As I listened to these patients speak I was reminded of how we so often discriminate against others. Discrimination because the person is different than us and in this case severely obese. Regardless of the discrimination, if a person wanted to find beauty they really need to look no further than Andover Village. This facility located in Andover, Ohio is the home to 50 super obese men and women, some of who are nearly a thousand pounds in weight. While I have never been to the facility or spoken with anyone that has it must be a wonderful place with a loving and dedicated staff.

The patients sharing their stories were large in size and in spirit, even though they had surely been through much psychological and physical pain. These people demonstrated positive attitudes that many others regardless of weight need to develop. These patients had learned or were learning to set positive goals as they worked toward weight loss and reestablishing their lives. Day by day they were working towards their goals of loosing weight and becoming stronger so that they could once again maintain more “normal” lives.

An attractive and personable lady told how she had weighed over 700 pounds including a mass growing on one of her legs estimated to be 200 pounds. She mentioned that she is a grazer. While she would eat small portions she was eating all day long so that she was taking in a large amount of food. For those of us listening to her story that believes we are not big eaters for we are grazers we need to take heed. As a grazer we may eat small amounts we may also be eating much more than we believe that we do.

One patient that had weighed over 600 pounds mentioned how he had loved food since he was a child and as a result always been a very large eater. This patient a member of the clergy has lost nearly 200 pounds. Through weight loss and increased activity his mobility had improved. Upon his release he still had a long ways to go to meet his weight and health goals though he was able to drive himself home.

Another patient weighed 849 pounds truly believed to be terminally obese upon arrival to the facility. This young man, unable to walk due to his weight had been given 6 months to live. He had experienced more than one heart attack and his state of health was dreadful. When this program was filmed he was down about 200 pounds in weight and was now able to walk over 500 feet and was increasing his distance each day. This man had a wonderfully positive attitude and had developed an improved out look on life. An attitude that should help him reach his goal of living a normal life.

Yes you wonderful Andover patients, I thank each of you for sharing your story. I wish each of you the very best as you work toward achieving your goals. As we go through our day-to-day lives, let each of us remember that beauty is only “skin deep”. Let us be kind and treat others with respect even though in some way they appear different from us. In Gods eyes we are all the same.