I have been reading views and emails Vicki has posted from so called "normal" people and it has greatly upset me.

I have in the last few years due to a caring role, become very obese. I realise I do need to lose weight for future health and the fact I ham now having trouble getting clothes.

I am healthy - the doc keeps trying to 'make' me have diabetes - last time telling me in error the non-fasting glucose reading was exceptionally high and I had diabetes and it was dangerous'. A fasting glucose tolerance test showed my glucose levels to be normal. My cholestorol is normal too.

What deeply upsets me is that I am becoming quite agrophobic because of the way "normal" people are beginning to react. I get followed by children who call out abusive names and the public walk past laughing. I get small children calling out in the middle of shops "mummy that woman is really big and fat" and people just giggle - no apology from the parents. If a child shouted out "mummy that woman is black" I'm sure the parent would be falling over themselves with apologies. I am not just making a referance to black people - it's just an example of how people would react in two differnt situations.

I often come home crying through the cruelty of people. It's ridiculous. Once I would have taken on anyone having a go at me - now I dare not for fear of more ridicule.

Where I live with my mother, who has Altzheimer's, the neighbours who have known us for years - I've lived here all my life - now are treating me like some sort of scum too. Yet they are in their 70's and 80's and if I say anything to them they start vedettas against me - like trying to get my car towed away.

I am so sick of it. The carers who come in here and Social Services have treated me as some thicko telling me what I should be doing in caring for mum. I have an Honours degree - I'm not stupid. Being on benefits, I do my best to buy good health food, but it get's expensive. If I'm ill or extremely drained, I used to buy micro or oven ready meals to save time, but the Government allows them to be full of fat, salt and sugar.

As a carer, I save the tax payer millions of pounds a year for which we carers get a pittance to live on. I don't have time to go to a gym, I only see my partner once a week - less if he or I are ill.

Before some of the so called "normal" people out there call people like me lazy, fat, disgusting, etc, they should remember that when weight becomes out of controll because of other stresses, there is very little help or sympathy. If I binge ate and threw up my food there are clubs, metal health clinics, rehab centres and allsorts available.As much as they claim we should stop eating and exercise - how about telling anorexics to stop behaving like children and eat? Ah no, that's not allowed is it? They drain the NHS too.

Sorry for this rant but I am so upset and angry.

Take no notice of these so called 'normal' people, who have no right to judge anyone. You are a carer, and that makes you a very valuable person.

One suggestion I do have...change your doctor to one who will not try to fit you into a 'diabetes' pidgeonhole. You need some respite care too, so that you can go out and do what you want...not just time to go to the gym either. A happier person is more likely to lose weight in the long run, so that can be your argument should you feel it necessary to have one lol.