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Does your doctor comment on your weight?

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Replies

  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 885 Member
    chris_in_cal wrote: »
    ddsb1111 wrote: »
    To answer the OP, no they don’t. I’m in the range where they’re not too concerned.
    I had a minor outpatient surgery on Wednesday. A junior "Resident" was going to do it, right beforehand a senior "Attending" physician walked in to verify the setup. He said to me "You are a big one." before he started talking to the Jr. physician on how to slice me open.

    This is what I mean. There’s no reason to ever treat someone like an object. I’m sorry that happened to you, even a little mad tbh.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,300 Member
    edited February 10
    ddsb1111 wrote: »
    Lastly, don’t ask a plumber to do an electricians job ie a medical doctor to be your therapist. That’s not fair. Seek the guidance of a professional that is qualified. Doctors are not “God”.
    ddsb1111 wrote: »
    This is what I mean. There’s no reason to ever treat someone like an object.

    Hmmm.... Well, TBH, I am sort of sorry for Chris having to put up with the comment. But. BUT. remembering your plumber and electrician. Not all doctors are equal!

    If I have a choice of a great surgeon WITH bedside manners vs a great surgeon WITHOUT, sure I would pick the one WITH. HOWEVER, If I have the choice of a good surgeon WITH bedside manner vs a great surgeon WITHOUT, I am not so sure that I wouldn't go WITHOUT :wink:

    And I hope that Chris is recovering well!
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,653 Member
    I think the problem is that a lot of us attach our value to our appearance ie if we’re fat we’re somehow not worthy. And advertising or how we are treated in some parts of society etc can certainly reinforce that. But being fat - or being too thin - does actually have health repercussions. As does too little exercise. Those aren’t value judgements and should absolutely have nothing to do with our self worth. But as they have health implications, I do think doctors should raise them (same as drinking and smoking). The issue comes when it’s handled badly or when other conditions are ignored because a doctor just assumes you need to lose weight / stop smoking / stop having hormones…!
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 885 Member
    The issue comes when it’s handled badly or when other conditions are ignored because a doctor just assumes you need to lose weight / stop smoking / stop having hormones…!

    I bet so many people relate with this. So true and frustrating! Really well said.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    ddsb1111 wrote: »
    The issue comes when it’s handled badly or when other conditions are ignored because a doctor just assumes you need to lose weight / stop smoking / stop having hormones…!

    I bet so many people relate with this. So true and frustrating! Really well said.

    Complete agreement.
    Yes some doctors are amazing.

    But not all of them. And when you’re a member of a marginalized group the potential of having a doctor who is especially (redacted) to you is definitely higher.

    I’ve had some whoppers of bad medical professionals. Some because of my weight, some because of my (at the time) very low income. And, although it’s rarer now, a few absolute stinkers who looked down on their female patients.

    And, though I have always appreciated my current physician, she’s been my physician for over a decade. At first her attitude was OK, but fairly dismissive. Which I was used to from doctors so it didn’t really stand out. But now that I’ve lost so much weight her attitude is MUCH better.
    And the only thing that has changed about me is my weight loss….

    So ya. Doctors are human.
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,539 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    And I hope that Chris is recovering well!
    Thanks. I have had my stitches out for almost three weeks. It's 100%. I never stopped running. But I quit going to my yoga class. I really should have gone two weekends ago, and definitely should have gone last weekend. I'm just a locked down creature of momentum and entropy. I pray the great driver of things gets my behind to class this upcoming weekend.
  • may14423
    may14423 Posts: 27 Member
    OMG, this has been a constant in my life. Which is sort of odd, considering the highest my BMI has ever been is about 25. Every doctor's visit since I was about 7 years old has included something about how I need to lose weight (which is how I was put on weight watches by my concerned mother at 9 years old), and I have had chronic pain conditions for that entire time which I was told would go away if I "just lost weight". I had chronic untreated migraines 4-5x a week for almost 8 years (until I was 16) before I tried a specialist who did not blame my weight (I was about 130 then) and actually gave me meds, which almost completely resolved my pain. I am now off those meds and not looking forward to seeing my regular doctor again in July.
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 885 Member
    may14423 wrote: »
    OMG, this has been a constant in my life. Which is sort of odd, considering the highest my BMI has ever been is about 25. Every doctor's visit since I was about 7 years old has included something about how I need to lose weight (which is how I was put on weight watches by my concerned mother at 9 years old), and I have had chronic pain conditions for that entire time which I was told would go away if I "just lost weight". I had chronic untreated migraines 4-5x a week for almost 8 years (until I was 16) before I tried a specialist who did not blame my weight (I was about 130 then) and actually gave me meds, which almost completely resolved my pain. I am now off those meds and not looking forward to seeing my regular doctor again in July.

    That sounds absolutely horrible. Are you able to change doctors? I can’t imagine the anxiety you must have everytime you go.
  • may14423
    may14423 Posts: 27 Member
    ddsb1111 wrote: »
    may14423 wrote: »
    OMG, this has been a constant in my life. Which is sort of odd, considering the highest my BMI has ever been is about 25. Every doctor's visit since I was about 7 years old has included something about how I need to lose weight (which is how I was put on weight watches by my concerned mother at 9 years old), and I have had chronic pain conditions for that entire time which I was told would go away if I "just lost weight". I had chronic untreated migraines 4-5x a week for almost 8 years (until I was 16) before I tried a specialist who did not blame my weight (I was about 130 then) and actually gave me meds, which almost completely resolved my pain. I am now off those meds and not looking forward to seeing my regular doctor again in July.

    That sounds absolutely horrible. Are you able to change doctors? I can’t imagine the anxiety you must have everytime you go.

    No, still seeing the same doctor.

    What's funny, though, is that looking back through my health records from the age I was first put on the diets, my BMI was only 17.5. In what world were those diets appropriate? It wasn't until about 2 years later (11 years old) that I had a heavier BMI that leveled out at 24-25 for a while.
  • Adventurista
    Adventurista Posts: 2,110 Member
    Interesting study on impact of medical providers/doctors tone, framing and words.

    https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-11-07-doctors-communication-style-can-boost-patients-weight-loss-success-first-its-kind
  • arieswrite1
    arieswrite1 Posts: 16 Member
    I had a 4-month follow-up with my hip surgeon on Wednesday (went through a hip replacement in late February). After verifying that everything was still in place and I was healing well, the surgeon turned to asking me what I planned to do to lose weight. He pointed out that the new hip will likely last longer if I was not as heavy as I am now. (5'4", 217 lbs).

    I told him I was already working on making changes to my diet and walking more now that I wasn't constantly limping and in pain. It's a small step, but I'm down 5 pounds since the surgery and now I'm a little more motivated to finally keep going this time. I want to be noticeably lighter when I see him again next March.

    Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't say anything about it before the surgery.
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 885 Member
    edited July 2
    Adventurista wrote: »
    Interesting study on impact of medical providers/doctors tone, framing and words.

    https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-11-07-doctors-communication-style-can-boost-patients-weight-loss-success-first-its-kind

    We’ve long known the impact psychology plays in Interior Architecture and Design, it seems some doctors don’t take that aspect as seriously.

    Here’s an earlier study describing junior doctors not using their patient care training, even though it was fresh in their mind, and without years of hospital wear and tear:
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452301116301225

    What I wish they discussed more is, why?

    Here is an opinion piece by a doctor awhile back, and a good read if you’re interested:
    https://scepticemia.com/2011/10/31/trick-or-treatment-do-doctors-encourage-poor-patient-behaviors/
  • Adventurista
    Adventurista Posts: 2,110 Member
    Robert0802 wrote: »
    I have prostate cancer and while a large part of that is genetic being obese has not helped me. My oncologists has been very open about increasing my chances of it not coming back after treatment. Don't drink alcohol and exercise. Obviously changing my diet is part of that as it makes exercise more effective. So 6 weeks into a program I have increased my activity to 7000 steps a day and 3 x 30 minute swims in a week. I just wish I had been told 20 years ago, when I was in my early 40's and was starting to put on weigh, that I was damaging my health chances. You might say "you should have known" and I sort of did but I always thought there is enough time to change, 20 years has flown by.

    bold is mine

    @Robert0802 ~ sorry about the cancer! glad you are working on changes!

    i remember, with smoking - there was a lot of glamourous advertisement, glorification and then started getting negative ads on the harms from surgeon general, like the warnings on packages.... My employer offered stop smoking classes... it was a total shift in mind-set, and I can remember struggling to quit and remember feeling defiance, resistance, grief at times when quitting.... The one thing that ever helped was the realization that tobacco companies were trying to profit from me smoking, not trying to help me... No point to this, other than, yeesh, time and attitudes change... is what it was... Hopefully future generations will break the chains and these kinds of things will be better... Hope you have great results from your treatments and efforts. Hang in!

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