Are obese people lazy because they are obese or are they obese because they are lazy? In either case, who are you to determine that they are not disabled?...

Posted on August 18, 2026 at 07:01:15 PM by rkm

I have CLINCALLY obese friends. A couple unfortunately prematurely died because of their obesity. Most are or were not disabled until they were. NONE of them were LAZY.

One who is still alive still struggles with his genetic malady. His brothers share his situation. He is in his early 40s. I know him through debate and the Michigan Democrats. He is definitely not lazy and not yet disabled. He "got skinny" but relapsed and still struggles every day and tries to deal with his situation and I wish him well. He does not use a scooter.

Another who I hope is still alive (I have not been in contact with her since the late 1980s) is one of my former secretaries when I worked at Olde. Last time I saw her was after I left Olde and was working for a different brokerage. Saw her at a bar and did not recognize her since she had become "skinny." She was definitely not lazy and did not use a scooter.

One who died was my high school debate coach. 575 pounds. He was also the tennis coach and wanted to be the football coach but his doctor forbid it. He could polka like nobody's business. He was quite the sight, belly flopping off the diving board. He ended up disabled and on the kidney donation list. When he first got on dialysis at UHospital, he lost so much weight so quickly that they kept him in the hospital so that they could "farm" his excess skin to use for burn patient grafts. He died at 50 waiting for a donor kidney.

Another is another debate friend. A fellow UM alum 10 years younger than I who I blame/credit for getting me back into the debate community, who went on to get a MS in Psychology at Mississippi State and PhD at Jackson State and was a professor at Cameron University in Texas. He was diagnosed with early onset dementia and Crohn's Disease and subsequently had to move back to Michigan to be closer to family. He was tall, svelte and athletic, but because of complications and drug side effects, he became severely clinically obese. He ended up in a nursing home and died just a couple of years ago in his early 50s. He was also definitely not lazy.

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Thread:

California vacation things post… - By BBA August 18, 2026 at 04:00:12 PM
- Just did a 24 trip to SF. The Waymo was MORE expensive than a car with a driver. How does that make sense? You cut out the labor and the product gets more expensive?* - By Poster P August 18, 2026 at 05:25:57 PM
  - I think it is very sensitive to demand. We did 2 cheap rides but went to uber another time when Waymo was 2.5x* - By BBA August 18, 2026 at 06:00:40 PM
- How do you know someone riding a scooter is or isn't disabled? That's exactly what I would look like, btw - I look totally normal walking short distances but can't walk or stand in line more than a few minutes. - By jjwalker August 18, 2026 at 04:46:24 PM
  - while I agree with you in principle, Disney has approximately a 100x amount of scooters per capita as anywhere else in the world - By DoctorD August 18, 2026 at 05:30:45 PM
  - ABSOLUTELY, 100% AGREE... - By rkm August 18, 2026 at 05:07:06 PM
    - Here you go suede, are you happy people with pain choose not to do things that could help them because they don't want judgemental fuckheads like you making assumptions about them? - By jjwalker August 18, 2026 at 05:11:39 PM
      - Why would I be happy about that? (nm) - By suede August 18, 2026 at 05:12:40 PM
        
        Yeah, it's funny.* - By jjwalker August 18, 2026 at 05:50:41 PM
        
        No, it sucks that lazy obese people have poisoned the well for the actually disabled. (nm) - By suede August 18, 2026 at 05:58:54 PM
        
        Are obese people lazy because they are obese or are they obese because they are lazy? In either case, who are you to determine that they are not disabled?... - By rkm August 18, 2026 at 07:01:15 PM
        
        You can both suck.* - By jjwalker August 18, 2026 at 06:12:41 PM
  - The overuse of mobility devices has polluted the commons. Same story as at the airport - the only disease most of these people have is fatfuckitis. (nm) - By suede August 18, 2026 at 04:49:37 PM
    - You don't know shit about one particular person. I'd rather give 1000 lazy fuckers grace than wrongly judge someone like me who got a fucking raw deal in life. And do they actually affect your life in any way? Grocery stores I can see, but airports?* - By jjwalker August 18, 2026 at 04:54:01 PM
      - You're a better person than I am. (nm) - By suede August 18, 2026 at 05:03:41 PM
- I love Monterey * - By Nikos August 18, 2026 at 04:32:07 PM
  - Agreed it's fantastic* - By Arctic August 18, 2026 at 05:35:30 PM
- Re; #3, I have a daughter that lives in Santa Cruz.... - By ajs August 18, 2026 at 04:14:47 PM
- Thoughts on your Thoughts - By GritsGoBlue August 18, 2026 at 04:14:31 PM
  - I like the safety aspect of Waymo, especially as a father of a daughter than will be on her own someday. Seeing one driving 65 on the freeway was a little unnerving but most drivers are terrible anyway * - By BBA August 18, 2026 at 04:23:01 PM
    - Yeah, the other day I realized my turn was one block early and tried to move over. Thought the guy behind me was going to pull a gun. Thank heaven his wife was there.* - By ftb August 18, 2026 at 04:27:15 PM
      - One of the better arguments for Waymos is "compared to what?" - By GritsGoBlue August 18, 2026 at 04:33:51 PM
- On the lack of cell phone service - By danny August 18, 2026 at 04:09:42 PM
- My brother lived in Monterrey for years, he loved it* - By wingedvictory August 18, 2026 at 04:07:24 PM
- that big cool ocean is nice, even in AGW age. I always chuckle at californians in puffers when it's 65, but hey, it's all relative* - By Daytripper August 18, 2026 at 04:03:18 PM
  - don't forget floridians too. i wonder if crumbs wears one when it is below 70?** - By kal August 18, 2026 at 04:04:38 PM

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Are obese people lazy because they are obese or are they obese because they are lazy? In either case, who are you to determine that they are not disabled?...