Overweight or Obese - A Character Issue?


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tangochef is offline tangochef Post #1  June 20,2011, 10:08am
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According to Webster "character" is " one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual"

And "self-discipline" is " correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement"

I'd submit that being overweight/obese, for the most part, shows lack of self-discipline, and as such a negative character trait.

Lack of self-discipline can show itself in a variety of ways; smoking, excessive alcohol use, drug abuse, credit card abuse etc., etc.

Question is which manifestation of lack of self-discipline would one accept?

Would one think because someone shows a lack of self-discipline in one area (overweight/obese), it could impact other facets of that person's life?

Everyone has different character traits they look for, it is not absolute for each person.

Also, a person might have so many positive character traits that it might offset the few negatives.

So, is lack of self-discipline a deal breaker for you as a character trait or would you look at the whole package, and then make your decision?
 
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Xable is offline Xable Post #2  June 20,2011, 10:32am
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I'll neither refute or agree with your assertion.

However, I am curious at to what you would make of my own personal situation.

I have been overweight/fat/obese my whole life. From the time I was a baby. So, I wonder how a baby can lack self discipline and allow themselves to become fat when they haven't even been in existence long enough to see the dire results of that lack of self discipline.

For the past 3 or so years, it has been my personal crusade to lose the excess weight - with very little results. My last venture has been with a personal trainer, working out 2 to 4 hours every day in the gym. My diet has been no junk food, no eating out, and limited processed food, capped at 1600 calories a day.

I have been doing that for the past 7 weeks - to the point where all the employees at the gym now know me and encourage me on (as well as several customers). At the end of that time, weighing and measuring myself in - I lost a grande total of nothing.

No one has ever accused me of lacking self discipline - in fact, if you ask those around me, they will say I am one of, if not the most, disciplined persons they know - in all aspects of my life. Yet, I am clearly still obese.

So, do I lack self discipline as well as a true sense of myself? Or it is possible that people should be judge individually rather than by a generalization and the group?

Humans are all so unique and different, we know that, and yet we still seem to want to judge people as if they are not.
 
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myusernamehere is online now myusernamehere Post #3  June 20,2011, 10:41am
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First post wrote :
I'd submit that being overweight/obese, for the most part, shows lack of self-discipline, and as such a negative character trait.
So true.

NextPost wrote :
I'm not getting involved with anyone with debts, a drink problem, morbid obesity or chronic laziness any time soon.
I guess I'm out then.
Last edited by myusernamehere; June 20,2011 at 11:52am.
 
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Trixie1968 is offline Trixie1968 Post #4  June 20,2011, 11:42am

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Maybe some fat people lack self discipline. Who cares?

I like a degree of self discipline. I'm not getting involved with anyone with debts, a drink problem, morbid obesity or chronic laziness any time soon.

Equally I'm not going to get involved with someone who is too self discplined. Someone who balances his cheque book to the last penny, someone who doesn't enjoy an afterwork beer or a glass of wine, someone who will not miss a gym session, someone who thinks relaxing is a waste of time.

Moderation all the way for me.

Hitler had a lot of self discipline. A lot of self discipline isn't always a good thing.
 
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tangochef is offline tangochef Post #5  June 20,2011, 11:56am
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Trixie1968 wrote :
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Hitler had a lot of self discipline. A lot of self discipline isn't always a good thing.
Oh, no. Not the Hitler card.

I could just see someone saying to her significant other, "I decided not to go to Weight Watchers, I don't want to be like Hitler"

Synonym for self-discipline is self-control, not obsession.
 
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LadyHoosier is offline LadyHoosier Post #6  June 20,2011, 11:59am
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I have reached the end of my patience with the "obese/fat/curvy/overweight/rubenesque/chunky" posts on this site. Ditto, as far as the 'self-discipline' tagline that always rides sidesaddle.

They are vulgar, to put it quite simply, and show a decided lack of class and upbringing along with a tell-tale amount of deep-seated personal insecurity.

Perhaps it would delight the instigators of these "obese/overweight" threads to open a new group, within Eha, one where they and others who are like-minded can post and post until their hearts' content upon the lack of self-discipline and slothfulness of those among us who could never hope to be as fit, neat, trim, and iron-willed as they.
 
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MediumSalsa is offline MediumSalsa Post #7  June 20,2011, 12:03pm
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LadyHoosier wrote :
I have reached the end of my patience with the "obese/fat/curvy/overweight/rubenesque/chunky" posts on this site. Ditto, as far as the 'self-discipline' tagline that always rides sidesaddle.

They are vulgar, to put it quite simply, and show a decided lack of class and upbringing along with a tell-tale amount of deep-seated personal insecurity.

Perhaps it would delight the instigators of these "obese/overweight" threads to open a new group, within Eha, one where they and others who are like-minded can post and post until their hearts' content upon the lack of self-discipline and slothfulness of those among us who could never hope to be as fit, neat, trim, and iron-willed as they.
Well said! I second that.
 
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lunabeach is offline lunabeach Post #8  June 20,2011, 12:26pm
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I'm unwilling to simply paint someone who is overweight/obese as lazy/undisciplined. If you look at who is most likely to be overweight, it's people of lower SES. Not only is cheap food often fatty and empty of nutrients, people who are poor are under monumental levels of stress - they aren't just having fun in their junky old trunk and drinking beer, they are praying it gets them to work b/c one more late/missed shift means they lose that job. It's a terrible way to live. Destitution is a constant drain with absolutely no relief; while there may be an end in sight it is not assured and usually not in the near future.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001 wrote :
But when the stressors of your life are always present, leaving you constantly feeling stressed, tense, nervous or on edge, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The less control you have over potentially stress-inducing events and the more uncertainty they create, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress response.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body's processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:

Heart disease
Sleep problems
Digestive problems
Depression
Obesity
Memory impairment
Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema
If someone's had a hard life, I prefer not to judge them for the physical wear and tear their body has taken.

Not to mention underlying health issues that cause disruptions in normal body functions.

While some people may be fat as a result of laziness, most people don't like to be overweight and I wouldn't be surprised if those who could lose it do not because they are too depressed to care rather than that they are happy to laze about and be unmotivated.

My reasons for not dating someone overweight past a certain point is as complex as the causes for obesity. Forefront is the knowledge that I can't be attracted to someone I pity - someone who is so depressed they can't care to be healthy or has been unable to recover from hard times incites only compassion. I cast no aspersions on their will, but I sympathize that they've been dealt a bad hand by both circumstance and genetics (major depression from an event seems to be more organic than environmental).
 
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Ingytravel is online now Ingytravel Post #9  June 20,2011, 12:26pm
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Trixie1968 wrote :
Maybe some fat people lack self discipline. Who cares?

I like a degree of self discipline. I'm not getting involved with anyone with debts, a drink problem, morbid obesity or chronic laziness any time soon.

Equally I'm not going to get involved with someone who is too self discplined. Someone who balances his cheque book to the last penny, someone who doesn't enjoy an afterwork beer or a glass of wine, someone who will not miss a gym session, someone who thinks relaxing is a waste of time.

Moderation all the way for me.

Hitler had a lot of self discipline. A lot of self discipline isn't always a good thing.
Ack!...How can anyone NOT balance their checkbook? It's rarely the banks error..so if it's not balancing, someone is making a mistake in their simple math...I'll offer advice to those who have trouble...use Quicken Just one of my little pet peeves since I was 16 and had my first checkbook...I like to know exactly how much money I have to spend or in savings...I could never be the type that goes.."I hope this check doesn't bounce"...LOL

I'm happy to take over the finances in any relationship

And yes..I'm having some fun since you brought it up!..
 
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Trixie1968 is offline Trixie1968 Post #10  June 20,2011, 12:36pm

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"Oh, no. Not the Hitler card."

There's a Hitler card?

What kind of world do you live in?
 
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