What is your reaction to this picture?

[kingschosen]

I saw her in Walmart the other day.

Initially, it makes me angry because my dad is handicap (has a disease) and cannot walk, and whenever we go into Walmart and try to find him an electric cart there aren't any because they are all in use (presumably by people like her).

After this initial reaction, though, I catch myself and feel bad for getting angry. I don't know her situation, and she could have a disease that makes her obese just like my dad has a disease that prevents him from walking.

On the other hand, she more than likely doesn't have a disease and got to the point she is by over eating her entire life.

[frankiej]

My initial reaction was to phone her and tell her to put down the fork.

[fstratzero]

My reaction to the photo was... Welcome to America! Where you work, consume, sleep and repeat.

[Erxomai]

My initial reaction was: Typical day at Walmart.

[frankiej]

Now that I think about it, she probably doesn't use a fork... she probably uses a trowel.

[Xinoftruden]

i got excited because of the electric cart. They're fun, but none of the stores here have any.

[morondog]

...

Yeah, could have a disease. I'd hate to haul that much around with me...

[Stark Raving]

Mine is curiosity. I wonder what has caused her to get so overweight that she needs assistance to shop the air conditioned, level pathways at Wally World.

The fact that she is right beside a rack of some kind of over processed food that's on sale for less than two bucks is telling. Perhaps she is poor, and can't afford to feed her family the over priced vegetables in the produce section. Perhaps she does indeed have a disease. Maybe she's lazy. Maybe she never had the opportunity to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. Maybe she is content with the way she is and hasn't any desire to change.

My second is sadness. It must be difficult to live in her body, regardless of why she is the way she is. I can't empathize, never having been overweight myself, but I definitely know what it's like to live with something that restricts what you can do. It can be difficult and lonely.

[TheBeardedDude]

My initial reaction was the sound of a back-up beeper.

[nach_in]

I understand obesity as a disease, pretty much like anorexia. So I think it makes me feel bad for her, I don't think she enjoys being in that state