Morbid obesity

[New York Spam]

I am morbidly obese. Ok I admit it and am proud of my body image and am comfortable with it. I do not eat particularly excessively and have a genuine real problem with my metabolism.

I have serious problems with uniforms at work. I have to have special ones tailor made for me(at my own cost).

Vehicles are also modified and strengthened to allow me ease of access and safety.

My employers are yearly becoming less sympathetic to my problems and special requirements.

Recently I have been threatened with disciplinary action if I do not lose weight and become fitter.

Those damn pen pushers and money men are claiming my ability to do my job is compromised by my weight problems.

I love my job and am feeling threatened and in need of help.

I am eager to know if anyone else has been in a similar situation and if they can offer any advice.

[itku2er]

If you have tried traditional diets and exercise programs maybe you should think about more extreme measures. Gastric bypass or some other kind of surgery may be in order. My advice would be to speak to your MD about the options. SO what level of EMS are you?

Edited October 20, 2009 by itku2er

[Kaisu]

I am morbidly obese. Ok I admit it and am proud of my body image and am comfortable with it. I do not eat particularly excessively and have a genuine real problem with my metabolism.

I have serious problems with uniforms at work. I have to have special ones tailor made for me(at my own cost).

Vehicles are also modified and strengthened to allow me ease of access and safety.

My employers are yearly becoming less sympathetic to my problems and special requirements.

Recently I have been threatened with disciplinary action if I do not lose weight and become fitter.

Those damn pen pushers and money men are claiming my ability to do my job is compromised by my weight problems.

I love my job and am feeling threatened and in need of help.

I am eager to know if anyone else has been in a similar situation and if they can offer any advice.

Are you kidding me dude? It's one thing to be proud of your body image, etc. etc. but you are seriously expecting your employers, co-workers and others to make all these exceptions for you? It sounds like they have come a long way in making it possible for you to work. I don't hear any sense of gratitude for it from you. On the contrary, you come across pretty darn whacker. Perhaps an attitude adjustment? If you don't take care of the obesity, you will die.

PS.. sit your fat ass on my face and I'll bite your nuts off....

[scubanurse]

I'm with the previous posters. I understand metabolism issues, it is something I have struggled with my entire life, but at some point you must draw the line. In the world of EMS, we are expected to be fit and able to do our jobs. I know my county would pull you from the field in a heart beat before making accommodations for you such as modifying vehicles and equipment. If you are considered morbidly obese... can you walk up a flight of stairs with a 200+ patient in a stair chair?? Maybe the "pen pushers" have a point. If your weight is compromising the safety of the patient and crew then you really have no business working in the field. I know of a few people I used to work with who gained a lot of weight over the years and became obese, they were pulled by the medical team from the field and given desk jobs. That was after several attempts to help them loose weight.

There are ways to amp up your metabolism, and as itk posted, sometimes more drastic measures should be taken such as gastric bypass or even the lap band system. These days, there are plenty of options available to you to help you loose weight. If you're comfortable with your self image...that's great, but that doesn't mean you should stay that way and be complacent with your health.

I really hope you take your weight seriously and understand that your ability to do the job is in fact compromised if you can not lean over a patient to do CPR adequately.

[scott33]

I am morbidly obese. I do not eat particularly excessively

Although in your "interests" you state:

"Im just a good ol boy who likes to eat too much"

Judging by the picture (assuming that is you) I know what to believe.

Sorry, but I don't think you will get much sympathy here, particulary since you seem to be pointing the finger at everyone else but you. People are morbidly obese because they eat too much. End of story! Lapbanding and gastric bypass ops do not speed up metabolism. So why do they seem to work?

BTW, if you are on a long haul flight, would you mind keeping your elbows in. Either that or pay for 2 seats.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Modifying ambulances to accomodate you - don't buy it.

Uniforms - ok I'll buy that.

But seriously, if you are morbidly obese just how big are you?

I'm around 290 and I have ahard time doing some things but I have no problems doing my job. My weight is centered on my greater omentum and everywhere else is toned and strong. It's the belly fat I have a problem with.

Can I do cpr without problems - yep

can I carry a 200 pound patient down 10 flights of stairs - yes but with difficulty as well as everyone else carrying that 200# down.

Can I walk 2-3 miles off road to get to apatient while carrying a bag, oxy tank, and monitor - yep can do and did a couple of weeks ago

Do I need my ambulance modified to fit my fat ass - nope there's plenty of room for me

You are either so large that you can't fit in the front seat or you are a troll who comes here to stir shit.

I'm on the fence on this one.

[EmergencyMedicalTigger]

You need to lose weight or be canned. I don't think special accomodations should be made for someone's weight/size.

I am morbidly obese. Ok I admit it and am proud of my body image and am comfortable with it. I do not eat particularly excessively and have a genuine real problem with my metabolism.

I have serious problems with uniforms at work. I have to have special ones tailor made for me(at my own cost).

Vehicles are also modified and strengthened to allow me ease of access and safety.

My employers are yearly becoming less sympathetic to my problems and special requirements.

Recently I have been threatened with disciplinary action if I do not lose weight and become fitter.

Those damn pen pushers and money men are claiming my ability to do my job is compromised by my weight problems.

I love my job and am feeling threatened and in need of help.

I am eager to know if anyone else has been in a similar situation and if they can offer any advice.

[fireflymedic]

If this is a legitimate post - it sounds as if he has tried to throw it into the americans with disabilities act. If that is the case and his employer has made the accomodations he states - that is more than any employer I am aware of would ever make at their own expense (paying for custom shirts - get over it - I had to have my pants tailored because of how my body proportions are - I'm not fat but have a bum and our pants weren't meant for someone with one so I had to have the waist taken in and darted to fit me and look respectable at my own expense). Americans with disabilities act only states they have to accomodate as long as all essential job functions can be met with or without reasonable accomodation and without unreasonable economic hardship to the facility. I think any other accomodation could qualify as economic hardship and if he is at a size that he cannot function within an ambulance, then he is not able to perform his job functions making him eligible for termination. I do not feel his employer is out of line to state he must maintain a healthy weight that he is able to perform his job. In EMS it is for our patients safety as much as ours to stay fit and healthy. If he is as large as he states, then I don't see how he can safely and effectively lift a stretcher or perform many of the other tasks. I've worked with some larger partners (one in particular was almost 400 lbs and employed by a large FD in the area as well). He was healthy for the most part but on yearly physicals he was starting to have some issues and was told he had to take care of himself or else his employment wouldn't continue. He was no longer allowed to make entry on fires due to his size and if he were to go down, they would not be able to get him out quickly. He took the steps to take care of himself and says he feels better than he ever has.

I highly suggest that he go and see his physician and discuss alternatives if traditional diets have been followed and still no success. Also - got to remember to put exercise in there !