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Does your doctor comment on your weight?
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Only my OB/GYN mentioned my weight once at one of my last pregnancy check-ups because I’d put on more than the recommended weight. I was disappointed and anxious at first because I’ve always been very body conscious and had never had my weight mentioned by a doctor before. I’m actually very open to a discussion about it now, and am surprised that it hasn’t been mentioned more often since because I still carry about 20 pounds from the pregnancy, but I do suspect that my PCM felt I’d seek care when I was ready - which I have, but I had to mention it to her. I too tend to carry my weight well, but I don’t expect that has anything to do with it.0
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I had a doctor say "Have you been eating a lot of junk food?" right when I was stepping on the scale when I was 16 years old. I was within healthy limits though a little above average (57th percentile), but certainly not anywhere near being overweight. I was very athletic (competing figure skater), didn't drink juice or soda, rarely ate dessert, and mostly just ate rice, vegetables, fruit, and tofu. Because of that offhand comment, I became obsessed with counting calories and thought I must be a terrible eater that had junk food all the time. What if the carbs in the rice were making me fat? What if the sugar in that apple I had was making me fat? Maybe offended isn't the word, but I got much more worried about what I ate and paranoid about weight gain.
I came back as an adult considerably lighter and got referred to nutrition and got surprised comments about how I was noticeably underweight now. It seems that no matter if I'm heavier or lighter, the doctor isn't happy with my weight.
So now I've figured that as long as my weight isn't causing me health problems, I don't think I want to worry about the doctor's comments.4 -
Yes, my doctor tells me it would be beneficial to my health to lose weight.0
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I had a doctor say "Have you been eating a lot of junk food?" right when I was stepping on the scale when I was 16 years old. I was within healthy limits though a little above average (57th percentile), but certainly not anywhere near being overweight. I was very athletic (competing figure skater), didn't drink juice or soda, rarely ate dessert, and mostly just ate rice, vegetables, fruit, and tofu.
Certainly bad timing for that question. However, the question in its self seems quite appropriate for a teen age physical. Although you were eating healthy, a lot of average-weight teens are not. It can catch up to them later. Teens are usually just starting to branch out from what their parents are feeding them. An excellent time for a doctor to focus on healthy eating rather than on weight.
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I had a doctor say "Have you been eating a lot of junk food?" right when I was stepping on the scale when I was 16 years old. I was within healthy limits though a little above average (57th percentile), but certainly not anywhere near being overweight. I was very athletic (competing figure skater), didn't drink juice or soda, rarely ate dessert, and mostly just ate rice, vegetables, fruit, and tofu.
Certainly bad timing for that question. However, the question in its self seems quite appropriate for a teen age physical. Although you were eating healthy, a lot of average-weight teens are not. It can catch up to them later. Teens are usually just starting to branch out from what their parents are feeding them. An excellent time for a doctor to focus on healthy eating rather than on weight.
I think the wording was bad... the Dr should have asked "what does your diet look like/what do you typically eat?". It's more open ended, which allows for an actual answer.6 -
I've never had a doctor comment on my weight, not even when I lost weight which kind of surprised me as I have thyroid issues so you think they would ask if it was intentional. Although I was once asked by a nurse practitioner if I was eating "a lot of burgers and pizza" back when I was borderline obese.0
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Had my yeary physical check up today. I weighed in at 188lbs. By BMI standards I'm basically obese. But my doc stated that I look fantastic at 188lbs and my muscular body exceeds many 30 year old men she's seen. And I'll be 60 in 4 months.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Had my yeary physical check up today. I weighed in at 188lbs. By BMI standards I'm basically obese. But my doc stated that I look fantastic at 188lbs and my muscular body exceeds many 30 year old men she's seen. And I'll be 60 in 4 months.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Hope this isn’t a weird question but what’s your BF% ? That seems to be more important than BMI for athletes typically, right? I think this is an important detail for most of us regular people lol. Congrats on the great checkup! The more “mature” I get the more I realize this means a whole lot.0 -
right now about 23%.Had my yeary physical check up today. I weighed in at 188lbs. By BMI standards I'm basically obese. But my doc stated that I look fantastic at 188lbs and my muscular body exceeds many 30 year old men she's seen. And I'll be 60 in 4 months.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Hope this isn’t a weird question but what’s your BF% ? That seems to be more important than BMI for athletes typically right? Congrats on the mostly great checkup.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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right now about 23%.Had my yeary physical check up today. I weighed in at 188lbs. By BMI standards I'm basically obese. But my doc stated that I look fantastic at 188lbs and my muscular body exceeds many 30 year old men she's seen. And I'll be 60 in 4 months.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Hope this isn’t a weird question but what’s your BF% ? That seems to be more important than BMI for athletes typically right? Congrats on the mostly great checkup.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
At nearly 60 with your amount of muscle mass I can see why the doctor thinks you
look great. Quick Google search says 41-60 yrs old: Underfat: under 11 percent, Healthy: 11-22 percent, Overweight: 22-27 percent, Obese: over 27 percent.
Do you agree with the idea that your muscle mass contributed to your higher BMI count but putting you in the barely overweight category instead of the obese category? Or do you feel it still doesn’t represent you?0 -
I'm a little overweight yes. By about 15-20lbs. But will get that off by Jan 2024 when I'll be celebrating my 60th bday on the beach in Boracay.
right now about 23%.Had my yeary physical check up today. I weighed in at 188lbs. By BMI standards I'm basically obese. But my doc stated that I look fantastic at 188lbs and my muscular body exceeds many 30 year old men she's seen. And I'll be 60 in 4 months.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Hope this isn’t a weird question but what’s your BF% ? That seems to be more important than BMI for athletes typically right? Congrats on the mostly great checkup.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
At nearly 60 with your amount of muscle mass I can see why the doctor thinks you
look great. Quick Google search says 41-60 yrs old: Underfat: under 11 percent, Healthy: 11-22 percent, Overweight: 22-27 percent, Obese: over 27 percent.
Do you agree with the idea that your muscle mass contributed to your higher BMI count but putting you in the barely overweight category instead of the obese category? Or do you feel it still doesn’t represent you?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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BuiltLikeAPeep wrote: »Does anyone else have a problem with a doctor addressing weight and nothing else? I have been to several different doctors who, after explaining why I was there, would start out with "ok, but what are you doing to lose weight?" Like, what does that have to do with (insert non-weight related issue here)? I could understand if i was being seen for bad knees or hips, but not things like ear aches. For example, last year I went to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack. I was released with an appointment for a covid test and a diagnosis of "obesity ". I turned to the back of my discharge papers and found out my blood pressure, glucose, hemoglobin, vitamin d, potassium, magnesium and creatnin were all low.
I was just wondering if it happens a lot.
I once went to the ER with stomach pain. (I'm with the VA and that's what they told me to do.) I told them I had very large uterine fibroids and while they did some tests, they stopped looking. And on my discharge papers I saw the supposed reason for my visit was fibroids, when that was only an FYI, and the very clearly stated reason for my visit was stomach pain.0 -
Always, it’s the next level … first they blame everything on smoking so you stop smoking then they blame everything on your being over weight then it’s ‘your over 40…’ months m sure the last one will be you’re 100 how are you not dead yet 🥴
I’m not offended it’s just annoying 🙄
Yes, back in the 90s I was having neurological symptoms and was told it was due to my age. I was 30 O_o
The building I worked in turned out to have toxic mold. I'm so grateful the next doctor I went to specialized in environmental illness.0 -
paperpudding wrote: »oh dear.
I work in health care and I certainly dont get any kickbacks from Big Pharma or Big Shopping or any other such thing
Neither do the doctors. They don't get paid any money to prescribe anything
I must be in wrong country
I'm only aware that it is a thing in the US. And not a direct "pay to prescribe" thing.
We Found Over 700 Doctors Who Were Paid More Than a Million Dollars by Drug and Medical Device Companies
ProPublica has been tracking drug company spending on doctors since 2010. We just updated our database and found that companies are still paying private doctors huge sums for promotional talks and consulting.
Back in 2013, ProPublica detailed what seemed a stunning development in the pharmaceutical industry’s drive to win the prescription pads of the nation’s doctors: In just four years, one doctor had earned $1 million giving promotional talks and consulting for drug companies; 21 others had made more than $500,000.
Six years later — despite often damning scrutiny from prosecutors and academics — such high earnings have become commonplace.
More than 2,500 physicians have received at least half a million dollars apiece from drugmakers and medical device companies in the past five years alone, a new ProPublica analysis of payment data shows. And that doesn’t include money for research or royalties from inventions.
More than 700 of those doctors received at least $1 million.
Read more: https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-over-700-doctors-who-were-paid-more-than-a-million-dollars-by-drug-and-medical-device-companies0 -
I’m absolutely gobsmacked and horrified by that information. The NHS is broken in lots of ways but at least not in this way! Wow. 😮kshama2001 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »oh dear.
I work in health care and I certainly dont get any kickbacks from Big Pharma or Big Shopping or any other such thing
Neither do the doctors. They don't get paid any money to prescribe anything
I must be in wrong country
I'm only aware that it is a thing in the US. And not a direct "pay to prescribe" thing.
We Found Over 700 Doctors Who Were Paid More Than a Million Dollars by Drug and Medical Device Companies
ProPublica has been tracking drug company spending on doctors since 2010. We just updated our database and found that companies are still paying private doctors huge sums for promotional talks and consulting.
Back in 2013, ProPublica detailed what seemed a stunning development in the pharmaceutical industry’s drive to win the prescription pads of the nation’s doctors: In just four years, one doctor had earned $1 million giving promotional talks and consulting for drug companies; 21 others had made more than $500,000.
Six years later — despite often damning scrutiny from prosecutors and academics — such high earnings have become commonplace.
More than 2,500 physicians have received at least half a million dollars apiece from drugmakers and medical device companies in the past five years alone, a new ProPublica analysis of payment data shows. And that doesn’t include money for research or royalties from inventions.
More than 700 of those doctors received at least $1 million.
Read more: https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-over-700-doctors-who-were-paid-more-than-a-million-dollars-by-drug-and-medical-device-companies
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I don't care if a dr. tells me to lose weight, but sometimes they assume you need to lose weight so that's probably all that's wrong with you. Sometimes, weight gain causes health problems; and sometimes, other health problems cause weight gain. I think some doctors forget that sometimes.
Okay, long story follows but this is why it's so important to advocate for yourself with doctors when they dismiss everything else because you're overweight:
I lost 10 yrs of my life with my health going downhill. When it started I was overweight-- chubby mom who didn't take off all the baby weight-- but I had always been very active, playing basketball or freeze tag with my kids, dancing for hours on a night out, camping and hiking trips. Until I started getting more and more tired, more and more achy. Drs say "just lose weight."
Fast forward 5 yrs. I can still work and do chores and stuff, but I have no where near the energy I did have. Now, I trudge along and get through things, and I'm exhausted at the end of the day and stop doing stuff that used to be fun. My joint aches are making it difficult to be active and it's starting to depress me. I gain weight, and am diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I'm getting occasional heart palpitations, but dr. gives me EKG and it doesn't happen then, so she just tells me women sometimes get heart palpitations and it's normal, but my heart is fine. Drs say: "just lose weight."
Fast forward 2 more years, I rarely go out. I don't play with my kids anymore, it's a chore just to get through a day doing the minimum I need to take care of them. I have itchy rashes all over my skin. My joints hurt so bad sometimes I can't sleep. I get night sweats. I have what I called "heart flutters" a lot, like daily on and off. I'm always tired and having anxiety attacks and out of breath. I'm hating myself for failing at everything. I switch to working at home because my job as a photographer was too physical for me. I'm eating mostly junk because I haven't the strength to shop or cook, and I'm comfort eating due to the depression. Beg dr's for help, they run some tests and say "Just lose weight."
Time goes by, it's getting worse, and worse. I developed a cough that comes with the "heart flutters." I get to the point when I'm hardly leaving the house anymore. Just walking from one room to the next leaves me achy and winded. Showering knocks me out. I need to sleep with no blankets and two fans on me. I'm neglecting my kids, they learn to fend for themselves for a lot of things or my husband or mother have to help.
By year 8 or 9, I'm so discouraged by Drs I barely wanna go to them anymore, and when I do I don't try to get them to look deeper anymore. I've gained more than 100 lbs since all this started. They still say "just lose weight." And I hate myself more and more for failing every time I try to follow their advice.
Year 10, I can't barely walk to the bathroom and back. I've gained like 150 lbs since this started. I need help bathing. I'm getting my "heart flutters" and cough every 30 to 60 seconds, nonstop night and day. Every few minutes I wait to see if I'm just having a heart attack and wonder if I'm gonna die. I'm sleeping 18-20 hours per day and still tired the rest of the time. I realize I haven't left the house to even step out on the porch in a year. I'm still working at home but only part time. I'm always mad achey and always shoveling in Tylenol and Ibuprofen or I can't get thru the day. My marriage is affected terribly from the stress. I hate going to drs. Last dr visit like this and I'm told I've got chronic bronchitis without further tests, I'm put on a cough syrup, and told "just lose weight."
Finally I'm taken to the ER against my will. They do some tests and tell me I probably have non-Hodgkin lymphoma. They admit me and spend 10 days doing batteries of tests. Nurses are always like "you're still sleeping?" It finally comes down to exploratory lung surgery, because I've got no other signs of cancer.
Turns out I had a rare auto-immune disease. A treatable one that is rarely fatal, even though it came close to killing me. It's mainly attacking my lungs, joints, and skin. And the "heart flutters' are actually heart arrythmia due to low blood oxygen levels.
I was treated with steroids, which got the auto-immune disease out of control but sent my diabetes out of control. I still got winded easily and my muscles were so weak I was in a wheelchair for a couple of years doing PT till I got back enough strength to walk. The depression and frustration of it all unfortunately took quite a bit more time and effort to heal. My marriage never healed, and I ended up divorced. He got sick of being responsible for everything, and started cheating.
But I'm down 80 lbs. now, and my diabetes is not only under control but almost reversed, my auto-immune disease flare-ups are rare, and I can walk and do things again; still low on energy and stamina and strength in comparison to what I was before it all started, but I'm still working on it. And I'm finally finding peace of mind and depressive episodes are rare. Recovery has been slow but steady.
So yeah, I wasn't just this fat, lazy chick who didn't wanna exercise or eat right after all. Turns out that "just lose weight' meant my doctors weren't doing their job. Had they just listened to me and looked past my weight, they might have caught it years earlier and prevented the spiral downward.
Dr's should mention people's weight, sure, but when you're overweight you have to be careful and forceful in advocating for yourself when your doctor chalks all your problems up to weight.
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wow, @MacLowCarbing
Thanks for telling that story, and I'm really glad you are on the mend. :flowerforyou:1 -
I saw my Dr. In March. She prescribed a new blood pressure pill, a statin for cholesterol. Next time I saw her was September. I lost 40 lbs during that time. The nurse didn't mention it when she weighed me. The Dr. didn't mention it in the 30 minutes we talked. Just talked about blood pressure. Other people are noticing. Other people are mentioning it.
What's up?
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Not directly. If I see a specialist they usually write in their letter that I'm petite. Across a table they only see my slim face I guess. I mean, I'm not overweight but carry a lot of weight on my lower body.0
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Several years ago, I went to the doctor with fatigue, ankle pain, and pitting edema. She said "You're just fat". Just like that. I went to another doctor and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Which causes weight gain.
Recently, my doctor, mentioned I have a vitamin deficiency. I took it has away for her telling me I need to eat healthier. So I'm here to lose some weight by eat fewer calories each day without intentionally restricting any nutrients.0
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