Large man taking legal action against La Ronde.

Thanks for all the inspiration viewpoints from the "losers". Those of us who have not yet recieved the status of "loser" can learn alot from these posts! What I found most helpful in the starup was "Chin up and don't quit! ; Keep at it and find what works for you!"

Thanks again from a borderline rider! Oh, and I apologize for hijacking this post...

*** Edited 8/3/2007 2:57:28 PM UTC by jshorerzd***

I have a little bit of a belly, and the doc told me that I could stand to lose about 20-30 pounds, but I have never had the problem of not boing able to ride anything due to my size.

I have a good friend who worked at CP with me and he was a very large man. We decided to ride MF one evening and the guy at the entrance position was very rude. My friend has been able to ride MF every time he tried, so we knew that there wasn't going to be a problem, but the man at the entrance kept shouting "You need to try the test seat before you are permitted to enter the line!" as loud as he could. It really sounded like he WANTED to humiliate my friend.

My friend kept telling the employee that he already rode the ride before and knew that he would be able to fasten the seatbelt, but in the end he had to humor the guy and sit in the seat.

It was not handled discreetly at all and was actually quite embarrasing. In the ride attendant's defense, he was probably just doing what he was told to do...CP policy.

EDIT - Their/there/they're??? *** Edited 8/4/2007 4:49:59 PM UTC by dexter***

Chuck, first of all, why in the heck did you have to quote my whole post, when it's sitting right above yours? That's just idiotic.

Second of all, I'm not a hateful person when it comes to weight. After being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder or manic-depression in 2002, they prescribed drugs which they said that could put on weight, and they did. I had to move up to a 34" waist. I worked as an usher for the 03' Baltimore stop of Cirque Du Soleil's "Dralion," and it's clear in my I.D. picture that I gained a lot of weight.

The drugs I was on not only threatened weight gain, but also the threat of diabetes as well. After talking to my psychologist, she switched me over to something else. I know someone who got diabetes from taking that drug.

So in 2004 when my insurance company sent me information about discount memberships to local gyms without longterm contracts, I said "Sign me up." I started at the local Bally's in 04' and I lost the extra weight quickly because I like to swim and I like to do intensive cardio. I understand that what worked for me not might work for everyone, or even be possible.

Listen, I work at a Goodwill-owned place for people with mental illness who are trying to reenter the work force. One of my clients after finding out I was a coaster enthusiast told me how bad his trip was to SFA recently because the seatbelt wouldn't close on any of the coasters. The only ride he got on was Shipwreck Falls--a shoot-the-chutes ride.

I felt terrible for him, because I didn't know what to say. He's a large guy and he told me how he can stand in one place, but he can't move around too much because it hurts his knees and/or legs. He uses a cane to get around, and he's probably about my age--mid-thirties or so.

The information I cited about a whole industry catering to overweight or obese people came from two sources--Time Magazine and Reader's Digest. All I'm saying is that if you get a whole group of people who get used to being accomodated to, then it's quite possible that numbers will go down at amusement parks, because those people know they won't fit in the seats and won't go.

Exactly, One reason I don't go to CP anymore!

The last times I replied to someone, by the time my post showed up, It was three post down. Thats why I quoted your whole post.

There are tons of reasons people are overweight. A couple on here say certain foods make their lower body bloat or something like that.

In the end, Mainly it's about calories burned vs caloric intake.

Sorry.
Chuck

Ironically, while I was typing my post last night, my sister was watching a program on The Travel Channel about overweight people and how they travel. I saw a few minutes, and one of the worst things was the airplane.

One of woman profiled had to buy two seats, and not only that, she had to ask for a seat-belt extender. But it seemed that when she did ask for a seat-belt extender, it was done discreetly.

I found it really sad in People Magazine several issues back that the guy who won the first season of The Biggest Loser reality show gained all the weight back and then some. Without the personal trainers and the pressure of winning the show, the guy fell off the wagon hard. He was the guy who was really happy that he could finally get on roller coasters with his kids if I remember correctly.

I drove my friend home from the hospital today, and he had to stop at a clinic to get a prescription filled. While waiting around, I checked out a poster that showed what is being sold to us as consumers at fast-food places and what the actual portion-size should be.

For example, out of a twelve-slice pepperoni pizza, the portion size was 4-slices, but what you should consume is only two. A burger and fry combo was reduced to half of the burger, 1/2 of the fries, and much less of the ketchup.

We'll ive pretty much given up fast food completely.

I do splurge a bit sometimes if I go to a park or a race but basically Im straight arrow on the plan.

Chuck, who gained 7pds over HWN but lost 12 in the two weeks following.

I wish I could give up fast food.

I feel that I am somewhat addicted to fast food. Sometimes I just crave a double cheeseburger in the worst way. Yesterday morning I woke from a dream about Chicken McNuggets. Guess what I had for lunch?

If I could just quit fast food and loose 30 pounds, I could look like a model. LOL

I've lost a few pounds by jumping up and down on my cousins trampoline. It's been too hot the last few months though.

Thanks all for the inspiration. I'm going to get rid of that 30 pounds my Doc told me to loose.

Good luck and congrats to everyone else.

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majortom1981 said:That would send a dangerous president for the WHOLE industry.

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Bush is overweight too? ;)

I'm 6'6 and I weigh around 320, but most people I know would not classify me as obeese, there is more of a problem with restraints than just your gut, it's the lower body as well, my legs are huge and take up a LOT of space, add that to my slightly above average gut, and we have a problem. Also my shoulders are too high and too broad to fit comfortably on any B&M and I've pretty much given up on riding them all together. Now give me one good reason(other than the real reason of money) why they can't make the restaraints more accomodating to someone of my build, just make the restraint adjust UP AND DOWN(I>E the new S&S restraints) and make the belt extendable, problem solved.Ad for your sake I won't even get started on how horrible of a job Intamin has done lately.

^ Agreed, those restraints used on rides like SWAT and the Screeming Squirrel coaster look like a much smarter idea than the current OTSRs. The smaller people would have less of a chance of slipping out and the taller people wouldn't be crunched! There was a video featuring Stan Checkets describing the reason behind the new restraint system used on SWAT at Astroworld, very cool design. The only problem I see is longer load times, you know someone will put a seat belt on those eventually.

Okay, I can see that suing the park is pretty extreme, but the thing that really bothers me is that the employee LAUGHED at the guy. That's just not necessary, and seems rather cruel to me.

I've had plenty of rides that were a tight squeeze, and I've had family members that had to leave a ride that the restraints wouldn't close on. It's terribly embarrassing, and sad, too. NONE of these rides had test seats, and I've also noticed that different rows have very different-sized restraints. For example, my friend and I rode Batman: The Ride at SFOG several years ago. The restraints in the middle row that we rode in first were no problem. However, that same day we rode in the front row, and I could barely buckle the belt.

Hints on where to sit, and test seats by more parks would be really nice. I've had a problem for years with coasters with seat dividers (like the Georgia Cyclone) due to my "feminine" wide hips. OTS restraints are sometimes a problem b/c of other, um, endowments.

Yeah, I know I need to work on my weight. But nobody has a right to make fun of me or harass me, whether I weigh 130 or 1300 pounds.

Food can be an addiction, but unlike drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, you just can't STOP eating, or at least not do so and expect to be (and stay) healthy. An alcoholic can go for the rest of his life without drinking another drop of liquor, and be healthier for it. I can't go very long at all without food, or my blood sugar drops and I get very, very sick.

In my case, it's more the quality than the quantity of the food I eat. I need to give up the cheeseburgers (only one per sitting, thanks!) and other junk food, or at least seriously limit it. I'm not one of those people who sits down and eats two or three Big Macs at a time.

If losing weight was easy, nobody'd be fat.

CatPurrson

I have noticed that as well with different belt lengths on B&M's. On Hydra, I can buckle the belts easily but on Talon, I have more difficulty getting the belt to buckle but am still able to buckle it myself.

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dexter said:
I wish I could give up fast food.

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You don't have to give it up completely after your weight loss, and if you are really careful, you can have a treat even when you are losing weight. Once in a while while I was losing I would have a Whopper Jr with no ketchup or mayo and add mustard with water for a meal. It was a nice break and did not affect my weight loss. In fact, mixing things up a little on a strict diet can help some if you don't do it too much, because most strict diets limit you to eating the same or too similar stuff too often. At least for me sometimes a small change will trigger a larger than average loss for the day. I would stay away from fried exceptions while you are losing though. If you absolutely must have something fried, then fry it at home in clean lean oil. If you have to cheat, do it deliberately and sensibly. Not only will it not hurt you as much, but psychologically it makes it much easier to not let the one time spiral out of control.

I know on Weightwatchers there are some foods that aren't really that high on points. Its more a matter of eating smart, and getting yourself filled up without overdoing it.

McDonald's:
Hamburger - 6 points
Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap - 4 points
6 piece McNuggets - 6 points
Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad - 4 points + dressing.

Its when you add the french fries, and non diet drink that it really adds up to an unhealthy meal. So don't say supersize it. ;)

Taco Bell:
Hard Shell Beef Taco - 4 points
Soft Shell Beef Taco - 5 points
Fiesta Taco Salad without shell - 11 points
Beef Soft Taco Supreme - 6 points
Spicy Chicken Soft Taco - 4 points

There are actually some decent options at Taco Bell to get filled up without overdoing it.

Wendy's:
Chicken Nuggets - 6 points + sauce
Bbq sauce pack - 1 point
Side salad - 0 points + dressing
Jr. Hamburger - 6 points + 1 pt to add cheese

Wendy's also has some decent options to not overeat. Single combo with side salad, and drink is about 9 points depending on the dressing you get for your salad.

I am not too familiar with other diets, but basically its just a matter of making the right choices to get filled up without overeating.

Not sure what would work for you, but just making some suggestions.

Following this thread, I'd like to add my $0.02. While a lawsuit might be extreme, I think it was the insults and snickering from the employee that turned the molehill into the mountain. The situation could have been handled much differently and saved everyone a lot of hassle.

The hypocrisy is that I'm sure nowhere in the park would anyone have refused to sell this guy (or anyone else for that matter) cotton candy, large sodas, ice cream, or cheeseburgers. In my experience, I've noticed that a fat person can become skinny, a skinny person can become fat, but a rude obnoxious jerk pretty much remains a rude obnoxious jerk.

I’m always on a weight rollercoaster (though never to the point in which I could not fit on a ride). What works for me is my best friend who is a workout machine and unsympathetic motivator. He will mercilessly involve other friends, wives, etc in teasing whenever I let myself go. At the first sign of "chubby cheeks" he and my other friends will resort to calling me “fatty.” When I try to blame genetics he’ll remind me of how awesome the gene pool in Ethiopia must be…etc. :)

I’ve found shame to be the best diet plan for me. After a two week vacation dominated by Branson with a follow-up San Diego trip to see Bonds tie the record…I’m off to the gym tonight. My caloric spurge will now meet some sweat and self-control.

I know there are many who disagree with old-fashioned shame as a motivating tool. I can only say that it works for me.

I know that if I hung around other people who did not “watch their diets” and/or were too scared to tease me when I gain weight…then I would be a comfortable and unhealthy 275 pound man.

I’ve often wondered if the increasing propensity for overweight people in this country had any correlation or causation factor related increased political correctness (i.e. no hurtful language, call everything a disease, etc)...? It just seems that increasing waistlines have coincided with an emphasis on using politically correct language so as to not hurt feelings.

I'll probably be waiting a while for the study results though. This is not exactly the stuff that builds aspiring scientist careers…to say nothing of funding/ grant issues.

Anyhow…thanks for sharing what works for you. I guess old-school shame does it for me! I'm willing to tolerate a little ego depreciation in order to fulfill a more healthy way of living.

*** Edited 8/6/2007 11:23:30 PM UTC by Jeffrey R Smith***

I don't think it has anything to do with political correctness, Jeffrey. On the contrary, I think fat people are one of the final few groups in this country people can get away with making fun of. People who can't control their urge to eat are considered weak and devoid of sympathy. People who can't control just about any other urge (alcohol, drugs, sex) are considered cool and idolized.

My own politically incorrect theory on why more people are obese is women in the workforce. Well, actually it's probably more the constant running most people have put their schedules on in the past 20-30 years.

Since most households now have two working parents, there's been less time to shop for and prepare meals at home, so there's more of a reliance on fast foods, prepared and processed foods, which are all full of fat, sugar and sodium. Even young single adults and seniors living alone have come to rely on the convenience of processed foods without questioning the nutritional makeup (or lack of) within.

One program I've learned about,it's not really considered a "diet" is called Volumetrics. It was developed by a nutritionist @ Penn State, and was even recently rated the best dietary program by Consumer Reports. Her studies found that the volume of food a person eats daily is consistent, and people will eat until they feel full. It becomes a question of how many calories are packed into that volume.

Another way to look at it is, if you had a bag of chips and a can of soda you'd consume the same amount of calories as if you had a bowl of soup, a salad and some fresh fruit. But after the first, you'd probably still feel hungry, so you'd eat more. With the second you're more likely to feel full. One of the recommendations is to eat foods with high water content to make you feel satisfied more readily. Grapes instead of raisins for example.

But the idea is never to feel deprived or to avoid certain foods outright or to only eat one kind of food for weeks on end. It seemed to me to be a concept I could live with and fit into my lifestyle without totally changing everything around.

But if you have a bag of Baked Lays and A diet soda, You still have 1/3d the calories for the same volume of food.

Your better diets teach your Volumetrics or you find it out on your own through the diet.

I can have 4 four point meals vs that one CHEESE CONEY.

Chuck

Since the majority of the target market for thrill rides fall into a certain size category, the rides are going to be designed to safely hold people in this size range. People that are too large fall into the same category as people that are too small for rides, they cannot ride them safely.

Perhaps La Ronde should have let him ride? Then we could be reading about some guy that was dumped out of Goliath. Or perhaps they shoudl take waist measurements like they take height measurements, or weight you on a scale? Now that wouldn't be humiliating would it.

Fact is this person lacked the common sense to know that he was too large to safely fit on one of these rides. He chose to humilate himself by by trying to fit on the ride.

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RatherGoodBear said:

My own politically incorrect theory on why more people are obese is women in the workforce. Well, actually it's probably more the constant running most people have put their schedules on in the past 20-30 years.

Since most households now have two working parents, there's been less time to shop for and prepare meals at home...

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Uh, wow.

You know, I grew up in a two-parent, VERY conservative Christian home where Dad brought home the bacon and Mom didn't work. Not only was Dad an ex-Navy sharpshooter who didn't need his glasses to plug you full of holes, he was also a church elder in a faith that taught a man was the head of a household.

And? HE COOKED. Rather well. I guess we were actually a buncha radical hippies :)

I'm still more likely to cook at home than FKA Playette. In fact, during a BBQ I threw to thank the folks who helped me move in June (and yes, she was very helpful) she apparently 'stole' at least half of one of my desserts. No big deal, I had plenty more stuff to eat...

I wouldn't blame weight gain on working women at all. They worked 40-hour jobs during WWII and nobody got fatter. They worked 60-hour jobs during the Industrial Revolution and nobody got fatter. Even at domestic duties, they worked just as hard as a man--if not harder--before a great many housekeeping tasks were automated. Frankly, even being a 'soccer mom' of today isn't easy. Taking a diaper-clad Midget and her four year-old sister to VF on my Fridays off was much like preparing for a space launch.

I don't know if I'd blame it on any single factor. Portion control? Oh yeah. Self-medication for depressive symptoms? That too. A remote-control society that doesn't wanna budge? Yep. Food so cheap and plentiful, even the poorest can afford to overeat? I don't wanna say it, but it can't be avoided.

But I can't say I'd blame working women. After all, you can get plenty large on home-cooking, too...

-'Playa