Opinion: 500-pound Chattanooga man yearns for a bike

photo Mark Kennedy

I read the other day that it's only a matter of time until somebody runs a 26-mile marathon in less than two hours.

For Damyelle Miller, a 31-year-old Chattanooga man who is battling obesity, walking a mile constitutes hard labor.

Miller, who weighs more than 500 pounds, is so determined to lose weight that he pushes himself to walk a mile every day, even though it sometimes takes him several hours and he feels like he's slogging through quicksand. By comparison, most physically fit people, walking at a brisk pace, can cover a mile in about 15 to 20 minutes.

"Sometimes I start at 8 o'clock in the morning and I'm still trying to finish at 12 o'clock," says Miller, who exercises at a public park near his house on Lee Highway. He says he wants to marry his fiancee of seven years, but that hinges on his ability to shed weight.

Miller says he recently had to be rushed to a local hospital after collapsing with stroke-like symptoms. The brush with death made him determined to fight those take-out pizza cravings and reverse his lifelong weight gain.

I spoke to Miller a few days ago after he emailed the newspaper about his plight. His weight has triggered diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The American Journal of Public Health reported in 2013 that about 20 percent of the deaths each year in the United States are caused by obesity.

Miller is setting aside money to buy a heavy-duty bicycle, one that can support his weight while he pedals away the pounds. Such ultra-sturdy bikes exist, but they are pricey, often costing more than $1,000.

Here's part of Miller's e-mail:

"I was writing to see if you knew anybody who could help me (get a bike). ... I've been working on my weight by dieting -- plus by walking -- but it's hard for me at 520 pounds. (It's hard) just to get on a treadmill and walk. I've tried signing up for TV shows like 'The Biggest Loser' (NBC).

"(I've) been trying to find a job, but nobody will hire me. ... I only make $721 a month (in Social Security disability). I really can't afford to pay for a bike. I've been saving my money up, and I have about 300 bucks."

In the interview, Miller explained that his weight problems started when he was a boy.

"I was always a big kid," he said, "I tried to keep it [the weight] off by playing sports."

Miller says he weighed about 340 pounds when he graduated from Brainerd High School back in 2001. But since then, his weight has gone up, up, up.

He says trying to find a job when you're that heavy is almost impossible. Sometimes, he applies for work and gets an interview, only to be turned down when prospective employers see his size.

"They are all happy when we're talking on the phone, and then I get there and they're like, 'Whoa!'" Miller says.

I asked Miller to tell me his dream job.

"I like selling stuff," he says. "I always thought about having a hot-dog cart. Or maybe I could sell cars."

Miller says he has cut back on calories and has already dropped a few pounds. Sometimes he goes to McKay's Used Books on Lee Highway to rummage through the free-books bin for nutritian titles, he says.

"A meal for me is about a half plate of vegetables and a chicken breast or a piece of fish," he said. "I've turned off cable to save money for a bike. I don't watch TV no more."

Still, saving on a fixed income is a struggle, he says. Ultimately he wants to buy his fiance a ring and work on starting a family, too. In his mind, it all starts with getting this bike.

"I'd ride it everywhere," he promises.

As Chattanooga becomes a city of bikers, this seems like it could be the start of something big. What if a local bike club decided to raise money for Miller? Or better yet, what if someone could recycle -- and perhaps reinforce -- a old bike that would support his frame?

Any Good Samaritans out there? How often do you get the chance to save a life with a bike?

Miller's email is damyelle@yahoo.com.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.

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