But if Hurley were a binge eater, wouldn't we have seen some evidence of that on the island? We've never seen him steal or hoard food, have we?

Not necessarily, if he was a former binge eater.

I think his weight may be related to a mental illness -- some drugs can cause weight gain, as can the inactivity caused by depression -- but I don't think he has an eating disorder per se.

Massive weight also can cause depression. You see the world around you looking at you and sometimes gasping and tittering, it eventually can get to you. Especially if you are empathic.

On a similar note, in regards to Hurley's size:

I can certify that despite the wishes of doctors and the general public, once some of us get beyond a certain weight level, the body works to protect the mass and gets more efficient. Eating a normal amount of food would not diminish the weight, and can actually increase it.

My guess, if Hurley is now getting the protein he needs, and all the running around he gets (even the actor), he would not show signs in the first 40 days of any weight loss. In fact, he may be gaining musculature under the fat that will eventually lead to weight loss. It may be far down the line for either the character or the actor.

I would support Jorge and Hurley slowly losing weight inthe second season. It would also help me in my own campaign to stop being bigger than him. heh.

I just feel like it's *too* obvious to have had Hurley be a mental patient. Nothing about these people's backstories has been as obvious as it first seemed.

Charlie was a junkie. And that was...pretty much it.

Haven't the writers already said that Hurley won't be losing weight in a realistic island-starvation-diet-way because they need him to look the same in all the flashbacks?

Not necessarily, if he was a former binge eater.

True -- I'm not sure why I didn't think of that. I honestly don't know anything about the problem or its treatment. Could it land someone in a psych ward on its own? I know that anorexics have to get to the verge of death to be hospitalized, but I don't know at what point obesity would cause that.

Massive weight also can cause depression.

Of course -- a classic vicious circle.

But does that mean no more Locke flashbacks?

Although I suppose the tan is faux, anyway.

Massive weight also can cause depression. You see the world around you looking at you and sometimes gasping and tittering, it eventually can get to you.

I felt that it was interesting that Charlie is very much this guy on the island. He made remarks to this effect several in last night's episode.

Which kind of made me hate him. STFU, Junkie!

I had some deep thoughts about the issue and how the writers handled it, which I blathered to Tom last night as we were drifting off to sleep, but damned if I can remember any of them except the STFU Junkie! part.

Yeah, of all the backstories we've got, I feel Charlie's was by far the weakest, like, we're talking, deafening anvil chorus in both of his episodes. It's a pity because DM's an excellent actor and could have handled a more complex storyline with ease.

I don't think making Hurley a former psych patient is that obvious a storyline. It threw me, because Hurley comes across so mellow and well-adjusted most of the time. If this is where they're going, I'm curious to see whether they'd make it a temporary, situational type of illness, or give him an actual chronic psychiatric condition such as a major depressive disorder or schizophrenia--'cause if it's the latter, the chances are that Hurley is on a medication and liable to run out soon.

'cause if it's the latter, the chances are that Hurley is on a medication and liable to run out soon.

And then Hurley kills everyone in their sleep and runs off with Danielle!

I have very limited experience with a psych ward of a reg. hospital and no experience with a psych hospital, but the food was very starchy and there were few execise options and no large places to exercise.

The whole situation was vague enough that in the future they could play it different ways.