If dangerously underweight people are forced into inpatient, should dangerously overweight people be forced in as well?

Question

I came across this topic on another forum and I found the discussion to be very interesting. 
****PLEASE keep the derogatory comments about body types away. I really want to discuss this factually and I know ppl here can bring a lot of good points to the table. Also please use statistics/sources where applicable. 
I personally don't think anyone needs to be forced to gain/lose weight or recover. I'm just very uncomfortable with the idea of forcing anyone into any medical treatment, especially just based on weight alone. I've also heard about how awful inpatient can be so I hate seeing such young kids being put in there where adults frequently abuse their power. Even if it helps it still really saddens me :(

What do you think?

Answer

I think it's because being dangerously overweight slowly kills you over time, eating disorders do too but if you're extreme like that you could die within hours. I think it just depends, However I don't think it's right to FORCE anyone to do anything.

Answer

I don't think anyone should be forced to do something they don't want to. 
BUT, I do think there should be more help out there for those who are overweight. There seems to be a lot more help out there for those who have eating disorders that make them underweight than overweight. I feel like if people who wanted to change and fix their health had a more positive outlet to reach out to for help, they would actually seek help. 
But instead, people seem to be more negative towards those who are overweight and treat them as an illness rather than an actual person. No one will want to seek help if they're simply going to be belittled and treated as if they're worthless.

Answer

My mum used to work with someone who's daughter was hospitalized due to anorexia. She was literally skin and bones and very likely would have died due to starvation and other related health problems. In that instance then yes people should be hospitalized because their lives are in immediate danger. They will die without medical intervention. Generally if someone is hospitalized due to being underweight they have an eating disorder that is putting their life at risk.

Overweight people aren't in danger of dying in a short period of time. Yes their health is generally poor due to weight causing issues with their heart and other body systems. And they can die from these but their health problems generally appear over time and will require more medical intervention than getting nutrients into their bodies. Yes I still think they should be encouraged to lose weight if they are obese and their health is in danger. But I don't think they should be hospitalized for it. Someone that is immediate danger from their weight or problems due to weight should be hospitalized because they deserve to have their lives saved.

Answer

This isn't my field, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that people who were anorexic could only be forced into hospitalization if their situation was dire? In other words, they were starving themselves to the point where their lives were in danger? If someone is a threat to themselves or others, they are forced into treatment.

Answer

Forcing, no, but suggesting and advising them to get help, always. Unfortunately, if people don't want to get help, we have to just accept it until they decide for themselves whether the person is malnourished due to overeating or undereating. It's their body and even though it's terrible and self destructive, it is ultimately their choice.

Answer

Things like anorexia and bulimia can kill you quicker and a patient can become more critical. Starving your body of nutrients is more urgent than someone being overweight. While I do think both are grounds for forced hospitalization, it may not do much good on either side. I've watched documentaries about inpatient ED hospitals. The ones in for anorexia went right back to what they were doing once they got out. The documentaries about dangerously overweight people had these people saying they didn't enjoy their lives and they felt ashamed, but they loved food too much to stop. Some people are just hell bent on keeping habits that kill them.

Answer

I don't think it's right to ever force anyone into inpatient treatment for anything. Especially because generally people have to want to change for those programs to actually work.

Answer

I'm pretty sure they'll only hospitalize an underweight person if it's due to an eating disorder. Which can do MUCH more damage and kill you MUCH faster than being overweight.

Answer

i don't think it should be forced, per say, but i think going can be incredibly helpful. nothing at all wrong or dangerous ab gaining more weight if your underweight or losing it if you're overweight.

Answer

They don't force inpatient treatment on underweight people, if they seek treatment at that point it needs to be inpatient to give them feeding tubes and monitor many systems to not cause the body to shut down completely. They can't simply eat something at that point and basically start with IV nutrition then move to feeding tubes and though a person can be outpatient with a feeding tube it's not something they do right away. They also closely monitor their nutrition and make adjustments daily/weekly as needed.

If dangerously underweight people are forced into inpatient, should dangerously overweight people be forced in as well?

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