Formerly half-ton man can leave house at last

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/03/07/mexico.large.man.ap/index.html

SAN NICOLAS DE LOS GARZA, Mexico (AP) -- A man who once weighed well over half a ton left his house for the first time in five years Wednesday -- wheeled outside on his bed to greet neighbors and see a mariachi band.

"The sky is beautiful and blue, and what I want is to enjoy the sun," said Manuel Uribe, who had once been certified by doctors as weighing 1,235 pounds.

Though still unable to leave his bed, Uribe has lost 395 pounds since he began a high-protein diet a year ago. He now weighs about 840 pounds.

To celebrate the milestone, six people pushed Uribe's wheel-equipped iron bed out to the street as a mariachi band played and a crowd gathered. Then, a forklift lifted him onto a truck and the 41-year-old rode through the streets of San Nicolas de los Garza, a Monterrey suburb.

With dozens of reporters and photographers in tow, Uribe traveled along, passing the town's plaza and church and waving at clusters of people eager to get a glimpse of him.

"It fills me with joy to see he's getting better and getting a little sun," Uribe's neighbor Guadalupe Guerra said. "I would go crazy if I had to be inside my house for so many years."

Uribe was a chubby kid and weighed more than 250 pounds as an adolescent. In 1992, when he was 26, his weight began ballooning further, he said.

Since the summer of 2002, Uribe has been bedridden, relying on his mother and friends to feed and clean him.

He drew worldwide attention in January 2006 when he pleaded for help on national television. Afterward, an Italian and a Spanish doctor both visited and offered gastric bypass surgery.

But Uribe chose to accept help from Mexican nutritionists working with the Zone diet. He says he will stick to that diet until he reaches his goal of 265 pounds.

"My goal is to leave the house on my own but I know that will be a long process," he said. Doctors say it may take three to four years for Uribe to reach his goal.

Uribe said he plans to start a foundation to help overweight people get medical assistance and teach them about healthful eating habits.

[sparky]

I wonder if they took him to a McDonalds.

[gldstwmn]

I wonder if they took him to a McDonalds.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Good one!
Well, if he's doing The Zone then he had to have his quarter pounder without the bun.

[sparky]

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Good one!
Well, if he's doing The Zone then he had to have his quarter pounder without the bun.

That Zone thing is kinda ridiculous. I have a friend who did it and had prepared meals delivered, blah blah blah. Kinda expensive. It's just food.

[amber]

That Zone thing is kinda ridiculous. I have a friend who did it and had prepared meals delivered, blah blah blah. Kinda expensive. It's just food.

I have friends who did it themselves using a book and were very successful. It is just food, though. Regular food. That you would eat anyway. Like, chicken breast and salad. Steak and veggies.

[estranged4life]

Quick question for y'all - Ever heard of a person being asked to lose 100 lbs in a month's time?

[gldstwmn]

That Zone thing is kinda ridiculous. I have a friend who did it and had prepared meals delivered, blah blah blah. Kinda expensive. It's just food.

I did The Zone but I didn't have the meals sent to the house or anything. I also exercised vigorously, doing yoga and pilates several times a week and so much cardio it wasn't even funny. I don't think I ate a potato for three years. But I was a size four.

[gldstwmn]

Quick question for y'all - Ever heard of a person being asked to lose 100 lbs in a month's time?

Under medical supervision?

[sparky]

On another note, diet my ASS. Anyone who gets that big has severe psychological problems. I am stunned that there is no mention of mental health care in this case.

[estranged4life]

Under medical supervision?

needing to lose 100lbs in a month before a surgery can be performed (The weight needs to come off by changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle change).

[amber]

On another note, diet my ASS. Anyone who gets that big has severe psychological problems. I am stunned that there is no mention of mental health care in this case.

I know, lots of times when there are stories of big giant people, they don't really tell you how it got that out of hand. That is what I wanted to know when I read about this guy. I can't comprehend how that happens. Is something medically wrong?

[estranged4life]

On another note, diet my ASS. Anyone who gets that big has severe psychological problems. I am stunned that there is no mention of mental health care in this case.

(On Mom's side of the family) at one time weight about 600lbs. And she had some type of mental issue because she was institutionalized in a state psychiatric facility.

My older brother Geary and myself figures she possibly ate someone and had a guilty conscience about it....So who knows :shrug:

[sparky]

I know, lots of times when there are stories of big giant people, they don't really tell you how it got that out of hand. That is what I wanted to know when I read about this guy. I can't comprehend how that happens. Is something medically wrong?

Doubtful. It always boggles my mind that these people are surrounded by enablers. I mean, someone is bringing the donuts to them after they are bedridden. Or in this case the chimichangas and chalupas. Its shocking. Like, if they have a cat and it meows all day do they just keep filling the bowl over and over?

[amber]

My older brother Geary and myself figures she possibly ate someone and had a guilty conscience about it....So who knows :shrug:

Dude! :laugh:

Doubtful. It always boggels my mind that these people are surrounded by enablers. I mean, someone is bringing the donuts to them after they are bedridden. Or in this case the chimichangas and chalupas. Its shocking. Like, if they have a cat and it meows all day do they just keep filling the bowl over and over?

Yeah, and they were bathing him and stuff. This was literally a south of the border Jabba situation.
I would have been like "get up and bathe yourself, ******!" about 600 pounds ago. I would have made him start hunting his own food, come to think of it. With a bow. On skates. In the jungle. Riding a panther. With 3 legs.

[gldstwmn]

needing to lose 100lbs in a month before a surgery can be performed (The weight needs to come off by changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle change).

I'm no doctor but 100 pounds in 30 days sounds like a person would wind up in the hospital anyways.

[sparky]

Yeah, and they were bathing him and stuff. This was literally a south of the border Jabba situation.

Jabbito.
I would have been like "get up and bathe yourself, ******!" about 600 pounds ago. I would have made him start hunting his own food, come to think of it. With a bow. On skates. In the jungle. Riding a panther. With 3 legs.

No kidding. It would be like. "Listen Bitch, you're getting this soup and a salad and yer gonna like it." There'd be locks on the cabinets.

[estranged4life]

Dude! :laugh:


(I apologize to all female species on this Earth for calling that 'thing' a 'woman') cannot be fathomed at this time - Stephen Hawking hasnt thought of a physics defying formula to measure that dislike/hate.

I hope she is being put to good use as a piece of charcoal brisket for fuel in good ol' Lucifer's hellfire furnace.

Btw, I never make jokes about any person's weight - but my 'Granny' (Unaffectionally known as "Gripezilla") is the exception to that rule - trust me, you'd have to be a family member to understand that one (Minus one drunken sibling, she has no love lost among us 4 remaining kids) :nod:

[amber]

Jabbito.
:laugh:
El Grande Jabba (con queso).

No kidding. It would be like. "Listen Bitch, you're getting this soup and a salad and yer gonna like it." There'd be locks on the cabinets.

He couldn't get up to get to the cabinets after a certain point. They actually brought food. Seriously, he must have a medical condition.

[carrie721]

No kidding. It would be like. "Listen Bitch, you're getting this soup and a salad and yer gonna like it." There'd be locks on the cabinets.

this sentence makes me almost glad i can't sleep. :laugh:

[amber]

That's really sad. When I was just ten pounds more than I am right now it didn't feel right at all.



My cousin's cat, Vinnie, is like a little black bowling ball. They gave him fancy feast and he became a fancy feast addict. When I took care of him last summer while my cousin was in Europe, he lost about five pounds over a week of diet and forced exercise.

Okay, excuse me, but I have to post a plump kitty cat picture from my cousin's friend's MySpace. I grew up with them both. This is Mia. After she's lost over fifteen pounds.

<img src="http://myspace-897.vo.llnwd.net/01082/79/86/1082956897_l.jpg">


That's really cute.

I just switched my cats to all natural raw food. It's for cats and dogs. I read some stuff about it.

[estranged4life]

I'm no doctor but 100 pounds in 30 days sounds like a person would wind up in the hospital anyways.

and she died.

I still cannot gather how my Mom was to lose 100 lbs in less than 1 month to have her surgery (Deb asked the Dr's at her hospital and even they say they have rarely if ever heard of someone needing to lose that much weight in that short a period of time). Her colon issue along with the huge hernia (Which caused her weight to rise to 320 lbs.) left it impossible to lose that weight needed to decrease the risks of surgery.

Sadly, Mom gained 60+ lbs in the 2 weeks from the day of the surgery on March 7,2005 to the time she was weighed on a autopy slab March 22,2005 - Trust me, I have had nightmares reading the medical reports/autopsy reports on how she died (I have them immediately to my right - all 400+ pages from Feb.1,2005 to March 22,2005) so I try to not read them anymore.

Of course MRMC was going to play the obesity card on Mom's health, so my family is unable to file a wrongful death suit. But don't you think it is weird that the autopsy results state "the weight gain was caused by a previous surgery"? Even one of MRMC's asshat doctors said the exact same thing!

[carrie721]

Doubtful. It always boggels my mind that these people are surrounded by enablers. I mean, someone is bringing the donuts to them after they are bedridden. Or in this case the chimichangas and chalupas. Its shocking. Like, if they have a cat and it meows all day do they just keep filling the bowl over and over?

spot on.

i was just watching this show tonight on TLC about people who are ultra morbidly obese, and this one dude would eat between 15,000 and 30,000 calories a day. and his family moved into his apartment with him, since he couldn't leave his bed, and cooked for him. whatever he wanted! they were like, well, he's going to get his food one way or another, so it doesn't matter if i do it or not. :confused:

oh, and since he hadn't left his bed in 10 years (!!!!!!!!!), he explained how he would get delivery: he would lower a bucket with money in it from the bedroom window of his 5th story harlem apartment and the delivery person would take the money and put the food in the bucket. wtf?! i hope some regular delivery guy writes a book about that some day.

i couldn't watch the whole show because, while it was interesting, it was also kind of like gross food porn, and it was nauseating me.

[estranged4life]

i was just watching this show tonight on TLC about people who are ultra morbidly obese, and this one dude would eat between 15,000 and 30,000 calories a day.

i couldn't watch the whole show because, while it was interesting, it was also kind of like gross food porn, and it was nauseating me.

my sister and I were watching a similar show (As we gabbed on the phone) about a morbidly obese woman who was to have the exact same surgery performed that our Mom did.

This woman on this TV show was in excess of 650 lbs. and she had weight issues from a combination of poor eating skills and diabetes. I was glad she successfully made it through surgery and was (At last I saw) on the road to a healthier life and a good prognosis.

However, My Mom (Whose healthy weight was around 200lbs.) gained weight due to a previous surgery that caused a gross amount of scar tissue to form inside her abdominal cavity that pressed against her colon causing her colon to suffer a injury and later a blockage. Mom ate healthy, but wasnt able to exercise due to the screwup MRMC caused her from FUBARing her knee during a 2002 knee replacement surgery (The replacement joint was 'infected' and the infection spread to the point the joint had to be removed and the infection needed to treated before a new joint could be inserted - thus Mom was in bed for 2-3 months without a knee).

And of course, My Mom's outcome was NOT what it should have been.

[sparky]

:laugh:
Seriously, he must have a medical condition.

Umm, yeah. Morbid obesity and tons of illnesses brought on by it. Sheebus.

Damn this server has the hiccups tonight.

[HejiraNYC]

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/WORLD/americas/03/07/mexico.large.man.ap/story.vert.halfton.ap.jpg
Manuel Uribe, who once weighed 1,235 pounds, celebrates with champagne during his first trip out of his house in five years.

Um... shouldn't he be celebrating with a Diet Coke or a Perrier? I think champagne is a no-no on the Zone!

I can only surmize that his parents must have lived through some terrible famine and were now overcompensating with their son. It truly is their fault for creating this. I can kind of relate since my grandmother and parents, who all lived or grew up during the war, were hypersensitive about hunger and about having food in the house, regardless of how unhealthy it is. They would clear out the candy aisle at Price Club/Costco and buy ice cream and meat in bulk. Every cereal had to have sugar listed as the primary ingredient. A dozen Dunkin Donuts every week. Utz potato chips were bought in multi-jumbo-sized packs. A bucket of KFC every Sunday. Huge portions of beef, ham or pork at every meal.

I guess I had every reason to become an ultra-lardbutt-fatty-boom-batty, but I think I would have to thank my grandmother for saving me from that fate. She exhorted me relentlessly to eat. Every time she spoke it was "are you hungry?" "Do you want to eat?" "Eat some of this." I eventually got so annoyed that I started rebeling by not eating in her presence or whenever she mentioned food. I wanted to provide negative reinforcement for her behavior. Of course, in the end, she was even more relentless. But in the process, I kept things in check. And eventually I went vegetarian after realizing how "not right" all of this junkfood was.

Anyway... for this guy's sake, I hope there is some rebellion left in him at the age of 41. Naw... I doubt it. :rolleyes:

[gldstwmn]

and she died.

I still cannot gather how my Mom was to lose 100 lbs in less than 1 month to have her surgery (Deb asked the Dr's at her hospital and even they say they have rarely if ever heard of someone needing to lose that much weight in that short a period of time). Her colon issue along with the huge hernia (Which caused her weight to rise to 320 lbs.) left it impossible to lose that weight needed to decrease the risks of surgery.

Sadly, Mom gained 60+ lbs in the 2 weeks from the day of the surgery on March 7,2005 to the time she was weighed on a autopy slab March 22,2005 - Trust me, I have had nightmares reading the medical reports/autopsy reports on how she died (I have them immediately to my right - all 400+ pages from Feb.1,2005 to March 22,2005) so I try to not read them anymore.

Of course MRMC was going to play the obesity card on Mom's health, so my family is unable to file a wrongful death suit. But don't you think it is weird that the autopsy results state "the weight gain was caused by a previous surgery"? Even one of MRMC's asshat doctors said the exact same thing!

The only phrase that comes to mind is gross negligence. You have good reason to feel the way you do. Have you run this by more than one attorney?

[estranged4life]

The only phrase that comes to mind is gross negligence. You have good reason to feel the way you do. Have you run this by more than one attorney?

I have used 2, but both have said MRMC/Dr.Assclusterf**ck will use the 'morbid obesity' card against us.

But I have found something else in the medical records that may bypass the 'morbid obesity' card - Just have to haul ass & get an opinion on it (I have til March 21st to file a continuance).

[Sarah]

There are so many causes of morbid obesity.

It's interesting that this story takes place in Mexico, because some decendents of indian tribes there, (no idea if this guy is descended or not) are some of the heaviest people on earth. Some scientists believe it's because of generations of genes that just adapted to storing fat cells during famine conditions. Their genetic predisposition is gaining weight.

I'm glad to see he's making better food choices, even if they are expensive and maybe not the ones WE'd choose. Sad that he's been a very large person his whole life. If it were me, I'd lose hope, and I'd want donut to make me feel better every day too.

[sparky]

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/WORLD/americas/03/07/mexico.large.man.ap/story.vert.halfton.ap.jpg
Manuel Uribe, who once weighed 1,235 pounds, celebrates with champagne during his first trip out of his house in five years.



He looks just like the cat!

[DrummerDeanna]

He looks just like the cat!

OMG :lol: :lol: :lol:

I went back and forth...back and forth. And you're right!

I've often wondered HOW people can ever let weight get that out of hand. In my hometown there was a Mexican guy who was so large that his belly hung below his knees, his upper legs hung below his knees...he could barely walk and I think he finally did end up bed-ridden.

While sometimes things like that are medical - I always used to see said heavy guy at Pizza Hut...nothing gets rid of hunger faster than being in the same restaurant as a person that large.

[skcin]

spot on.

i was just watching this show tonight on TLC about people who are ultra morbidly obese, and this one dude would eat between 15,000 and 30,000 calories a day. and his family moved into his apartment with him, since he couldn't leave his bed, and cooked for him. whatever he wanted! they were like, well, he's going to get his food one way or another, so it doesn't matter if i do it or not. :confused:

oh, and since he hadn't left his bed in 10 years (!!!!!!!!!), he explained how he would get delivery: he would lower a bucket with money in it from the bedroom window of his 5th story harlem apartment and the delivery person would take the money and put the food in the bucket. wtf?! i hope some regular delivery guy writes a book about that some day.

i couldn't watch the whole show because, while it was interesting, it was also kind of like gross food porn, and it was nauseating me.

I saw it too. I thought of starving kids and peole living in poverty. :distress: You could feed someone for a week on what this guy ate in a day.

OMG :lol: :lol: :lol:

I went back and forth...back and forth. And you're right!

I've often wondered HOW people can ever let weight get that out of hand. In my hometown there was a Mexican guy who was so large that his belly hung below his knees, his upper legs hung below his knees...he could barely walk and I think he finally did end up bed-ridden.

While sometimes things like that are medical - I always used to see said heavy guy at Pizza Hut...nothing gets rid of hunger faster than being in the same restaurant as a person that large.


I just got back from grocery shopping & there was a woman there who was the same way - the belly down to her knees, the thighs, etc. She was buying laundry detergent, so I couldn't judge her eating habits. :o Then I felt guilty for looking in her cart.

Part of me feels sorry for people who are that big, I have to wonder if there is a medical problem. I mean, who am I to judge? Why should I care if you're obese? Then another part of me gets pissed when I see the TV show Carrie mentioned, or when they're at the Chinese buffet. I'm not religious, but I have to agree that gluttony is a sin.

[DrummerDeanna]

Part of me feels sorry for people who are that big, I have to wonder if there is a medical problem. I mean, who am I to judge? Why should I care if you're obese? Then another part of me gets pissed when I see the TV show Carrie mentioned, or when they're at the Chinese buffet. I'm not religious, but I have to agree that gluttony is a sin.

Right...I know what you mean. Which is why I said that I know sometimes these things are medical. My mom got really big in recent years - but she was not eating at all badly.

Turns out it was thyroid plus a wheat allergy she never knew she had - along with another health issue - her weight gain was almost completely medical. She was diagnosed, told what to do and she's now back to her normal size.... So I do try not to judge too harshly.

But when I see someone who is morbidly obese in line at McDonalds or getting a 24-pack of non-diet soda with a pack of donuts it's hard not to - though again, what do I care? It's not my life....

Mostly though I do feel sorry for these people, I got to a certain point with my weight where I knew I could not get any bigger - which is why I'm so curious to know how it gets out of hand to the point where one can't even get out of bed or even clean themselves :distress:

[danax6]

Has any one of you guys ever seen the movie Feed? That's some scary stuff.

I agree on the enablers. Overeating is probably right up there with drug abuse and other addictions, and more often than not is caused by mental disturbances, whether they are permanent or temporary. People around these overeaters need to take some responsibility also, however harsh that may sound. I realize that just as with addicts it's hard to step in as a bystander but I would think that in this case it's a little more easy given that the person in question can't go anywhere.

[DrummerDeanna]

Has any one of you guys ever seen the movie Feed? That's some scary stuff.

I agree on the enablers. Overeating is probably right up there with drug abuse and other addictions, and more often than not is caused by mental disturbances, whether they are permanent or temporary. People around these overeaters need to take some responsibility also, however harsh that may sound. I realize that just as with addicts it's hard to step in as a bystander but I would think that in this case it's a little more easy given that the person in question can't go anywhere.

Right...when they request that fried chicken...bring them a big salad instead :p

[danax6]

Right...when they request that fried chicken...bring them a big salad instead :pWell...yeah. See how easy it could be? :p

[SteveMacD]

Quick question for y'all - Ever heard of a person being asked to lose 100 lbs in a month's time?

No...But I lost a 100 lbs in under 18 months.



(Not at all relevant, I know. It's just fun to say I've lost 100 lbs.)

[estranged4life]

No...But I lost a 100 lbs in under 18 months.



(Not at all relevant, I know. It's just fun to say I've lost 100 lbs.)
That's good...Congrats! Betcha that took alot of hard work to accomplish.

If I lost 100 lbs the wind would blow me around like a trash bag, I currently weigh 235lbs (Down 7 lbs. - Would like to lose about another 28 lbs.)

[ELIUD]

This is kind of a subject I am close to. I have an aunt who is morbidly obese and has been pretty larger all my life. Our families would visit each other quite often when we were younger and both living in the suburbs of Chicago. Long story short she's still around with lots of health problems and I can ony estimate her weight to be above 300.

The really sad part is that her son, one of my favorite cousins, is my age and is now a whopping 700 lbs. I have not seen or talked to him in about twenty years when he was only a husky guy maybe 30 lbs overweight. He seemed very depressed at the time because I had lost about 50 lbs and we were always about the same size growing up. He was always someone I loved to hang around with because he had the best toys and a room to himself with a small family - I have a big family and had to share everything growing up. We always had a blast together. But I think once he found out I was gay, he didn't seem to want to keep contact with me. I miss him and don't know what to do as far as contacting him about his health, just to let him know that I care and asking him what happened.

Oh well. Anytime I hear of these people I never disregard them as hopeless cases or careless gluttons, I really think they are in dire need of help both medical and psychological.

[skcin]

^ That's really sad. Hopefully he'll get the help he needs.

[bikerchic]

I miss him and don't know what to do as far as contacting him about his health, just to let him know that I care and asking him what happened.



Call him. Just to say hello and how are you and that you miss him. What have you got to lose? Or get his e-mail (do you keep intouch with his mom? Maybe he's lost weight :shrug: ) He probably would love to hear from you. Hopefully he is over the gay issue (if that really is the reason he didin't keep in touch). Life is too short to not keep in touch with your family. It will lift the heaviness out of your mind and heart.