either (or on the streets for that matter).

Try to put myself in their shoes... no thanks, I'd rather be humble.

[Alex+R 0]

So are drugs, gambling, child abusers, and etc. but I wouldn't want them in office either (or on the streets for that matter).

Try to put myself in their shoes... no thanks, I'd rather be humble.

Wow, so, to you, obesity is as bad as drug addiction and child abuse?

I'm impressed by your honesty.

And humility, you know, requires empathy. Its the very basis of becoming humble.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I've never been able to keep it off. I've successfully lost significant weight many times but keeping it off is not something I've mastered yet. I know exactly what I need to change to master it, I just find making those changes much more challenging than simply saying I will do so.

What can I say, I'm weak.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

I thought I was the one that was supposed to feel superior on this thread? Well, have fun. I'll keep my opinion and you keep yours. This foolish quarrel has lost its interest.

Of course it takes effort. Sometimes that effort is beyond human capacity.

Sometimes, that positive outlook and can-do attitude are just not enough.

Unless you respond that you have personally struggled with obesity, I'm not really interested in your adorably naive perceptions of how it is done. You just don't have any idea.

With that in mind, you might want to hold off on all the judgment. It's unbecoming. I'm sure the people you claim to be concerned about would really rather you left them alone, if your way of showing concern is by calling them "porkers" and insinuating they are lazy. Don't you?

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

That is not what Chad is saying. He's saying someone with problems rooted in "psychological disease" need not apply for Presidential office. You claim that obesity almost always falls into this category.

So are drugs, gambling, child abusers, and etc. but I wouldn't want them in office either (or on the streets for that matter).

Try to put myself in their shoes... no thanks, I'd rather be humble.

Wow, so, to you, obesity is as bad as drug addiction and child abuse?

I'm impressed by your honesty.

And humility, you know, requires empathy. Its the very basis of becoming humble.

[Alex+R 0]

Agreed.

God forbid you ever have to take medicine or get a condition that makes you obese. In that case, you will still have my sympathy.

[SqdnGuns 21]

[Alex+R 0]

That is not what Chad is saying. He's saying someone with problems rooted in "psychological disease" need not apply for Presidential office. You claim that obesity almost always falls into this category.

No I didn't. That's why it says "more often" it's a physical thing. I just mentioned one possibility.

But the idea that having a non-fatal eating disorder is as bad as being a child molester is pretty telling regardless.

But really, you should drop this if you say you're going to drop this. We're obviously operating on different planes here.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

I did drop it. I was speaking in support of Chad's post not my own. Or are you suggesting I am not welcome on this thread at all?

That is not what Chad is saying. He's saying someone with problems rooted in "psychological disease" need not apply for Presidential office. You claim that obesity almost always falls into this category.

No I didn't. That's why it says "more often" it's a physical thing. I just mentioned one possibility.

But the idea that having a non-fatal eating disorder is as bad as being a child molester is pretty telling regardless.

But really, you should drop this if you say you're going to drop this. We're obviously operating on different planes here.

[Bassi and Zainab 1]

He's saying someone with problems rooted in "psychological disease" need not apply for Presidential office.

So I suppose you haven't voted in several decades then.....................

[LaL 418]

...I want my President able to walk up those steps of Air Force One ....

Sorry Jeffrey for the clip - I had to wonder what people were thinking when they voted a physically handicapped person would disqualify them from getting their vote. Thought despite this clip being out of context, perhaps it is about the picture of health & strength.

I am interested to know.

Of course I know FDR was wheelchair bound and president. WHat I am curious about is the nonvoting for a physically handicapped here as appears in this poll.

I still havent seen anyone explain this. However I doubt I will.

[Queen Jenn 0]

He's saying someone with problems rooted in "psychological disease" need not apply for Presidential office.

So I suppose you haven't voted in several decades then.....................

[Ban Hammer 13,344]

First off I never said I feel superior, ever. People can call thin people "skin & bones", "anorexic", "walking skeleton" and so forth and its fine. But call a grossly obese person a "porker" and out comes the pitchforks and torches.

Now, on to your list...

That is an accident.

Just out of curiosity: would you want a president who got in a motorcycle accident without a helmet and as a result was disabled?

Doctors are not Gods. They make mistakes. Not taking medical advice is not self inflicting a medical condition.

Someone who didn't listen to doctor's advice and ended up ruining a joint and became unable to walk?

Once again accident!

JSomeone crippled after being shot in a hunting accident?

For the third time, accident.

Skiing accident?

Alex, if you don't like my choice of words you are welcome to ignore my posts.

You don't have to say you feel superior to make it extremely clear that you feel that way, deep down. Don't you feel you try harder to be a healthy non-"slob"? It's ok. You don't even have to admit it, as you've said it countless times before.

My point (obviously) is that while they're all "accidents," all those people put themselves in the situation that made them vulnerable to it.

So technically, you could say it's their fault they were injured.

I see it as about comparable for obesity, something you clearly know nothing about, nor want to educate yourself about because it's too convenient to discriminate against the overweight.

I could choose to ignore your posts, but instead I choose to stand up for people who you offend day after day. If you don't like that (or, the more likely situation, have a convincing argument against mine), why don't you ignore it?

That would be far different LaL. I, personally, would have no problem with a physically handicapped individual being President. I do not consider this type of person lacks health and strength due to accident or design. But being obese is, IMO, self inflicted.

Just out of curiosity: would you want a president who got in a motorcycle accident without a helmet and as a result was disabled? What about someone who sped and got in a car accident? Someone who didn't listen to doctor's advice and ended up ruining a joint and became unable to walk? Someone crippled after being shot in a hunting accident? Skiing accident?

Aren't all these things "self-inflicted"?

not necessarily so with this one.

Good point... they could have been picking wildflowers at the time.

i was referring to your "Aren't all these things "self-inflicted"?" statement.