Eat more ... it's okay, the government will accomodate you

Dan · Nov 17, 2003

Shocking news from Cleveland, in today's Plain Dealer ...

But Bowen is a prisoner - a prisoner in the living room of her public-hous ing apartment on Cleveland's East Side be cause the 44-year-old weighs nearly 800 pounds and is immobile.

Under federal law, her condition is a disability, meaning that she can require modifications to her subsidized housing.

[snip]

Housing officials responded that the agency went well beyond what federal disability law requires at a cost of about $15,000.

[snip]

Drooping fatty tissue from her stomach area extends from her body and prevents her from walking, she and Turner say. She cannot move from a medical bed that sits in the middle of what should be her living room. Turner estimates the growth around her stomach weighs as much as 350 pounds.

[snip]

The apartment's modifications include taking out doors and walls, installing an automatic door operator and a panic device, demolishing the existing bathroom and installing a special shower, and putting in a sidewalk leading to a front doorway, something the other Riverside Park units do not have.

[snip]

Things reached a crisis level on Aug. 31, when 22 firefighters and emergency medical technicians had to work for 2½ hours to move Bowen from her apartment so she could see doctors at MetroHealth Medical Center for some dental problems. Emergency crews had to help her back in when she returned.

Planderella · Nov 17, 2003

Drooping fatty tissue from her stomach area extends from her body

This is not the kind of stuff I need to be reading after lunch!!! +o(

Downtown · Nov 17, 2003

OMG. Maybe this should be another topic for another thread, but I think it is insane that the morbidly obese are allowed "disabled" status. Granted, if this woman's problems are because of a true medical condition (even though I can't imagine what that would be), fine, that's another issue. But really, what are the odds of that? It just kills me that she's living off the taxpayers. sigh.

SkeLeton · Nov 17, 2003

I wonder if McD's is willing to pay her for a liposuction, afterall they could use all that lard again in their kitchens!

(Sorry people that just ate lunch)

SlaveToTheGrind · Nov 17, 2003

And to think, there are kids starving in this world and this great country of ours.

donk · Nov 17, 2003

Maybe she can watch a nuclear reactor from home, like Homer did?

Seabishop · Nov 17, 2003

Downtown said:
OMG. Maybe this should be another topic for another thread, but I think it is insane that the morbidly obese are allowed "disabled" status. Granted, if this woman's problems are because of a true medical condition (even though I can't imagine what that would be), fine, that's another issue. But really, what are the odds of that? It just kills me that she's living off the taxpayers. sigh.

I can just picture all the Homer Simpsons out there claiming this as their new life strategy now. I have relatives who would love that lifestyle.

Duke Of Dystopia · Nov 17, 2003

Downtown said:
OMG. .....Granted, if this woman's problems are because of a true medical condition (even though I can't imagine what that would be), fine, that's another issue. But really, what are the odds of that? It just kills me that she's living off the taxpayers. sigh.

A thyroid conditions can cause this.

Got to be some kind of medical problem. There is NO WAY she is getting that huge on foodstamps and welfare only!

Jeff · Nov 17, 2003

I'll never forget why I won Firefighter of teh Quarter one year.....

We were standing around in the living room of a project, with a 600+ dude laying face down on the floor because he fell out of his special bed.

We tried everything to get him back up, nothing worked.

We used "airbags" to get him back up (my idea). The airbags are what we use to pick up cars when they land on people.

Plannerbabs · Nov 17, 2003

This is the part I don't get--she mentions a growth that weighs over 350 lbs--which would account for almost 1/2 her weight. Wouldn't you want to get something like that looked out, seeing as how it would limit your mobility and therefor your chances to lead a fuller life--like leaving your apartment?

BKM · Nov 17, 2003

Well, I would really guess that people of THIS size and girth do have something wrong-physical or even medical. It is not possible to eat yourself to 800 pounds normally. Is it?

biscuit · Nov 17, 2003

I'm reading this article and all I can think is "Wouldn't the Housing Authority have come out cheaper just paying for liposuction."

Also, there's something about the way the paper portays the nurse (Turner) that makes it sound as if she's using moo-moo wearing 800 pounder's condition to somehow play the system for her own personal gain.

nerudite · Nov 17, 2003

There is a lady in Beaverton, OR that was about 600 lbs and it wasn't fat it was a condition that caused fluid to collect in her body. She would get it drained just to have it build back up in a few years. But because of the fluid, she couldn't walk, let alone exercise. And she said that she got a lot of flak for being 'fat' when there wasn't much she can do about it. I don't remember what the condition was, but it sounded horrible and very painful.

Richmond Jake · Nov 17, 2003

"She writes poetry to boost her self-esteem. "

rotflmfao...

Zoning Goddess · Nov 17, 2003

If it's not a medical condition, and she really can't walk (to the fridge), why doesn't her family just stop giving her food?

Habanero · Nov 17, 2003

Duke Of Dystopia said:
A thyroid conditions can cause this.

Got to be some kind of medical problem. There is NO WAY she is getting that huge on foodstamps and welfare only!

You'd be amazed. I have a relative that is quite large and there were no medical conditions that caused it. Now this relative is starting to eat better and lost around 80 pounds, no exercise, just finally taking the step to eat better.

Big Easy King · Nov 17, 2003

Damn! Cuyahoga County has a huge problem on its hands. (Sorry huge people.) ;-)

Mastiff · Nov 17, 2003

Hmmm...

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just put a garage door on the front of the house, put wheels on the bed, and just have a tow truck come get her when she needs to get her dental work done?

Rumpy Tunanator · Nov 17, 2003

Where's Jerry Springer when you need him?

Dan · Nov 17, 2003

That's her.

If it was medical, how come the only people we hear about who are this morbidly obese live in the United States?

jordanb · Nov 17, 2003

Dan said:
If it was medical, how come the only people we hear about who are this morbidly obese live in the United States?

Good point.

It's the McNuggets.

Zoning Goddess · Nov 17, 2003

jordanb said:
Good point.

It's the McNuggets.

LOL! Good one.

SkeLeton · Nov 18, 2003

yikes! I doubt that she could have gained that much weight only by eating or only because of hormonal or linfatic problems...
Now seing her weight in metric units... Holy f***! She weights 350 kg!

donk · Nov 18, 2003

That picture makes her look like jabba the hut.

Go trans and hydrogenated fats.

Rumpy Tunanator · Nov 18, 2003

jordanb said:
Good point.

It's the McNuggets.

I'm going to go with its the Whoppers, now somebody please give this women a tapeworm!!!

PlannerByDay · Nov 18, 2003

donk said:
That picture makes her look like jabba the hut.

Dang, you stole the words right out of my mouth.

The only other word I have for that picture is

*Shudders* YUCK *Still Shuddering*

Habanero · Nov 18, 2003

At first I didn't see it.. but now...

Duke Of Dystopia · Nov 18, 2003

What is her weight in Britsh "Stones"?

Plannerbabs · Nov 18, 2003

She is a svelte 55 stone.

biscuit · Nov 18, 2003

Duke Of Dystopia said:
What is her weight in Britsh "Stones"?

Stones?
I think this is a measurement that will have to be done in "Boulders."

I'm sorry... bad pun. I just couldn't help myself. Bad biscuit.

OhioPlanner · Nov 18, 2003

I just don't know what the housing authority is supposed to do. I certainly understand moving her to a first floor accessible unit with a ramp, but making drastic renovations seems a bit much.

However, at the rate obesity is growing it won't be long before many other of these units are needed.

Mastiff · Nov 19, 2003

It isn't Jabba the Hut... It's PIZZA the hut!

Budgie · Nov 19, 2003

Habanero said:
At first I didn't see it.. but now...

Stop before I wet my pants. Your handywork cracks me up.

Eat more ... it's okay, the government will accomodate you

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