Brookhaven

I am watching, and I Just saw them giving this guy a diet meal of a pot pie and creamed spinach? On what healthy diet would you eat junky pot pies (over-processed and little nutrition) and creamed spinach?? Where's the fresh spinach?

Geesh, who is there dietian? Not only that, not everyone loses weight on the same type of diet. I think thy are not doing very much for these patients except insuring they come back and they get to keep collecting all the insurance and medicare payments.

I was watching the same series tonight and was so mad by the time it was over I went and checked my blood pressure.  I usually run low and it was up to normal so I guess some good came from me watching LOL.

I was so mad about them letting people stay for years who cheat that I didn't even notice the food.  Except the one guy who opened a sandwich and it looked like there was olive loaf or some processed meat in it YUCK!  Now I have read your post I think I am glad I didn't notice the food too.

I am amazed that people are being so critical. You are right, cheaters should be put out of the program so that people who need Brookhaven's Services can receive them. Too many of the people featured talked about not wanting to die but were in denial (Bypass surgery can kill you as well as overeating after it's done). QUICK FIXES NEVER WORK!! It is very different if you are trying to genuinely make a change. Drastic change requires Drastic measures !! Nasty Food and ALL!! The average person can survive on less than 5,000 calories a day. Diets DON'T work but modifying your eating habits helps. Changing a LIFESTYLE is very hard. These people are not being held accountable for their actions. Society enables them to wallow in their own misery.

I have been overweight ALL OF MY LIFE!!! I was 350lbs. a year and a half ago. I was told that if i didn't lose weight, I would become a Diabetic. My fear of needles is STRONGER that my love for food. It all boils down to Motivation and Commitment. I've never been a big Junk Food eater so never saw myself an addict. I stopped looking at the scale, eating late, cut out the excessive condiments / snacks / soda, and started walking in my neighborhood. The weight (Rapidly at 1st) started to fall off. Now I am about 220lbs. and I love it!!

I think IF YOU ARE COMMITED TO CHANGE IN THE LONG-TERM, EVERY RESOURCE SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU. Our tax dollars pay for so many things that are worse (Like War)!!! If you don't love yourself enough to help yourself, What can WE (Society) do? Like Jesus said, " Love your brothers as you love yourself........."

Hmmm..

I don't watch Brookhaven, so I have no idea what it's about.

But in my diet, I've had Chicken Wings.
I've also had Pizza, Cheeseburger and, yes, even a donut or two.

Not all in the same day, mind.

A GOOD diet includes the ability to have the foods you love. Once you start taking that away, the diet will almost certainly fail.

I watched Brookhaven.  Everyone wants a quick fix, don't they?  I know i do.  When they talked about a food addiction, I could really see that for some people food really is an addiction, and if you really are serious about making some changes that you will.  However, I also eat hamburgers now and then, and sweets and Chinese food.  How could I condone them when I do it also(except I have drastically reduced the junk stuff).  I think that making a lifestyle change is not a straight line(for everyone). Isn't that what CC teaches us - that we are human and allowed to make mistakes and hopefully do better next time?

I noted that the clinics heaviest patient has been there for 4+ years.  He's appears to be just a young man (26-28'ish). He refuses to do the exercises, etc.  At what point do they (the clinic and/or the insurance company) refuse him service?  I mean they literally can not "kick him out". How can you motivate someone that has given up to that extreme ?  The show is absolutely fascinating....

I didn't get to see much of last night's show but have watched it in the past.  Although I think it is very necessary to have a clinic such as this, I can't help but think of all the people who are desperately waiting to get in and the people already there who seem absolutely nonchalent about  the whole program.  And yet, if the clinic "kicks them out" where can they kick them out to... ?  I understand the administrator's theories a bit but I think a little more discipline should be required.    Sometimes a big push in the right direction is necessary.  Just my 2 cents.

I watched and/or taped most of the TLC marathan that inlcuded the Brookhaven shows yesterday and was facinated and very moved by what I saw. My insurance co. will not pay one penny for anything related to weight loss, regardless of all the comorbidities involved. My hearts are with each patient at Brookhaven and know that it's a last resort for most. My questions are the same as most of yours. How do people who flatly refuse to comply with the regimen there be allowed to stay and take up space for others who are literally dying to get in? Are they private pays, cooperate sponsored, medicare/medicaid, or group insured?

  I admire the fact that the director refuses to give up on anyone and "kick them out" yet where does accountability come in ? The program has to be very intense to work. Making such drastic lifestyle changes isn't easy. It's a real catch-22. I'd love to know how each person's stays are paid for and what, if any, criteria are set up to allow a new patient to move in if a present patient shows no desire to change.

Well watching the program yesterday I saw someone lose a lot of weight in a short time so it gave me hope for people who are morbidly obese that they have a fighting chance without weight loss surgery. I have 2 sisters who are morbidly obese like those on the show so I really can understand what they are going through. 

as an addictions worker, i can tell you that this is a harm-reduction program.  morbid obesity--by definition--is lethal; they're trying to keep people alive, first.  the patients who cheat are still probably eating far less than they would at home on their own...maybe 3000 calories instead of 9000. 

harm reduction is exactly what it sounds like: you don't ask addicts to give up their drug of choice, if that's unrealistic.  you try to minimize the harmful effects.  if you're a crack addict and marijuana helps with your withdrawl symptoms, by all means, smoke pot.  if you're a food addict and you need a pizza fix to get you through the week...well, it's better than a pizza a day.  right?

You have some very valid points. Thanks for your professional input. My questions mainly centered around how this program, and others that may be like it, are funded. Does anyone have information on this? Just curious since my ins, bcbs, totally refuses weight loss help in any way.

Mariamck,

I think I understand what you are saying. Is harm reduction the first step a clinic like this addresses ? ?or just an ongoing part of the program.  Would the counselors at the clinic talk to the patients each time they are caught ?cheating? by ordering take-out, fast food, etc ? And perhaps log the frequency of their breakdowns ? This kind of an addiction is so unusual compared to alcohol, drug, smoking, etc.  The patients on this show have to live with the very visible after effects of what they?ve done for so long (basically the rest of their lives). It must be an especially difficult to cycle to break out of.  Their appearance/disabilities must trigger their depression causing them to want to eat (harm themselves).  Do I have that right ? What I mean is, an alcoholic or drug addict could in theory go straight and ?clean themselves up? in a matter of weeks (I?m talking about physical appearance here).  You could walk past a person like this on the street and never suspect they had issues days/weeks after mental/medical treatment.  On the other hand, a 500/600+ pound person faces judgment and ridicule looong after they?ve begun conquering their demons. The only break they get from it must be when they are alone and vulnerable to their addiction.  It?s sad, the patients seem to have very very low self esteem, yet on camera most appear likeable and bright people. How can it get this far...

Appearances aside, I am sure it is a very hard addiction to break and is in some ways very different from drug or alcohol abuse. A drug addict going through a program has the option of cutting out their drug from their life (of course easier said than done). Even a physically addicted individual has alternative medical and therapeutic options to help ease the transition of withdrawal.

However someone addicted to food cannot cut this out cold turkey and no other drug or therapy will replace the body's need for food.  Most recovering addicts will create an environment in which their drug is not available to them (no alcohol in the house, etc.) These individuals can't do that. Thus, they must do what many alcoholics tell you is impossible; they must break an addiction without cutting their drug of choice from their lives

That is an excellent point ssbuckeye !