Exclusive: Ruby: My Mom May Have Intentionally "Overfed Me" as a Kid
Credit: Jeffrey Thurnher
Credit: The Style Network
In the new Us Weekly (on newsstands now), reality star Ruby Gettinger reveals that she is considering hypnosis to remember possible childhood traumas that may caused her weight to grow to a staggering 716 pounds by the late 90s.
"I have nightmares about someone trying to kill me," Gettinger, 47, tells Us Weekly. "I can never see that person's face, but something tells me I know who it is. I wake up hardly able to breathe, dreaming someone's hands are around my neck."
Her biggest fear: "If someone hurt me when I was a child - verbally, physically, whatever - it would have been somebody I love."
Gettinger tells Us Weekly she was shocked to hear that her mother Anne, 75, narrowly avoided molestation by a family member.
"My childhood physician's assistant 'Dr. Dukes' has a theory she overfed me in order to make me unattractive to men so I would not face the same danger," Gettinger says of her mother. "I don't believe it. My mom was always protective [Ruby's father, now deceased, traveled frequently for the Air Force], but she never force-fed me.
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"Still, she definitely enabled me," she continues. "It was obvious I overate, yet she bought snacks for me. She knew I loved creamed corn, and she would bring it home for me. She's said she feels a lot of guilt -- like she should have stopped it."
Today, 400 pounds lighter, the 5-foot-9 Gettinger -- a self-described food addict -- says she is "scared" of hypnosis, "but if I don't remember anything else and the nightmares keep coming, I'm going to take that next step."
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For more -- including at what age she first began to overeat; the frightening way food "controlled" her whole life; how she has managed to get her weight down to around 300 pounds and her hopes of competing on Dancing With the Stars -- pick up the new Us Weekly today!
Tell Us What You Think
58she is a cute chick
she is the fattest chick but now she is a skinny chick
I am Sheila Granger, a qualified hypnotherapist in East Yorkshire UK and am tackling obesity as it costs the health service millions each year. The benefits of hypnotherapy are truly unbelievable and results surpass my expectations on a daily basis. Recently I have held clinical trials for the 'Virtual Gastric Band' and had a 95% success rate. I am currently campaigning for the NHS to take hypnotherapy seriously as it could save them millions. Please contact me if you'd like to discuss this further.
The Air Jordan XX2/XXII model, designed by Dwayne Edwards, was released on March 24, 2007. The Air Jordan model featured a new strap around the heel and ankle.
@A Man's View - of course you're right - women want to be skinny size zeros for each other not for men! only in LA do the guys go for the size zero fake bake fake boob barbies b/c that's what's available and that's the scene there. Secretly they are lusting for the curvy girls. It's part of what is attractive = the difference between the hard muscular guy and the soft, curvy girl. Women are viscious creatures.
Here's a question...why are so many women obsessed about what other women look like and how much they weigh? Why do women like to put other women down? It's very unattractive. As a guy, I'd rather have a Marilyn Monroe figure with a nice chest rather than a skinny flat chested (or fake chested) boring girl who picks at her food and has no personality. Pretty comes in all sizes, and stick thin skinny girls aren't pretty. There's more to life than being rude and shallow. A pretty face will age, a pretty soul is what matters. A man likes a hourglass, not a boys body. Softness is so much nicer than bones.
@ To Cindy - 5'9 and 125 lbs is too fat? Um, actually it's borderline too thin for being so tall. You're a moron - know what you're talking about before you spew off your idiotic rantings
Such sad comments on here! We need to love one another no matter size, race, religion or whomever. I will pray for those who have such anger and bitterness in their hears. As for Ruby, God bless you. You are truely an inspiration to those who are struggling with an addiction of any kind.
if your 5'9 and 125 lbs your too fat....I'll bet your ugly and have no lips to speak of...get off your perch
there are lots of reasons a person could be over weight...they could have a medical condition, like prader willie syndrome, or a thyroid condition...often the overweight are self medicating with food. They are no different than the person that smokes a couple of packs a day, or the person who goes home and drinks every night, or the person who is abusing perscription or street drugs, or the people who drink coffee all day...most people are empty and have employed one or more vices to help deal with their demons and the emptiness of their lives...in Rubys case, her addiction/vice is obvious due to the weight gain....the smokers vice is obvious because they carry the stench or ciggarrette smoke with them, the yellow finger tips, the leathery skin, the smokers caugh, and the raspy smokers voice, the drug addict carries with them the bad skin, the bad teeth, the hair falling out etc....sometimes the physical consequences of a persons chosen vice will not manifest for the public to see immediately, but in time, the deterioration will start to show...life expectancy for the anorexic, the bulemic, the drug addict, is no better than that of an obese person.....
WAKE UP AMERICA, we are one of the fattest countries in the world!!! We have a sense of self entitlement and most people sit on their butts and shovel the food in and then complain that they are fat. All it takes is watching what you eat and getting off your butt and excersizing regularly. It may not make you rail thin but it will make you healthy! Most fat people just blame their 'genes' or say it's out of their control- that is a cop out. It's disguesting.
I LOVE YOU RUBY! You are an amazing woman with a Beautiful personality to boot! Looking good girl! The SAV rocks!
I'm 5'7" and (was) 180 pounds. Last year I found out I had thyroid cancer, a tumour that grew down my neck. A few months ago I had a thyroidectomy. Now without any diet changes I have lost 12 pounds since being on meds. My tumour grew for 2 years, where I went from a healthy slim 130 to 180. I exercised, ate right, but I gained weight. I didn't let it bother me as I felt fine. But when I felt the tumour and had a biopsy, they said it was thyroid problems. Many people have thyroid problems making them gain or loose weight for no apparent reason, so I suggest get it checked. Blood tests can let you know if that is what may cause your weight troubles. And don't do diet pills, they are speed (which makes your thyroid hyper and that's how you loose weight with them--not healthy!). My mum has always yo-yo dieted and taken pills and now her liver has been damaged because of it. She should have had a thyroid check and exercised more. Don't judge until you know a persons medical background. I also find it so stupid that we in America whine about having too much food when a big chunk of the world is starving....how about being happy we have the choice to eat. Be happy we have the ability to feed our families. Maybe we should make better choices and just treat ourselves occassionally, but this banging on about fat Americans is tired!
She doesn't need hypnosis..I can figure the dream out myself. She states that she feels like someone is trying to kill her..that she wakes up from someones hands around her neck. Its herself....alot of time, when you have your weight..its you, its a part of you...especially if you have had it all your life, its your identity..she is losing that weight..and therefore in a sense, subconsciencly she is losing herself..killing herself (not literally, figuratively) she is killing the old her, and a new self is emerging. And that can be very scary for people.
oooooo please...
FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE HERE SAYING PEOPLE ARE FAT BY CHOICE: Not everyone is fat by choice, people. I recently found out I have a disease that makes my body not process food correctly. It took over 30 YEARS to finally find this out. I have to avoid certain foods for life and GUESS WHAT? By avoiding the allergens for just 6 months I have dropped over 30 LBS!! Just goes to show it was never my choice to be heavy, sometimes it IS medical. Don't judge people until you've been in their shoes!!
Little touchy aren't we Gold Medalist. MCM is speaking the truth and at 5'9 and 125 pounds I guess I am speaking judgment from a higher perch. America is great. America is unlike any other culture and has some of the most overweight people in the world. That is a fact. So perhaps before you go shooting your mouth off you should know statistics. Ruby definitely has to do something with her weight. She is at risk for many diseases. I hope she gets the help she needs. Although, have no idea who she is.
Dear Gold Medalist, 1) The word "American" was used to describe the country that I live in..America! 2) I am a servicemember who does not judge those who's country I am currently defending and fighting for. 3) I am just commenting on what comes to mind, and I agree that America is indeed a great country, that is why I have been in the service for over 7 years! I am clearly not passing judgement, just commenting on the issues that come to my mind. CALM DOWN!!!
That is sad when the fears of the parents can become a neuroses to their children later in life. When parents over exert an undue influence on their children without actual words. It would be better if they said "We are doing this because...." instead of saying nothing and doing much. Congratulations on the tremendous weight loss and hopefully you can rediscover the person inside the body now. Good luck and God Bless you.
i see morons again!!! some people have difficulty with weight loss. could be a number of reasons. to all the bulimic ones that say weight loss is easy. you are a bigger fool than i thought. nice to see a lot of bigots out in force, StoP eATing So mUch !