• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Is Obesity a disability?

Is Obesity a Disability

  • Yes, it is a disability.

    Votes: 14 19.7%
  • No, it isn't a disability.

    Votes: 42 59.2%
  • Maybe? Too much going on to say definitively.

    Votes: 15 21.1%

  • Total voters
    71

Hijinx

New member
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
33
Reaction score
9
Location
NYC
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Moderate
As the topic states: Do you think that obesity counts as a legitimate disability?

It's a pretty big deal in employment law according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and they count it as such under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. For all intents and purposes it would make sense that it does count as a disability, as they are technically disabled by definition (physical impairment or lack of physical functioning). But I just can't help but disagree with the notion. Especially considering how I know many people and I'm sure many of you might as well, who eat themselves into that situation. They're literally eating and drinking themselves into being disabled, and they get counted among those who are actually medically obese. That's just wrong to me.

Here is a humorous article about the subject: http://wearepeople2.com/obesity-a-disability-or-a-lack-of-responsibility/

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
As the topic states: Do you think that obesity counts as a legitimate disability?

It's a pretty big deal in employment law according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and they count it as such under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. For all intents and purposes it would make sense that it does count as a disability, as they are technically disabled by definition (physical impairment or lack of physical functioning). But I just can't help but disagree with the notion. Especially considering how I know many people and I'm sure many of you might as well, who eat themselves into that situation. They're literally eating and drinking themselves into being disabled, and they get counted among those who are actually medically obese. That's just wrong to me.

Here is a humorous article about the subject: Obesity: A Disability or a Lack of Responsibility? | We Are People 2

Thoughts?

That simply depends on your defintion of disability.

Disability Planner: What We Mean By Disability

Social Security Disability and Morbid Obesity | Disability Secrets

When establishing the existence of obesity, we will generally rely on the judgment of a physician who has examined the claimant and reported his or her appearance and build, as well as weight and height. Thus, in the absence of evidence to the contrary in the case record, we will accept a diagnosis of obesity given by a treating source or by a consultative examiner. However, if there is evidence that indicates that the diagnosis is questionable and the evidence is inadequate to determine whether or not the individual is disabled, we will contact the source for clarification, using the guidelines in 20 CFR 404.1512(e) and 416.912(e).



https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.NSF/lnx/0424570001
 
Last edited:
If you mean is someone packing an extra 20-30 pounds disabled than no, but people who are morbidly obese can become disabled because of it so I say yes. It involves a combination of factors, but morbid obesity can be a driver of combinations of things that make people unable to work, especially problems with their knees, ankles, and backs as well as breathing, level of exertion, blood pressure, and diabetes.
 
If you mean is someone packing an extra 20-30 pounds disabled than no, but people who are morbidly obese can become disabled because of it so I say yes. It involves a combination of factors, but morbid obesity can be a driver of combinations of things that make people unable to work, especially problems with their knees, ankles, and backs as well as breathing, level of exertion, blood pressure, and diabetes.

Carrying an extra 20 to 30 pounds isn't really the problem. An extra 100 to 150 pounds is.
 
As the topic states: Do you think that obesity counts as a legitimate disability?

It's a pretty big deal in employment law according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and they count it as such under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. For all intents and purposes it would make sense that it does count as a disability, as they are technically disabled by definition (physical impairment or lack of physical functioning). But I just can't help but disagree with the notion. Especially considering how I know many people and I'm sure many of you might as well, who eat themselves into that situation. They're literally eating and drinking themselves into being disabled, and they get counted among those who are actually medically obese. That's just wrong to me.

Here is a humorous article about the subject: Obesity: A Disability or a Lack of Responsibility? | We Are People 2

Thoughts?

While not everybody is built to carry the same weight, there is a difference between being 'overweight' and obesity to the point of disabled.

The medically recognized conditions that make it difficult to control one's weight are very few, and considering the number of people who fall into the category of medically unable to control their weight are a lot fewer than those who are obese, I'd say that people who do not make an effort to control their weight to some degree through diet and basic exercise, should not be able to call themselves 'disabled.'
 
Carrying an extra 20 to 30 pounds isn't really the problem. An extra 100 to 150 pounds is.

Depends on how tall you are :lol:

One time I decided, you know what, I am going to see if I can get to the ideal weight for my height. I exercised like crazy, monitored by calorie intake and I never could reach the max healthy weight for my height. I eventually gave up because I was tired of people constantly nagging me thinking I had an eating disorder and because I was sick of eating blah food. I hit a wall about 8 pounds above my charted weight-height and could never break through it. One of the problems is those charts are way unrealistic for people who are not naturally skinny as a rail. I come from a big-boned, broad shouldered family. It is just impossible to healthily be at what "they" say is a healthy weight.
 
Depends on how tall you are :lol:

One time I decided, you know what, I am going to see if I can get to the ideal weight for my height. I exercised like crazy, monitored by calorie intake and I never could reach the max healthy weight for my height. I eventually gave up because I was tired of people constantly nagging me thinking I had an eating disorder and because I was sick of eating blah food. I hit a wall about 8 pounds above my charted weight-height and could never break through it. One of the problems is those charts are way unrealistic for people who are not naturally skinny as a rail. I come from a big-boned, broad shouldered family. It is just impossible to healthily be at what "they" say is a healthy weight.
you're preaching to the choir. :)
 
Obesity is actually a symptom of other conditions (mental and/or physical) which may be considered a disability, but in and of itself, no.
 
Don't tell me Santa Claus is filing for disability too. I wanna be fat, I've tried to be fat, but I just can't eat enough to get there from here. I guess I'll never qualify for disability. It's discrimination, though. If you're fat, I can easily imagine how nice it might be to be paid for your fatness, and it's self-sustaining too.
 
Don't tell me Santa Claus is filing for disability too. I wanna be fat, I've tried to be fat, but I just can't eat enough to get there from here. I guess I'll never qualify for disability. It's discrimination, though. If you're fat, I can easily imagine how nice it might be to be paid for your fatness, and it's self-sustaining too.


Yes I am sure it is a curse. I have met some older folks who were like you who made damn sure they always stayed too skinny to be drafted into Vietnam, something nobody in my family would have ever had the ability to do :2razz:
 
Obesity a disability?

No. Even those labeled as "morbidly obese" don't have to be what we'd consider to be huge. A person being 50# overweight is considered morbidly obese.
 
I heard recently that the airline in Samoa was charging passengers by the pound.
Sounds alright.
 
I voted no. In the UK, persons can get extra welfare for being obese, the same as drug dependent persons. Both are wrong on every level.

Paul
 
Yes I am sure it is a curse. I have met some older folks who were like you who made damn sure they always stayed too skinny to be drafted into Vietnam, something nobody in my family would have ever had the ability to do :2razz:
I've never been too skinny to be disqualified from anything physical. I have, as a doctor once put it to me, a metabolism that would kill a horse. However, I am not skinny as a rail. I'm very comfortable at the weight I've maintained for quite some time. If a person is comfortable with the weight they carry and it doesn't prevent them from doing the necessary and desirable things, then I don't see any problem at all. Unless obesity is caused by something other than simply over-eating, I don't view it as a disability. Invariably, we come to the chicken and egg thing for certain people. Some people have a propensity for gaining weight easily, and some don't. In my case, there hasn't been a person with a weight problem in my family for generations. Plenty of other problems, but not that one.
 
As the topic states: Do you think that obesity counts as a legitimate disability?

It's a pretty big deal in employment law according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and they count it as such under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. For all intents and purposes it would make sense that it does count as a disability, as they are technically disabled by definition (physical impairment or lack of physical functioning). But I just can't help but disagree with the notion. Especially considering how I know many people and I'm sure many of you might as well, who eat themselves into that situation. They're literally eating and drinking themselves into being disabled, and they get counted among those who are actually medically obese. That's just wrong to me.

Here is a humorous article about the subject: Obesity: A Disability or a Lack of Responsibility? | We Are People 2

Thoughts?




Obviously anyone who is grossly overweight is not as able to do some things that a person who isn't overweight can do.

This is a problem that most of these people have caused for themselves and they need to deal with it by getting their weight down to a normal level.
 
I've never been too skinny to be disqualified from anything physical. I have, as a doctor once put it to me, a metabolism that would kill a horse. However, I am not skinny as a rail. I'm very comfortable at the weight I've maintained for quite some time. If a person is comfortable with the weight they carry and it doesn't prevent them from doing the necessary and desirable things, then I don't see any problem at all. Unless obesity is caused by something other than simply over-eating, I don't view it as a disability. Invariably, we come to the chicken and egg thing for certain people. Some people have a propensity for gaining weight easily, and some don't. In my case, there hasn't been a person with a weight problem in my family for generations. Plenty of other problems, but not that one.

My 17 year old son is very thin. He's always been "underweight". He is all muscle though. Just recently after a bone density scan, they believe he has hyper-thyroidism which once of the symptoms is inability to gain weight. He's tried protein shakes, high Carb meals...nothing. He's physically active but while he grows taller, he's very thin. One of the doc's said his metabolism is extremely high. I'm not so lucky...lol.
 
Carrying an extra 20 to 30 pounds isn't really the problem. An extra 100 to 150 pounds is.




Put 30 pounds of whatever in a backpack and carry that around with you everywhere you go for a year. Seriously, try it. then tell us what you think.
 
As the topic states: Do you think that obesity counts as a legitimate disability?

It's a pretty big deal in employment law according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and they count it as such under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. For all intents and purposes it would make sense that it does count as a disability, as they are technically disabled by definition (physical impairment or lack of physical functioning). But I just can't help but disagree with the notion. Especially considering how I know many people and I'm sure many of you might as well, who eat themselves into that situation. They're literally eating and drinking themselves into being disabled, and they get counted among those who are actually medically obese. That's just wrong to me.

Here is a humorous article about the subject: Obesity: A Disability or a Lack of Responsibility? | We Are People 2

Thoughts?

if it is then it is a self imposed disability in most cases, and shouldn't be given the same protection and special consideration as one that is not
 
My 17 year old son is very thin. He's always been "underweight". He is all muscle though. Just recently after a bone density scan, they believe he has hyper-thyroidism which once of the symptoms is inability to gain weight. He's tried protein shakes, high Carb meals...nothing. He's physically active but while he grows taller, he's very thin. One of the doc's said his metabolism is extremely high. I'm not so lucky...lol.
My boys are both slim, but very muscular. I'm old enough now to qualify as "stringy" to some extent. Pressure cooker material. There are some disorders which can cause what you're 17 year old is experiencing - they really aren't all that common - they just can't be ignored, though. The fact for some of us is that as things slow down later in life, we begin to become more "normal". I'm not certain that's a blessing - being normal - but it beats most alternatives.
 
It's a self-inflicted disability.

I think I've noticed that overweight-obesity is more common in low-income groups. I'm guessing that sometimes it's caused by people not being able to afford to eat well or not knowing about good nutrition. A cart full of fatty, processed foods is cheaper and easier than one full of fresh, healthy groceries. A bucket of KFC with a box of fries is good value, volume-per-dollar-wise. In the city, where most people live (I think) it can be expensive to eat a healthy diet. If you know how to cook, can afford good food and make it a priority you probably won't have a problem but increasing numbers of people don't.
It's not just gluttony, thats my take.
 
I think I've noticed that overweight-obesity is more common in low-income groups. I'm guessing that sometimes it's caused by people not being able to afford to eat well or not knowing about good nutrition. A cart full of fatty, processed foods is cheaper and easier than one full of fresh, healthy groceries. A bucket of KFC with a box of fries is good value, volume-per-dollar-wise. In the city, where most people live (I think) it can be expensive to eat a healthy diet. If you know how to cook, can afford good food and make it a priority you probably won't have a problem but increasing numbers of people don't.
It's not just gluttony, thats my take.

It's not as impossible a feat to eat right as you're making it. It's actually less expensive to get enough rice, pasta, fresh meats, and vegetables to last a week than it is to get buckets of slop that will only last a day or two. The problem is laziness, and the fact that everyone in this country wants everything served to them immediately on a silver platter.
 
It's not as impossible a feat to eat right as you're making it. It's actually less expensive to get enough rice, pasta, fresh meats, and vegetables to last a week than it is to get buckets of slop that will only last a day or two. The problem is laziness, and the fact that everyone in this country wants everything served to them immediately on a silver platter.

Not impossible but requiring more effort. I'm assuming that people would rather be healthy but maybe it's not a priority for many.
I live in a rural area and this isn't an issue here so maybe it's a 'lifestyle choice'. I don't trust simple solutions, though.
 
Not impossible but requiring more effort. I'm assuming that people would rather be healthy but maybe it's not a priority for many.
I live in a rural area and this isn't an issue here so maybe it's a 'lifestyle choice'. I don't trust simple solutions, though.

I don't think people care about health anymore. I live in the outskirts of Houston, where people can't bother to be inconvenienced for a modicum of a second unless it involves something being in it for them. There isn't a simple solution, except to let it happen. Eventually the weak will be weeded out by their own vices. It just takes more time in human society.
 
As the topic states: Do you think that obesity counts as a legitimate disability?

It's a pretty big deal in employment law according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and they count it as such under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. For all intents and purposes it would make sense that it does count as a disability, as they are technically disabled by definition (physical impairment or lack of physical functioning). But I just can't help but disagree with the notion. Especially considering how I know many people and I'm sure many of you might as well, who eat themselves into that situation. They're literally eating and drinking themselves into being disabled, and they get counted among those who are actually medically obese. That's just wrong to me.

Here is a humorous article about the subject: Obesity: A Disability or a Lack of Responsibility? | We Are People 2

Thoughts?

Yes, it's a disability. Self-induced but yes. Someone walking into a job interview weighing 400 lbs isn't getting hired. I have a now deceased friend who was morbidly obese.

- Fat as hell
- So fat he couldn't shower and perform other sanitation procedures properly because there where parts of hs body he couldn't reach. He smelled horrible and his only option was to shower as best he could and mask the stench with fragrances.
- He was too fat to fit behind the wheel of many cars, especially those in his price range thus limiting his employability since he did not have access to reliable transportation.
- I got to know him through church where he volunteered for a ministry I was involved with. Churches tend to be more accepting of people and athough there was resistance to bringing him on board as a volunteer due to body odor and realiability related to tranporation, his persistsnce eventually conveniced that department to allow him to serve. To their surprise, he ended up inadvertantly destroying several well built chairs and sofas in under a year on top of the foul odor he left behind every weekend.

A really intelligent guy but with an addiction to food and got up to 560lbs. He eventually was declared legally disabled and despite initial resistance, his doctor convinced the social security administration to cover gastric bypass surgery.

In less than a year he'd gotten down to 350 lbs and got a job. Still huge but tremendous progress considering where he was.

He died of a brain aneurism about 5 years after the surgery I think brought on by undiagnosed hypertension since after going back to work he no longer had health coverage.

His problems with obesity started as a child of a single mother who qualified for nutrition assistance. I think there's a psychology of poor people where they lack the resources to splurge on themselves and their families, something all of us like to do occasionally. The poor can't take vacations, buy a lot of new clothes or get their kids a new game console. What they can do, thanks to food stamps is eat like there's no tomorrow, which is their only splurge. My friend had a huge 2 or 3 lb block of processed cheese delivered to his house every week. What stared out as an after school grilled cheese sandwich, turned to 2 sandwiches, then 3 then the whole block of cheese in one afternoon. He was always given hearty meals, encouraged to have seconds and always clean his plate.

If I were the President I'd take the First Lady's healthy nutrition campaign to heart and expand the non-eligible food stamp items list to include no sugary food, no cooking oils/fats of any kind, only whole grains, nothing processed and only lean meats. In fact, I might even include a recommended shopping list and recipies pamphlet. Some of the most obese people in America are food stamp recipients and we've convinced ourselves its compassionate to provide the means by which they're sending themselves and their children to an early grave.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom