Some might say that both of these ailments are conditions brought on by bad decisions made by individuals who lack self-control. The cure for both is will power or, in the latter case, jail time.
Whom do you agree with more?
Saturday, July 13, 2019
76: Medical Bills
According to Smarsh, obesity and methamphetamine addictions are ailments that cry for professional medical care.
Some might say that both of these ailments are conditions brought on by bad decisions made by individuals who lack self-control. The cure for both is will power or, in the latter case, jail time.
Whom do you agree with more?
Some might say that both of these ailments are conditions brought on by bad decisions made by individuals who lack self-control. The cure for both is will power or, in the latter case, jail time.
Whom do you agree with more?
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I cannot say I fully agree with either one of the sides of the argument. I do believe some people are born into certain situations and do not know better almost born into the addiction or obesity. Some genes are prove to one or the other. But I also know that some people make bad choices and subject themselves to addiction or obesity. Their choices make them who they become. And because they do not have any or very little will power they continuously fall back into bad situations.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is hard to agree with either side of argument. I agree that some people are more likely to having addiction or weight problems. And I also see people who lack self control. However, I disagree that the cure is will power or jail time, in some instances it is, however medical help can also be the answer.
DeleteTo me, developing obesity and a meth addiction are two completely different things. Obesity has many uncontrollable factors like hereditary issues or slow metabolism that help aid in weight gain that can not be controlled. But developing a meth addiction is done on your own free will, you decide you want to try and you are the reason you became addicted. I understand that some cases of obesity are similar to a meth addiction where both parties are aware of what they are doing and the consequences they have and still do not care enough to stop it. But I do not think jail time is the best cure for either. Will power can sometimes be enough for someone to quit, but in some cases the body may be so far gone that only medical treatment can help at that time.
DeleteI do agree that people can be born into a situation, and there are just some things you can't avoid. And I do agree everyone has a choice what to do. In all this book and discussing it with others, it all comes down to the choices Smarsh makes, and the consequences from that situation, whether it is good, bad, or neutral. And in this case of obesity, it can be a real struggle, people either value food more than appearance, they find food as a way to cope with an issue, or it is just genetics that can be hard to work through. And that is something that should be taken care of with help and a little motivation to get to where you want to be, whether it be professional help, or a friend. No one person should always turn to the same things in times of struggle, we all have our own coping mechanisms but sometimes the best answer is a little change. Now in the terms of meth addiction, it is a choice that the one person makes to get involved in, no one is born as a small child needing to feel the way drugs do. You have a choice and it can be harmful, but it isn't the end there are rehab centers. Along with that there are medications that help block the drug's use and slowly remove it from your system. So in the case of meth addiction, professional help should be sought as it can help, but in the end someone has to realize that they need the help and will themselves to change it.
DeleteI completely agree that it is hard to side with either. Some people are born with addictive tendencies, whether to food or drugs.
DeleteThe obese are often times genetically predisposed to gain weight because of slow metabolisms, glandular issues, or other biological concerns. However, the biology of an obese person is normally no excuse for them to continue in the state they are in. For one to be fat, said person must consume enough calories to maintain the weight they are at. If an obese person were to just simply eat less and healthier they would see dramatic results within months. The obese person's health problem is largely due to their own gluttony, and I do not have much sympathy for them. I will make exceptions in my unsympathetic views for those who have glandular issues and similar concerns, but for the person who has become obese through sheer gluttony I have zero sympathy to offer.
ReplyDeleteThe same goes for meth addicts, I do not have much sympathy for those who get addicted to meth because using meth is easily avoided. Their addiction is completely their own fault with few exceptions.
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DeleteThe comment that obese people should just “eat less and healthier” is rather ignorant. Being obese sometimes isn’t always choice, as you made clear by talking about biological components and thus, should not be targeted as a gluttony issue. And for an obese person to stay fat, they don’t have to eat a vast amount of food. This stigma that obese people choose to be fat leads a large portion of bigger people to find solutions through unhealthy means such as eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
DeleteAs for addicts in general. Sometimes, again, it isn’t a choice. It may be a choice to begin with, but some people are genetically disposed to addiction. Specifically meth addiction, as you talk about, is actually pretty difficult to avoid in Oklahoma as from 2009 to 2016 the amount of meth found in the Texoma area increased approximately 750% according to the 2018 Oklahoma Drug Threat Assessment. So many small towns in Oklahoma have rather large meth issues, which leads to people using it more because it is readily available.
Both of these issues deserve professional help without judgement. Our small minded view that they put themselves in that position and in turn don’t deserve our respect or sympathy continues the cycle of addiction to drugs or food.
Both can be caused by factors out of the person's control. If they have strong enough willpower or people in their life to help them, it can absolutely help in the fight against obesity or addiction. Even if they were put in that situation by external factors, if they do not do anything to help themselves the problem is their fault.
ReplyDeleteI agree that these are both factors that are out of a person's control. Addiction, as well as obesity, are passed down through generations. Although I do think that there are ways to prevent these things from happening. For example, if there is a long line of addiction in your family, remove yourself from surrounding where temptation may take over.
DeleteAs the child of an addict, I am genetically predisposed to addiction. My pain medication could cause me to become addicted, as it did with my mother, who was also the child of two addicts. If our healthcare systems in lower income communities took more time to screen those that are high risk of addiction, I believe it would greatly decrease the number of future addicts. Here in rural Clayton, Oklahoma, people can't afford the opioids they got addicted to, or at least this was the case for my mother. So she turned to the cheapest drug of choice, meth. While obesity is a major problem, it doesn't effect your mental health, I believe it is easier for a person who has always been overweight to lose weight than it is for an addict to recover. Both can be solved with medical help, and both have the ability to reach out for help, but addicts no longer have the mental capabilities they did before. If our healthcare systems were better, I do not believe the rate of obesity would decrease, but i do believe the number of addicts would start declining.
ReplyDeleteI love your analysis and connection to your personal life! I would definitely add, however, that food can very much become a mental addiction just as drugs can. Depression often brings out the negative eating habits such as binge eating or refusal to eat that destroy the mental and physical health of the individual. Eating disorders are very often tied to mental and self-image issues. We need to treat both addiction and eating disorders as physically and mentally incapacitating in order to properly address them.
DeleteI agree in some part, however i would say that an eating disorder can come from a mental disability, but a mental disability will not be the product of an eating disorder.
DeleteI agree with Smarsh wholeheartedly. People can’t always rely on willpower, especially to overcome something as difficult as an addiction. I think people overestimate willpower. It works for a little bit but that moment it gets to be too much, most of us generally give up. A professional can give you a plan of action to follow rather than coming up with one yourself. This is where a professional outweighs willpower or the possibility of jail time. Particularly with drugs, the possibility of jail time could not only damage the progress they have made to be clean, if any, but also open those people to new drugs. I wouldn’t suggest putting people in jail because of drug offenses until jails and prisons are reformed into more of a rehabilitation than a cycle system. Rehabilitation and professional help is the backbone to recovery and new habits and thus, should be relied on more than an individuals willpower.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Additionally, jailing individuals for drug addiction assumes a moral failing of said individuals. Assessing the situation as criminal instead of biological only reinforces a cycle of using predicated on shame. So not only can you become an addict based on environmental factors (such as poverty, other addicts in the home, etc) your status is demeaned even further by society's stigma that you are inherently immoral. And if people are told repeatedly that this 'immoral' behavior is just who they are then no progress can easily be made to improve their condition since every facet of society seems to be against them.
DeleteMitchell Potts
I agree with Smarsh's statement because I do not believe that either of these issues can be overcome through willpower alone. However, willpower significantly helps in fighting these issues, the want to lose weight or kick the addiction is necessary to successfully overcome these issues. There are underlying medical problems that often cause obesity that can not be cured solely by willpower. I don't believe jail time is the best way to fix a drug addiction, rehabilitation centers and professional help is required.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. Jail time might seem to work for an addict for the time they are locked up, although many still find a way to have drugs in jail. The same could be said of an obese person who eats a salad in public and binges on sweets in private. Both issues do need professional help because willpower alone is not enough.
DeleteAt one point in my life I would have sided with those who argue that the addiction stems from the addict and the addict alone, yet I consider the question, "Why would pharmecutical companies give access to prescription painkillers that are so highly addictive if they often know the outcome?" I believe that in most cases addiction is the result of drug abuse over time, but in other cases, such as Chris', when pharmasists are happy to supply drugs in order to make long term money off of someone else's vices, I believe that the real problem with society is greed. Money can be misused just as anything else in this world can be. I've known more people in my lifetime who are addicted to the luxury that comes with money than to drugs. People with mental illness can be more susceptible to addiction to drugs of any kind, and I think those who are willing to prey upon that are sick as well.
ReplyDelete-Macy Phillips
I believe both come from decisions people make on their own. Yes, some people do have health conditions that can make them gain weight easier and make it hard to lose once you've tacked it on. However, with will power and self determination you can change your lifestyle, and start to lose weight. It takes motivation to do so. You have to believe in yourself, and you have to really want to change. I would never judge someone based off their weight, but I do believe that if they really desired so they could make a difference in themselves.
ReplyDeleteAny addiction a person has is brought on by bad decisions. Whether it be alcohol or drugs, a person continuously making bad decisions that involve those things will soon become addicted. A person might be born into a lifestyle to where that's all they know. Their parents, family, and people they grow up around can be a bad influence, making it easier for them to turn down that road. Once again though, you can get yourself out of that situation. You can be determined to make a difference with your life and not follow in their footsteps. It takes motivation and will power, just like losing weight.
Obesity and addiction are hard to compare to one another, but both can be caused genetically or on their own, but there are many different situations that could start what could be the hardest battle of their life. Sometimes people are just curious and want to try something, and get hooked on the first hit. Sometimes people get depressed and eating helps them cope. Both effect the mental state of someone, whether it be about their appearance, or chemically "rewiring" your brain causing it to think thoughts you would have never thought sober.
ReplyDeleteI still stand on the fact that will power can change the addiction, but I'm not sure if anyone is strong enough to do it on their own. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and that concept goes for someone going through addiction as well. They need the support and love of others around them to help them see a reason to be sober.
Obesity is different from meth addiction in many ways. Obesity depends on an individual’s body and genes. Some people can eat four meals three times a day and never gain a pound, but others can eat very little but still gain weight. However, people addicted to meth decided to ruin their bodies. Neither of the options is healthy, but they are not the same. Using will power to quit would be difficult, and jail time just keeps them in a cell. I do think that keeping people away from meth while in jail is a good idea, but it does help to have medical treatment. If someone was trying to stop growing weight or quit using meth through will power, they would need a supervisor to push them against their temptations. However, it is so convenient to take prescribed medicines or have surgeries to fix these problems. I agree with Smarsh that people need professional care for these situations.
ReplyDeleteThe Opioid Crisis in the United States in a prime example of a healthcare crisis. The Opioid Crisis was brought on by trusted healthcare professionals that prescribed opioids to individuals, because big pharmaceutical companies told them to. This highly addictive drug would cause many to become addicts, not because individuals chose to take it, but because they were told to. Many addicted to drugs may never had intended to take them. By creating laws that imprison those with an addiction disease, those who need help the most have the least amount of sympathy and help. Addiction should not be shamed by society, but should be treated as an illness. An addict should be given the same level of care as anyone else with a mental disease. The healthcare industry are the main reason so many are addicted to drugs. Which is why the healthcare industry should have to offer free services to those who need treatment.
ReplyDeleteBoth addiction and obesity begin with a poor action/set of actions, but there is a point of inherited addiction and human predispositions that keep one in the cycle. Placing full blame and responsibility on an individual misunderstands both the problem and the solution. While individuals are capable of rising above such impediments, it is extremely difficult to complete such a daunting challenge alone. No man or woman is an island, and we need to rally around them instead of leaving them to solve it alone. Withdrawing governmental support and aid keeps millions in a virtually useless state of self-degradation.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, I agree more with the former conclusion than the latter.
I feel torn in regard to this one because I know for some people obesity and meth addiction are not choices but rather what they were raised into. I also know that for some obesity and drug addiction of any type are ones choosing. I have been around people that were raised in houses with easy access to junk food and parents that failed to supply nutritional meals. Those people grew up to be obese and I don’t believe it to be under their own fault. Contrarily, I know people that have the option to eat better but refuse continually choosing to eat what they want with no regards for their health. Exercise and body composition are two other factors that make this subject difficult. I feel like in some cases it is an individual’s fault, but when the issue becomes an epidemic, I feel like professional help should come in. Oklahoma is the third most obese state in the nation. Regardless whose fault it is the problem needs solved by someone.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Smarsh's statement. Specifically those with drug addictions, their minds are often deteriorated enough to be unaware of the fact that they even need professional/medical help. Those with drug addictions are often seen as someone who has no desire to get the help they desire, but addicts not only can be unaware of the severity of their situation, but can feel that there is no hope in quitting when not offered the proper help. Although addiction is seen as something that can be prevented, they are still people that deserve proper help just the same as those suffering from other complications.
ReplyDelete