The Horror of the Half Ton Dad!
I’m not sure if anyone else saw this documentary last night on Channel 4 but I can positively say this was one story that shocked me to my bones!
At a massive 73-stone, Kenneth Brumley has been confined to his bed for four years! His daily intake of 30,000 calories is the same as a regular-sized man eats in two weeks.
According to experts people who weigh over 40 stone are classed as ’super’ morbidly obese. So you can just imagine how huge this guy is!
Now I’m a girl who loves her food. I can always manage a second helping and squeeze in a dessert. I am a self confessed binge eater and I feel the deep guilt after having a Big Mac Meal! But these all seem minute issues compared to what this man has, and can consume on a daily basis.
He says: “I’d wake up and get chili cheese fries for breakfast. “It’s basically fast food 24 hours a day, seven days a week” “That and a case of super-strength lager.
I mean I know that on the whole men can eat more than us women, but to this extent…? Which leads me to question why and how?
How can someone let their weight gain get to the point where it’s impossible to move? You would think friends and family would step in! I mean don’t get me wrong I have huge sympathy for this guy! It’s horribly sad and upsetting to think that there are people living in the developed world eating themselves to death through choice- yet just as shockingly ironic that there are people starving through no choice of their own!
Why are psychiatrists not called upon in the early stages? Someone who gains such horrendous amounts of weight must suffer with underlying issues? Are his family responsible for continuing to feed him the junk-food that ultimately caused this?
One thing that really get’s my goat is that the producers of these programmes never delve into the causes of such issues. In essence this documentary would have been relatively cheap to make, however the popularity of them are immense! Voyeurism is a part of our daily lives these days. And with the pressing issues of the ‘obesity epidemic’ this programme was always going to be a huge hit. Why would they bother to interview a psychiatrist to explain the reasons as to why people allow such enormous weight-gain to continue? It’s too expensive… right? I mean the price this guy and his family are having to pay is nothing in comparison… right?
Eventually Kenneth was awarded the chance of a gastric by-pass, however first needed an operation to remove 15 stone of fatty tumors around his legs. I can’t help but think too little too late.
I like to think that I live my life with an open-mind and that no matter how baffling the world is, some sense can always be made of most situations. But this man, this father, this husband… does he and his family have a right to excuse themselves? By over-eating this man has endangered his life. He has risked letting his children grow up without a father. He has put a strain on the healthcare system and the fire service that had to remove him from his bed. Like I said in my opinion there must be underlying issues surrounding this family. Whether it was just mere ignorance I’m unsure, and it saddens me that we’ll probably never know.
May 17th, 2008 at 5:19 am
What are stones? I mean as you intend them.
May 17th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Hi Daisy,
I love your blogs but this one hits very close to home so I decided to respond. I know Kenneth from a previous relationship with his brother. I honestly feel EVERYTHING that you are saying and I do agree to a certain extent. My thing is, does it always have to be psychological? When I met him he was huge! He was still able to get out every now and then but you could see the struggle. His family is a loving family and I really dont believe there are any major issues. Please do a little research and find that some studies show that morbid obesity is not just about a person eating a lot of unhealthy food. Many researchers believe that it is some type of chemical imbalance much like an allergic reaction that causes this.
Just asking for a little more compassion and research……Thanks (still love the blogs)
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I am sorry but Kenneth’s weight is definitely tied to some psychological issue. He mentioned in the show that he was an active gang member in California and did everything that gang members did - everything. Well, what do we know that includes? Drive-bys, drug deals, gang rapes, etc. It sounds like Kenneth came from a relatively decent family and that he dealt with the guilt and contradiction of his lifestyle in California through a full-blown food addition. I have a cousin who is 5 feet tall and over 400 pounds. She is also an incest survivor. And, I’m sorry but Kenneth has been unable to get out of bed for four years - the family members who would supply him with a 30,000 calorie a day food supply are helping to kill him. That girlfriend is crazy to bring him into her children’s lives only to help kill him. And, more to that point, I think the mother of the Half Ton Teen should lose custody of her son and only get supervised visits. She is a very sick woman.
January 7th, 2009 at 2:51 am
I could not believe my eyes when I watched these shows. I am overweight could stand to lose 60 to 70lbs to be out of the “obese” range and I will do so after seeing this show.
I mean I literally felt like I could throw up when I was watching them cut the chunks of fat off of these people during the surgery. I do not want to be in that place at all. I just felt so sick to my stomach. How can they let themselves get to a certain point. I yo yo all the time between 30lbs and when I have to buy a size 22 I know it’s time to buckle down, the problem is I never stick with it.
My heart goes out to these families. I do not think my husband would feed me 30,000 calories a day or vice versa..not for me or my children…This has to be stopped it cannot continue to go on…
They are in my prayers…