Pizza solves everything … unless you’re this thirty-something-year-old man who was supposed to be on a diet to save his life.
If you’ve been feeling hopeless, like your life is spiraling on a downhill slope, know that you are not the only one.
The story of this kicked-out hospital patient in need of help will remind you that life can surprise us in unpredictable ways. Everybody deserves a chance to redeem themselves from the bad choices they’ve once made. But what happens when you mess up your one chance?
Meet Steven Assanti
Meet Steven Assanti: An 800-pound man from Providence, United States. This man had a food addiction and was attempting to turn his life around by committing to a special weight-loss program. “I just love to eat … It’s an addiction, and I realize that. And it’s a disease.”
Food addictions work the same as any other addiction. Consuming foods high in carbohydrates, fat, salt, sugar, or artificial sweeteners triggers the pleasure centers of the brain and releases “feel-good” chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. This keeps the brain craving it in growing quantities.
The Rhode Island Hospital patient had a goal to get his weight down to 550 pounds. He was in hospital care for around four months, working to improve his health conditions in hopes of eventually getting a gastric bypass. This plan was set in hopes of saving his life, as being at his weight put him at risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
Within the 80 days that Steven Assanti remained a patient, he lost over 20 pounds. While he was on a slow but hopeful road to recovery, one bad decision would be all it takes to turn his whole path upside down…
One day, while staying in the hospital, Steven Assanti decided that it was time to reward himself for his progress. Recognizing the improvement he had already made towards his goal, he believed that he deserved to indulge in a “cheat meal”. This is typical of those on a health journey as it suppresses cravings and keeps the body guessing. However, it was not part of his medical plan.
And so, he ordered himself a pizza to be delivered to Rhode Island Hospital. This pizza would change Assanti’s life, getting him discharged from the hospital as a result of violating the health plan assigned to him.
Whether it be family or friends, we all have those special people that fight for us when we can’t fight for ourselves. For this man, his father was his guardian angel that would not stop looking for a way to help his son, even when his child was a grown man.
Without hospital care, father Steven Veillette worried that this obstacle would be the end of his son’s life, “If he comes home and I do get him up the stairs somehow, someway, he’s going to go right back to his eating habits.” But, Assanti was stronger than most gave him credit for…
The staff at Rhode Island Hospital refused to give out any information about the incident to the public, but they confirmed his discharge after the pizza was delivered to his hospital room. Unsure of what next move would be best, Assanti spent some time staying in the trunk of his father’s SUV.
The family tried calling around the entire state of Rhode Island to help get Steven back on his feet, but they did not have much luck. This moment of despair would set his life’s trajectory into motion, “I do want to lose weight, and it’s a wake-up call now, and I just need some help.” Luckily the universe wasn’t going to leave him to die. Fate was simply waiting for his cooperation.
Before we judge, we should better understand emotional eating as it is a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness, and loneliness. It is often triggered by major life events and hard to process emotions.
“Food was my comfort through good and bad situations,” Steven admitted. “But it didn’t help with some of the sh-t that was going on. I was still very upset.”
Steven Assanti made some mistakes, but the challenges that life threw at him only led him to a greater path than anyone could’ve imagined. While his family doubted the possibility of his perseverance to improve, his future self proved them wrong.
Since being kicked out of his hospital room in 2015, Assanti has lost over 100 pounds. He was a guest on the television shows “Dr. Phil” and “My 600-Pound Life”. Steven did eventually get weight loss surgery although it was a rocky road filled with cheat meals, tantrums, and even a painkiller addiction. Steven also married a massage therapist and went on to live a life.
So, it looks like he didn’t throw away his life for a slice of pizza after all!
Whether you believe in predetermination or free will, the story of Steven Assanti is proof that no matter how bad life gets, it’s always possible to turn the situation around.
When we fall into a slump, make mistakes along the way, or feel doubted by those closest to us, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel if we dig far enough.
We are in control of our own lives and the outcomes they lead to. The more of a direction we have, the better steps we can take to get there.Are you still searching for your life purpose? You won’t believe what the science of Numerology can reveal about you!
