I think some of the frustration (that turns into disdain/snark) comes from disingenuous statements like this
...began gaining weight whenever he ate more than eight hundred calories less than the average amount recommended for a man his size."
Yes, people who have put on weight and list it will most likely have to maintain a lower caloric intake than someone who never put it on due to metabolic changes. But if you run an 800 calorie deficit for long enough, you will lose weight. If you don’t, you are lying about something.
The solution is simple. The long term implementation program is really fucking hard. For a long time, I had no idea how much I was eating and was deluding myself. It was only after a month or two of logging calories that I saw how off I was. This worked for me because energy balances are part I do everyday. It clicked, but obviously wont for everyone else. It’s an every day slog with no quick fix.
When you combine the lying (intentional or not) with the lack of acknowledgment for other’s hard work (“you must just have good genes”, “if I ate that, I would gain 20 lbs”, etc.), the frustration turns to anger.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I doubt you see many people showing the same disdain to people falling off the wagon or admitting they have a problem in the Alcoholics thread when they post. Coming in with a sense of humility and self acknowledgement garners compassion. But when an addict comes in saying they don’t have a problem, placing the blame in other directions, saying there is no solution, - the tough love will come out. Some of us have even had these discussions before with loved ones.
Good luck to those making a genuine effort. And for those who aren’t, I hope the light clicks soon.