I'm not worried about mine.

I think they usually have that disease where they retain a lot of water especially below the waist. And once you get a certain weight moving is difficult to impossible. Especially if you have DJD - degenerative joint disease. They most likely have mental issues as well as the physical issues. And Hypothyroidism is more common than they let on. So there are many factors that lead to this. One thing is certain. By the time they get that big they have to have someone enabling them in their disease. Obesity in itself is a disease. But from the questions you post it would seem you have enough terrorizing you that it would be unwise to add this worry to your list when its not even your problem. Maybe you should pray for them and trust that what God is putting them through is for a reason and a purpose and not just to make them suffer. Not only the physical and emotional pain of being big but also humiliation and disgust that is still all too socially acceptable and not shunned like racism is. The same goes for ugly people, and stupid people. Political correctness, or common courtesy just hasn't caught up to them yet. They hurt, too! Now I've got that song in my head "Everybody hurts... sometimes...." And I'm guilty, too. There are doctors who can help these people, but they're not cheap.

What Linda said. In my mind, there's probably a tipping point at some BMI, beyond which it becomes impossible to achieve any normal exercises, then motivation is lost and it's all a fast downhill slide after that. But, then again, you do see plenty of people who get very heavy and then lose their weight and get back to somewhat normal weight, only to relapse and gain again, so maybe what I described is only a part of the entire picture. Or maybe it's some sort of mental illness - not in a demeaning way, but, you know, like the person's brain is chemically wired to demand food all of the time.

Some over eaters have mental health issues, others have suffered a significant bereavement, some mistake feelings of anxiety for hunger, others have a serious accident or arthritis and end up wheelchair bound and then the exercise increases pain, so they stop exercising which causes weight gain, and it becomes a vicious cycle, so no one reason fits all, my cousin has the unfortunate problem of an underactive thyroid and so is constantly exercising and watching what she eats but is still over weight, so I should imagine they don't set out to be that size.

I think they have a problem with food addiction, are genetically predisposed to obesity, and have an enabler.

Another thing I didn't mention is medications. My grandson's mother was thin until she went on some mental health medications and she gained a lot of weight. Also I saw several ladies in the homeless shelters put on seroquel and after that they did a lot of eating and sleeping. One other lady said she was thin while on drugs, and I saw it in my own daughter-in-love. She got real happy when I told her she looked skinny, but it wasn't a compliment. She looked sick.

The answer to this question might shine some light on your question: http://answerbag.com/q_view/3519264