Woman dies after 6yrs on Couch!

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From http://www2.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/C50275/

STUART -- A 480-pound Martin County woman has died after emergency workers tried to remove her from the couch where she had remained for about six years.

Gayle Laverne Grinds died yesterday, after a failed six-hour effort to dislodge her from the couch in her home. Workers say the home was filthy, and Grinds was too large to get up from the couch to even use the bathroom.

A preliminary autopsy on the the four-foot, ten-inch woman lists the cause of death as "morbid obesity." But officials want to know more about the circumstances inside the home.

Investigators say Grinds lived with a man named Herman Thomas, who says he tried to take care of her the best he could. He has told them he tried repeatedly to get her up, but simply couldn't. No charges have been filed, but officials are looking into negligence issues.

Emergency workers had to remove some sliding glass doors and lift the couch, with Grinds still on it, to a trailer behind a pickup truck. She died at Martin Memorial Hospital South, still attached to the couch.

Neighbors say they had no idea Grinds lived at the duplex, though they had seen Thomas and some children outside. (AP)

BlitzKrieg

you know it is articles like those that remind me i am not the fattest saddest person in the world....pity it takes people like these to make me feel good....low self esteem...sigh what is a man to do (nudge nudge sympathy NOW!)

dirtyharry1971

Is your name Stephen Fagan?

woosaysdan

sad it is a BIG loss!!! sorry i had to post it!!!

blondie83

I was watching something on MTV recently about these obese people who were going for surgery and letting them film the whole process. (remember when MTV used to play music instead of putting on crap shows? sigh...) Anyway the first few people were maybe 300 pounds or so, but the 4th person was a woman who was 600 pounds! Her aim was to try to get her wait back down to about 350 pounds so that her health wouldnt be in so much danger. Her thighs were wider than my waist - it was really really scary I'd say being obese is a terrible thing though, it must be very hard to lose weight if your body puts it on that easily.

Cabaal

Sometimes its genetic sometimes its just being thick as sh*t and not knowing when to stop junk for breakfast, lunch and dinnner
I think most people just need to watch Fast Food Nation tbh..

woosaysdan

blondie83 wrote:

I was watching something on MTV recently about these obese people who were going for surgery and letting them film the whole process. (remember when MTV used to play music instead of putting on crap shows? sigh...) Anyway the first few people were maybe 300 pounds or so, but the 4th person was a woman who was 600 pounds! Her aim was to try to get her wait back down to about 350 pounds so that her health wouldnt be in so much danger. Her thighs were wider than my waist - it was really really scary I'd say being obese is a terrible thing though, it must be very hard to lose weight if your body puts it on that easily.

the human body doesnt put it on so easily, you never see a ethopian child running around saying its not my fault im fat im big boned of i put weight on easily!!! if they got had up of their lazy arses and did some exercise they wouldnt of put on all that weight!!!

Tusky

I dont really feel sorry for her, If she died of a disease in which there was no cure I would be sad but this....

Pigman II

Were they able to save the assgroove?

Mossy Monk

Pigman II wrote:

Were they able to save the assgroove?

satori

Is anyone even the slightest bit upset that she was infact a person who died? regardless of her lifestyle she was still a person...

sorry i just found that quiet sad as someone who would do that to themselves must of being in quiet alot of emotional pain as well as phisical self loathing.

Poor woman i hope she rests in peace

whosurpaddy

Cabaal wrote:

Sometimes its genetic sometimes its just being thick as sh*t and not knowing when to stop junk for breakfast, lunch and dinnner
I think most people just need to watch Fast Food Nation tbh..

or at least read it

tbh its nothing to do with someones metabolism when their that size, seriously you have to be eating a massive amount of food and no physical exertion at all to put on that amount of weight.

tovalee

satori wrote:

Is anyone even the slightest bit upset that she was infact a person who died? regardless of her lifestyle she was still a person...

sorry i just found that quiet sad as someone who would do that to themselves must of being in quiet alot of emotional pain as well as phisical self loathing.

Poor woman i hope she rests in peace

I feel bad for her in the same way i feel bad for people who commit suicide. Its tragic that someone would want to end their life but in the end it was HER decision. Theres no way someone just becomes 500 pounds, you'd have to try pretty darn hard.

I eat like a horse and am lazy as hell and havent tipped 150... yet

simu

So that's 217.724 kg!!!

Even though there are different versions of the pound - I used the averdupois pound for converting here- anyone know if it's the one they use in the US? It doesn't seem possible that sb could be that heavy!

tovalee

Unfortunately celebrities are having a hard time controlling their weight too...

fat celebs

sionnach

a bit of a kick in the teeth for the chef who set the "world record" of a mere 180 hours for most time spent on a couch. She beat him by more than 52000 hours. What an athlete :rolleyes:

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sionnach wrote:

a bit of a kick in the teeth for the chef who set the "world record" of a mere 180 hours for most time spent on a couch. She beat him by more than 52000 hours. What an athlete :rolleyes:

She didnt have a Guiness World Record Offical alongside her though for the eintire attempt did she?

BigEejit

It must have been very bad if they couldnt extricate her from the couch .... but was it made clear if it was something they did that killed her or what? ... bit suspicious if they took her away and she died a short while later :eek:

Flukey

Unfortunately things like that do happen from time to time. It is sad. You do wonder when you see someone who is really big as to what is really going on with them? Then again, many people are happy as they are.

Slutmonkey57b

There's a big celebration in Pie Town tonight.

elivsvonchiaing

I think free lipo-suction and psychotherapy should be made available to people over 350-400Lbs (depending on height/age). Just can't see this happening in the US though.

This should probably be paid for by the offenders: McDonalds, Burger-King etc. Who knows this could work in the US...

Unknowable at this stage, but where did she get her calories from? - I suspect the above.

Guy:Incognito

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

This should probably be paid for by the offenders: McDonalds, Burger-King etc. Who knows this could work in the US...

Why should they pay anything? They make the food, they didnt make the person eat it all day every day. If you ate a hundred apples a day, thatd kill you aswell. If you start making them responsible for how peopl eus etheir product then all companies have to be responsible. ie cars that people run over others in. Drink companies for people who commit offenses while drunk etc.

John R

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

I think free lipo-suction and psychotherapy should be made available to people over 350-400Lbs (depending on height/age). Just can't see this happening in the US though.

All necessary medical procedures should be free, not just for people who eat themselves to death. AFAIK lipo suction is not much use for that level of obesity, the surgery would probably be fatal anyway.

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

This should probably be paid for by the offenders: McDonalds, Burger-King etc. Who knows this could work in the US...

Unknowable at this stage, but where did she get her calories from? - I suspect the above.

It is very easy to blame the junk food companies but last time I checked they didn't force feed it to anyone. Also seing as that woman hadn't been outside in six years it's hard to see how those companies are to blame, somebody in the house must have been feeding her.

seamus

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

This should probably be paid for by the offenders: McDonalds, Burger-King etc. Who knows this could work in the US...

When are people going to cop onto themselves, drop this mad "blame everybody else" buzz, and take responsibility for their own actions?

If you manage to burn your hand in a peat fire, would you sue bord na mona?

I can't believe that the class action suit against McDonalds actually won. Blatant sign of justice gone mad.

Guy:Incognito

the only one of those type of suits id support was one against tabacco companies, and thats only cos it harms people who dont smoke. Plus they try to lie and say theres no problem. The likes of mcdonalds never went out of their way to say their food was good for you if it wasnt, that would be the only grounds i would support any action otherwise its your own choice what you eat.

Suaimhneach

Imagine not moving from a couch for five years...

And the bit bout not being able to go to the toliet. Worrying.

elivsvonchiaing

OK I probably wrongly mentioned burger King. Mc Donalds got a mention for their "Un"Happy meal. The happy is for the child - the unhappy is for the parent.

The way it works is this - kids know about it (the meal AND the free toy) pester their parents about it until they give , sorry cave in - they do this in despair. The child grows up addicted to fatty foods...

I concede this is over simplistic - but this does actually happen.

They are now wearing the rags and ringing the bell. - cos they can smell the coffee - I think ultimately they will get fcucked by this insidious behaviour of their past - tbo - I think there is a legal team about 10 years ahead of a marketing team in McDs - hence the salads and the continuance of happy meals.

Certainly anyone over 50 does not get a piece of this - they can't blame McDs. But anyone in their teens (maybe 20's) I've no idea how long the happy meal etc- (insidous) marketing has been going on - but certainly teenagers have a claim. (if they weigh 350 Lbs or more). For the over 20s etc. there is still the potential of the health warning - why should tobacco companies be forced to declare how much nicotine is in a cigarette - and fast food - contains no warnings. There were cases on this basis.

OK I'm sure most people wont agree with most of this. So I'm forced to requote myself:
"I think there is a legal team about 10 years ahead of a marketing team in McDs - hence the salads and the continuance of happy meals."

I didn't pick this up from reading any publication - the interval is probably wrong- but I believe this is what will fcuck them - probably €500M in lawsuits. They could survive this but shareholders will vote for the takeover!

I think anyone who is (insidiously) marketing to kids should wake up - there is a 1000ft wave approaching!
I believe this will be their downfall. AND deservedly so. Anyone who exploits children in anyway - should be made to pay the price - even if its 20 years too late.

koneko

Puh-lease. Lazy parents give their kids Happy Meals, let's blame the corporation instead of the people that actually bring their kids there. If your kid whines for a Happy Meal and you give in that's your lazy parenting.

Mcdonald's list the calorie/fat content of everything on their menu. If you choose to eat it anyway, or without checking, that isn't their fault.

I have no sympathy for this couch-woman. She ate herself to death, she probably whined all the way there ("It's geneeeetiiiic!") while stuffing her face with donuts wrapped in bacon.

Sleepy

True, some of the large fast food franchises prey on weak people by directing their advertising at kids. However, imho, if you're weak willed enough to stuff your face and whine about your weight you deserve the heart attack you're eating your way towards. Society owes you nothing, it is your duty to take care of yourself. Companies have a duty of care to their customers, yes. But this extends to taking care of your safety when in their premises (dry floors, hygenic kitchens etc) or consumign their products (non-poisonous, uncontaminated foodstuffs etc.).

Everyone knows that fast-food is fattening. It's pure common sense. It doesn't matter if it's McDonalds or Betty's Diner, burgers and fries simply aren't healthy foodstuffs. You cannot blame a company because your addicted to their product unless it's proven that the product intentionally contains an addictive ingredient like nicotine, which the consumer is kept unaware of.

Fast food is NOT addictive. It tastes good, yes, but that doesn't mean you're addicted to it. If you develop an emotional dependency on chocolate, should you be able to sue Cadbury's? Of course not. We all know chocolate is a fattening food, just like a Big Mac. It tastes good and releases endorphins in the brain, just like a Big Mac. So why do we even allow cases to be brought to court, never mind won/lost. These frivolous law-suits coming from lazy, weak willed slobs should be illegal.

climaxer

I think its really sad to die in such a way and hope this woman is at peace now.

I do agree though that we can't keep blaming society. We do have a choice. Easy for me to say when I've never been overweight and have great willpower so I can't really imagine what that woman felt like. Just wish she could've been saved. I think eating disorders like bullemia, anerexia, obesity are more of a psychological problem than just pure greediness. The person usually hates themselves and it is like a slow suicide. Its just really sad and I can't see the funny side at all.

Sposs

climaxer wrote:

I think its really sad to die in such a way and hope this woman is at peace now.
QUOTE]

Yea she's probably lying on a cloud watching TV.

AngryBadger

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

OK I probably wrongly mentioned burger King. Mc Donalds got a mention for their "Un"Happy meal. The happy is for the child - the unhappy is for the parent.

The way it works is this - kids know about it (the meal AND the free toy) pester their parents about it until they give , sorry cave in - they do this in despair. The child grows up addicted to fatty foods...

I concede this is over simplistic - but this does actually happen.

This is not just over-simplistic, it's outright stupidity, and pandering to the sickening culture of "pass the buck" that permeats society today.

No parent worth their salt will raise their kids on Happy meals, and miscellaenious take-out junk, and I'm referring to all fast food here. Sure everybody has it once or twcie a week, or whatever the numbers are, but this isn't a problem.

It's a problem when you have it frequently, and this is coupled with not getting regular exercise.

To say that either smoking companies, or fast food franchises are responsible for people getting sick isthe pinnacle of narrowmindedness. People are responsible for themselves, all corporations exist to make profit, erego they will sell products which are not necessarily the healthiest. But at the end of the day you're responsible for yourself, if you choose to eat junk food every single day and you suddenly find you can't move off the couch I will not shed a single tear for you.

As to the idea of this kind of surgery being freely available...

john r wrote:

All necessary medical procedures should be free

I agree with that, but surgery is no substitute for taking a proper attitude to your diet, and general health

munkeehaven

it's kind of sad really..... fat people,and i mean really fat people ,aren't seen as people at all , more like strange fascinating freaks.... just pure fat in the shape of a person...i think the fact that a woman died because she was on a couch for so long is just so pathetic. i mean really, how on earth did she let that happen to herself?? weight creeps on gradually..didn't she notice it and say ''oops, better watch myself''??...maybe she was depressed or maybe mentally unstable..i guess we will never know..i'm just thinking now how on earth will they bury her? i guess cremation will be the only solution.

Sleipnir

There had to be one day where she just sat down and then didn't get up all day.
Then decided to sleep there, and then eat there, and then didn't get up the next day either............
She could have got up at that stage though but chose not to.

Sposs

Exactly,why did she wait 6 years before getting help,what was her husband thinking?

Corega

satori wrote:

Is anyone even the slightest bit upset that she was infact a person who died? regardless of her lifestyle she was still a person...

I tend to think about the thousand's of people who starve to death every day. What she did to herself was in essence suicide, self-inflicted. The dangers of being obese are almost as widely known as the dangers of smoking. I don't shed tears for people, who, due to smoking have become terminally ill, and then continue to do it, and it's safe to say I won't shed a tear for this woman.

Zukustious

Flukey wrote:

Unfortunately things like that do happen from time to time. It is sad. You do wonder when you see someone who is really big as to what is really going on with them? Then again, many people are happy as they are.

I really don't think anyone that size would be happy as they are. They wouldn't be able to move. It's like losing your legs only, you have really fat legs instead.

elivsvonchiaing

AngryBadger wrote:

No parent worth their salt will raise their kids on Happy meals, and miscellaenious take-out junk, and I'm referring to all fast food here. Sure everybody has it once or twcie a week, or whatever the numbers are, but this isn't a problem.

It is important to remember that there are parents who are just kids themselves. I believe these are probably the chief victims of McDs. I predict that McDs will either drop the toy with the happy meal or drop the happy meal.

What we pick-up in childhood stays with us - until we become aware of it and its influence on us - and it can be hard to shake off.

I believe there are weak people out there - who would not be human hippos if they had never gotten into the happy meal groove.

I hate "compo" mentality - but if it results in McDs dropping the "Un"Happy meal I think it will have worked in this instance.

Healio

How many hamburgers could mcdonalds make out of her?

elivsvonchiaing

I'm sick of taking a serious stance on this so I will add: If there was a law that the seriously obese had to undergo lipo-suction to save the anorexics - she could have been (well nearly) another Oscar Schindler Yep I just can't resist bad taste jokes (Just hope to fcuk there's nothing in the news about any of this right now :eek: )

LegacyUser

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

I hate "compo" mentality - but if it results in McDs dropping the "Un"Happy meal I think it will have worked in this instance.

Surely you could eat a happy meal everyday and stay fit and healthy, getting that obese requires real effort

dirtyharry1971

It depend on your metabolism. I'm one of the lucky ones. Can eat whatever the hell I like and never put on any weight. I get a take away most night's and normally get a dinner in work and at home on top of this. Still only 10 stone for someone who is 6ft thats underweight I think. I know your metabolism can slow down but I'm 24 I can't see any dramatic changes judging by older family members.

It's funny when large people see the **** I eat and wonder how the F*ck I get away with it. I know I deserve to be slain for that

seamus

dirtyharry1971 wrote:

It depend on your metabolism. I'm one of the lucky ones. Can eat whatever the hell I like and never put on any weight. I get a take away most night's and normally get a dinner in work and at home on top of this. Still only 10 stone for someone who is 6ft thats underweight I think. I know your metabolism can slow down but I'm 24 I can't see any dramatic changes judging by older family members.

It's funny when large people see the **** I eat and wonder how the F*ck I get away with it. I know I deserve to be slain for that

It'll catch up with you eventually. I've never seen my housemate eat a vegetable unless it's on a burger or a pizza. He brings home 1 litre tubs of ice cream and eats them in one go. And he's skinny as f*ck.

Even if you're not getting fat though, your arteries are probably getting clogged with crap, and you probably have a lot more non-subcutaneous fat (fat which is attached your organs as opposed to the underside of your skin) than most.

dirtyharry1971

Yeah ur probably right it could catch up on me in other ways although I get plenty of exercise. I live in a slightly rural area the nearest shop is 40 minutes walk each way which I do regularly (every day) I also swim every week (yes even in the winter) as I'm beside the beach so maybe I will get away with it. Or I might have a massive Heart attack by the time I'm 40 . Only time will tell.

l3rian

someone must have been feeding her to death

i seen a show on bbc about these lardos, one 30+ stone lamer had mickey mouse eats created from his hair, and had some aul one come visit him every day to prepare his meals, anyway at the end of the show they tricked him to gettting on this large scales and had the champage ready for his world record breaking weight in, but it turn out he was only 35 stone, it was really pathetic and he claimed the scales was broke