Do you guys think a majority of Obese people are really just self loathing? So I have a theory based on a few fat relatives and co-workers. The theory is, they are self destructive and self loathing. For example, I have a co worker who's severely overweight and has severe diabetes. He knows he's dying, tell us he's slowly dying and does nothing to change his lifestyle. He just had a granddaughter and still, that hasn't motivated him to change. When you ask him if he wants to be around to see her grow up, he say's "sure, but I'm in so much pain and feel so shitty I think dying sounds fine too"  If the threat of dying isn't enough motivation to scare you into lifestyle changes, then obviously you must have a death wish. any thoughts? edit: I also think fatties learn that helplessness=attention and we live in a culture that craves and values attention, good or bad. So I think it's a form of narcissism that they use them being obese an excuse to get sympathy and attention and get off from it. By not being obese, you are taking away their ability to get and maintain attention via learned helplessness