MsCezanne's Odyssey

Mistakes, well... I mispelled 'cholesterol' but it was really a typo. ;-)

I do appreciate the fact that you will edit or remove comments if I ask you to; it's good to know.

Of course, I wouldn't know FOR SURE if I would enjoy being 300lb or 400lb or 500lb unless I did it. But I think I can make a pretty informed guess, based on all the things I would have to give up to get there. How often do you get to go rollerskating in the park? How easy is it to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa and admire the view?

Marathon runners tell me the same thing about running marathons; that you don't think you'll like it but it gives you an incredible high and it's addictive. I've never had ANY desire to run a marathon but having started training for a 5K run, I have to admit I'm _slightly_ curious. Maybe not curious enough to actually go out and run 26 miles, but I understand the impulse. It sounds like it's the same for you and weight gain. I find that odd but I try not to judge it.

I'm glad you don't excuse the darker side of the gaining community. Enough said.

I hope you have private health insurance (so taxpayers don't pay - you're in Canada, right?) and I hope the insurance company never finds out you have gained so much weight on purpose! That could be tricky.

- Kate
 

I went for walks in the park last summer, I plan to go again this summer. Rollersblades are for people in a hurry, you gain a couple of pounds and you learn to slow down and appreciate life. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed, I believe, but I understand your point, stairs are not my friend. Forget towers, even going upstairs at my parents' house is a chore.

My philosophy is a little less extreme than gaining hundreds of pounds though. Gaining about 50 (I haven't fine tuned this number, just a guess) with an open mind should be enough to know if you enjoy it or not. If not, 50 pounds isn't an unreasonable amount of weight to lose, and the sacrifices made to gain it aren't so extreme. It's also enough of a gain to appreciate the changes in physique and appetite. The real problem is the open mind part. (Which is fair, there are plenty of good reasons to not get fat.)

As for the things gained: food is art. It's the only art that can excite all your senses at once. Why limit your appreciation of it? A fantastic, well executed meal can take hours to enjoy. Why limit yourself to special occasions? People certainly don't limit their exposure to other art forms. The physical experience. The human body is an incredible machine, it's very adaptable, keeping your body in a narrow range is like only painting with red, or only watching one channel on TV, or buying a 4x4 and keeping on clear city streets. People are so focused on what they can experience with their body, they don't take time to focus on experiencing the body itself. As you gain weight, you become more in tune with your body, there's more body, more information, it really is incredible, just learning about yourself on a daily basis. Add in a partner who truly enjoys the changes themselves and, well, it becomes very interesting.

Private health insurance is illegal in Canada, at least in Ontario. You're absolutely right that personal responsibility for your health would make people think twice. (In fact, I have some online acquaintances who plan to gain enough weight to go on disability. That turns my stomach as much as it does yours, probably more! I'm proud of what I've done, I don't see the pride in stealing from people as a goal.) I do eat nutritionally, a lot of overweight people do not. I do consume plenty of junk, of course, but I take the time to cook real meals that address genuine nutritional needs. The current research doesn't seem to focus on diet, simply on weight, so I can't say if that makes a difference or not, however I suspect it does.
 

Just wanted to post a note to let you know that some of your readers are enjoying the debate immensely. Being married to someone who has gained a great deal of weight and had no regrets, and who is completely healthy, I am inclinded to side with Char. However, I know it's not a popular view, as all of my wife's friends continue to ask, "So when are you going to lose the weight?" as if it's the ONLY option!

Carry on! ;)
 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed for repairs but has reopened - I climbed it last year.

Rollerblades will get you places fast if that's what you want but they are not just for people in a hurry - they are glorious, you can glide about and feel so free! CARS are for people in a hurry. I don't own a car and never have.

That's interesting about private health insurance in Canada. In most countries with a state health system, they encourage people to take out private health insurance if they can afford it, in order to reduce the burden on taxpayers. Obviously you still have to pay your taxes so you are not opting out of paying for the public health system.

Food is, or can be, art but to my mind there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. That goes for any art form.

I don't feel I have to try gaining 50lb, just to see what it would be like, any more than I have to try losing 50lb to see what it would be like. Losing 50lb would make me severely underweight so that would probably be the least healthy option but neither would be good for me. I'm not convinced either would be much fun.

I can appreciate changes in my body and gain greater body awareness through doing things like yoga, which is something I greatly enjoy.

The body is a wonderful thing; I'm glad you've learned to enjoy yours but I don't think becoming obese is the only way to do it.

- Kate
 

The health system in Canada certainly has its limits, but that has to do with some cost cutting from the 90s, which just makes things more expensive know. I'm not all that learned about it. I just know that neither Paul nor Ian have a doctor. But that's for others to debate. If I die early, that just opens another slot for someone ;-)

I never really asserted that weight gain is the key to happiness, more that in keeping an open mind weight loss does not have to lead to less happiness. It's not for everyone. I hate to accuse you of being closed minded, but I can't think of another way to put it. If you won't try it because you know what will happen... if you want to call it sensible, I won't argue.

I have lost 50 pounds, and it is fun. So, I do speak more authoritatively than you do on the subject. Of course, the subject is entirely subjective. I wouldn't be surprised if you gained weight and didn't enjoy it. I wouldn't be surprised if you gained weight and did enjoy it. I wouldn't be surprised if your weight never changes and you live your days in ecstatic bliss.

I don't really much more to say Kate. My cards are on the table, so to speak. You know where I stand, I've got a reasonably good idea where you stand. I'm happy to continue, but I'll be repeating myself sooner or later ;-)
 

It's not being close-minded. I don't claim to KNOW how I would feel about gaining 50 pounds. I can make a good guess how I would be LIKELY to feel and it doesn't really appeal.

Even if it's as pleasurable as you say, to me it's not worth the attendant risks. I don't just mean the health risks, I also mean the difficulty of finding nice clothes to fit, the reaction of others (though this is not as big a factor as you might think), and the fact that I've got a lot of work to do if I ever want to lose the weight.

I know from experience that I don't find the process of weight loss much fun (the changes in your body, yes; but the hard work in not eating too much, no).

I am always opening myself to new experiences but it's simply not possible to try every new experience in one lifetime. I have to pick and choose and if I picked super-obesity, I would be saying no to other experiences that frankly seem a little more appealing to me.

I also alluded to the fact that I am an environmentalist. I am currently trying to cut my carbon footprint and food production is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions. Suddenly doubling my calorie intake (and mainly from processed, packaged food since I won't get fat from doubling the amount of carrots I eat) AND making myself less mobile so I would have greater reliance on motorised transport, would run counter to everything I believe is important. And it might sounds like a cliche, but I would also feel even more guilty about the starving children in Africa than I already do!!

I do wonder about the psychology of it all...

I guess I'm done too. Carry on!

- Kate