obese manHow does this happen? An obese 43-year-old man recently had to be removed from his home in Ohio by police because -- get this -- he fused to a chair he sat in for two years! Warning: Disturbing details ahead. The cops said he was covered in urine, feces, and maggots. Oh, dear! In order to get him to the hospital, the authorities had to cut a hole in a wall of his house. Unfortunately, he's since died.

Total sadness and general ickyness aside, I'm left with a feeling of bewilderment. Because two other people lived with the man. Including his girlfriend.

And they were completely able-bodied! In fact, the man's girlfriend used to feed him his food since he never got up. That's very kind of you, girlfriend, but how do you let it get to that point? How do you let someone you love get so over-the-top unhealthy and do nothing about it? Also, how did you live there?

According to one of the police officers, it was one of "the worst things" he's ever responded to. The most unbearable part being the smell. Three living, breathing humans lived here? I don't understand. 

At the end of the day, though, this is a really sad story. Not only because the man died, but because of the fact that he wasn't always so obese. His landlord, who had apparently been his landlord at another building, said that he used to be a vital, active person. She also said that she checked on these tenants periodically, but never thought anything was wrong, since he always had a blanket over him.

Whenever I hear stories of people dying alone in their apartment, it makes me so sad. I feel awful for these lonely people, and I always think, "If only someone were there to do something." In this case, though, there was. So it only makes it sadder.

How bad do you feel for this man?

 

Image via Tobyotter/Flickr