Does your doctor talk to you about your weight?

castufari

The group I go to always mentions it except when I was between docs and had to see the PA. But my doc mentions pretty much everything - asks me if I'm still doing the same as I was doing during my last visit, how home life is, etc. Not the cheapest people to see but you get 1.5 hours of his time w/o interruption.

If your doc doesn't bring up the fact that you've lost weight, mention it to him. It can't hurt!

Karen_DisneyFan

Mine does mention it but only because continuing to lose weight will help with my insulin resistance & type II. I refuse to get on the office scale but will tell her how much I weighed at home that day - first thing in the morning after emptying my bladder, lol

Keladelphia

My doctor never mentioned my weight when I was overweight (though she did comment on how I lost a great deal since she saw me) and it kind of bothers me in retrospect that she didn't. I think it is a Dr.'s responsibility to make you aware of your health risks and what you can do to reduce them. Of course I knew I was overweight but sometimes you need a kick in the butt and who better than from than a healthcare professional. I'm not saying she should have said "hey you're fat" but she should have said "you're overweight, these are the potential risk factors that can increase due to being overweight and maybe these are some strategies you can use to get on a healthier path".

Need2Exerc1se

I talk about my weight and BF% with my doc, but I usually bring it up. They always weigh me and I ask her to measure my BF. I don't know if she would bring it up or not. Maybe not since I don't have any weight related problems. Other than too much, that is.

Mexicanbigfoot

My doctor DOES mention my weight quite often. She has asked me several times if I want to see a nutritionist and has asked me to consider bariatric surgery. I signed up for the consult for the surgery but before I even went in, I knew it was not the right decision for me.

Since then, I have started seeing a personal trainer and I've lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks (plus the 30 I had lost before that) I go back in July and I'm hoping that I will be down at least another 25.

I know that she does it from a place of concern because I do have "morbid obesity" listed in my medical records and the whole laundry list of health problems that come with it; high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, etc. (My PCP is internal medicine and she is a huge advocate for a healthy lifestyle.)

I take no offense because I know that I have a weight problem and have had for a very long time.

I agree that some doctors are damned if they do and damned if they don't. If you have a concern and your doctor is not brining it up with you, mention it! They don't know things if you don't talk about it with them.

CherryOnionKiss

My doc only started talking about my weight when I became obese.

honeykrown

yes weight is always talked about and celebrated. she said if BMI <30 she doesnt talk much about it but when it is above 30 she goes the whole way and tell the patients what to do. Also refers to nutritionist if pt are interested. Told me to start with walking. Not all can be an athelete, that people underestimate the value of brisk walking daily

GM16108

I don't need the doctor to tell me that I need to loose or gain weight. Right now, so much information is available on internet and we should be able to manage our weight ourselves. You can calculate your BMI and find out what your weight should be. You can get % body fat measured in gym regularly.

Doctor should focus on complex issues.

JenAndSome

My employer offers a health clinic which is free for those of us who have insurance through work. Part of the benefit is an annual physical for which we are paid a bonus. Every year some of my co-workers get mad because the clinic doc tells them that according to their height and weight they are overweight or obese. "He needs to look in the mirror, " they say and so on. It baffles me that they would be offended that a healthcare professional who is helping them set health related goals would point out the most obvious way to improve their health. When I was a smoker I didn't get mad every time he told me I should quit.

ETA: We also get a bonus for completing our goals so if they would set their goal at a modest lose 10 pounds in a year, they would get paid to do it.

krdews

Yes, my doctor is awesome. We discuss everything, plus years ago I read having an open dialogue with your doc was critical. So I tend to yammer on about everything and he's listening and logging it on his computer and he'll follow-up on my next visit. I also do "mychart" which is a website that he had me sign-up for that has my medical history, Rx's, dr appts, mammograms appts etcs and it's a form of communication as well. If I have question, he'll respond by the end of that day via 'mychart'. He inquired about my weight & diet and made recommendations. My husband starting going to him a few years ago and he was in great shape, but was a smoker. After one visit my husband quit - cold turkey and he suggested my husband instead of working out 2-3 days a week to workout 4-5 days even though he was great shape - he's been going 5 days a week every since; but spends a little less time there. Now my husband goes yearly and is up-to-date on all his needed exams at 56!!! So, my doc rocks!!

lngbrd

Mine does, he is trying to get me on a plant based diet.

TheVirgoddess

Thankfully, yes. I just started seeing someone new last year - it's what prompted me to lose weight. I will be forever grateful for his frankness and his pride in me since I've lost weight. He's been one of my biggest supporters.

csofled

My doctors have never said anything about my weight even though I am clearly in need of losing weight.

PeachyCarol

Mine does because it impacts a medical condition I have.

seltzermint555

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Mine doesn't.

I asked what he thought I should weigh to try to steer clear of blood pressure meds, etc. and he answered, but he didn't bring it up even when I was gargantuan.

Same here, exactly. I tend to avoid doctors unless absolutely necessary but even when I was huge, my doc just said he'd recommend losing 30 lb. I've lost 140.

As a child though I was always overweight and unusually tall for my age and the family physician would harp on my weight making me sound like I was going to DIE and was a total FREAK, when in reality I was very height-weight proportional for an older teen (5'6" 130-ish at age 9-10)...that kind of scarred me for life and I always expect to be raked over the coals when I see any type of medical provider. Ugh.

honeykrown

yes weight is always talked about and celebrated. she said if BMI <30 she doesnt talk much about it but when it is above 30 she goes the whole way and tell the patients what to do. Also refers to nutritionist if pt are interested. Told me to start with walking. Not all can be an athelete, that people underestimate the value of brisk walking daily

abbeyjones1994

I have a heart defect, so I see a cardiologist close to my home for a regular checkup annually and one in a bigger city for a more invasive checkup annually.

One cardiologist is super fit, runs marathons, eats well, etc. He started mentioning my weight as a potential issue around when I turned 16.

The other cardiologist is big all the way around (6'5", 250-300 lbs. probably) and has never said a word about it.

My family and I have always found that interesting. I will be going to the big city cardiologist at the end of May for the first time since losing 40 lbs., so I'm curious to see if/what he says.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I see an endocrinologist a few times each year for diabetes (both type 1 and type 2). When I first got serious about losing weight, I asked about how I should do it. He said, "You just need to eat less than you use."

I have more training on diabetes than most M.D.'s, which is why I see a specialist (why see someone who knows less than me?), so I have been able to keep up with needed changes considering that.

Last time I saw him, I was still in a plateau, which had lasted more than 4 months at that point despite eating at a deficit. I hadn't seen him for 6 months. When I asked him about the plateau, he argued with me, pointing out that I had lost a few pounds since I had seen him last. He thought I was being too impatient because his information told him I was still losing. Ummm.... yea, I was still losing for the first 2 months after I saw you and then I stopped losing 4 months ago. Aargh.

Losing weight was my idea, not my dr.'s. He hasn't been very helpful either.

Katleskin

Nope, never and I've been big all my life. Last time I went to the nurse (for a smear) I knew I'd lost about 30lbs so I was all, "Ummm, do you not need to weigh me?". She said she didn't but I said, "Yeah, you do!", got on the scales anyway and asked her to amend my record. I also got a sticker for being brave because I said women should get some kind of reward points for attending those damn awful appointments.

spookyface

Not really my weight but said to eat healthy maybe go for a walk after a big pasta meal and cut back on sugar. I go again in July. Hope he says something about my weight this time as I have lost 35 so far.

jascakes

When I was at university (UK) I went to the doctor about my extreme low self esteem linked to my weight, and my issues with low mood after exercise. He diagnosed me with depression and sent me to 12 weeks councelling and 12 weeks cbt. Whilst at these sessions, all the councilors wanted to address was -parents divorce -one of many children -uni stress. When i tried to discuss issues related to weight or self esteem or bad emotional connection to exercise they said that it was a simple matter of eating less and exercising more, and not worth 'wasting their time talking about'

Right in a way, I guess.
I haven't been brave enough to talk about it to a doctor since.

jemhh

I have pcos and a family history full of type 2 diabetes. Weight loss definitely helps with those issues, which is a big reason why I think my doctor should be at least mentioning weight.

(Aside--I don't mind getting weighed their but I don't like their height measure. It always has me at 5'5.5" when I've been 5'6" for ages lol.

Vcorz

My nurse has always made some sort of comment about weight over the years....shes very thin herself. When I was 135 at 5'9, she would tell me I was underweight, make sure your eating enough, etc. Now that I;m 206 pounds, she keeps asking me "what happened" and telling me I'm killing myself.....sadly, I never had an appointment in between!

agartin

I recently started working for my PCP, so I had to start seeing a new doctor. My original PCP used to mention it, but was very nice about it. Even told me to slow down when I last lost 60lbs, pretty quickly, I was obsessed. My new doctor, well, before he even properly introduced himself he came in the room and let out a huge sigh, "... Can we talk about your weight?"

.... ugh

TheVirgoddess

jemhh wrote: »

I have pcos and a family history full of type 2 diabetes. Weight loss definitely helps with those issues, which is a big reason why I think my doctor should be at least mentioning weight.

(Aside--I don't mind getting weighed their but I don't like their height measure. It always has me at 5'5.5" when I've been 5'6" for ages lol.

I really do think that doctors that don't mention weight are doing their patients a real disservice.

Afura

I've had several bring it up. I wonder if some don't because they're afraid of the reaction? Most of the time it is just a quick mention of "You are obese" and then we moved on. But the last time I went in for a viral infection my Dr definitely noticed I had already dropped some weight. I'd be a little insulted if I was pretty over weight and had lost a significant sum and my Dr didn't even notice. That's pretty important to our overall health.

MoiAussi93

When I was overweight, mine would always mention it briefly if I went in for a check up...simply telling me I needed to lose some weight. If I asked follow-up questions, they were always very responsive. I was healthy otherwise, so there was no reason to make it a focus.

They also always noted any substantial changes...up or down. Now that I am at a healthy weight, my primary care doctor and my GYN seem almost as excited about it as I do. It's kind of funny actually...I had a check up in September and was 40 or 50 pounds heavier than I am now. I went back in late January for a different reason, and the person who weighed me thought she had the wrong patient because the weight was so much lower from the previous appointment. The doctor then asked me a lot of questions about my diet, and said I did a great job and she was proud of me. It was kind of nice, actually.

Need2Exerc1se

TheVirgoddess wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

I have pcos and a family history full of type 2 diabetes. Weight loss definitely helps with those issues, which is a big reason why I think my doctor should be at least mentioning weight.

(Aside--I don't mind getting weighed their but I don't like their height measure. It always has me at 5'5.5" when I've been 5'6" for ages lol.

I really do think that doctors that don't mention weight are doing their patients a real disservice.

I absolutely agree.

kamakazeekim

I've had a terrible time with doctors when it comes to my weight. When I was heavy, every single thing was automatically attributed to my being overweight. I dislocated a disk playing softball and was told that if I lost weight my back wouldn't hurt (it took 3 doctors before someone realized I had a dislocated disk) When my gallbladder was infected, I was told that my symptoms would go away if I lost weight (it ended up being removed and I've been symptoms free sense) Before I was diagnosed with PCOS and placed on the proper medication I was eating about 900 calories a day and working out 6 or 7 days a week for an hour minimum. My weight kept ballooning. I saw countless doctors and dietitians who would not believe me when I told them what I ate and what kind of exercise I was doing. Once I started metformin I lost weight like crazy!

yopeeps025

My doctor brings up weight now because he know how much I want to change.