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Does your doctor comment on your weight?
Replies
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What is wrong is MD NEEDING to view medicine as a business rather than focus on what is important (health). Too many critics/patients who are easily offended ("snowflakes" if you will) from hearing the reality can unfortunately hurt a practice with the advent of extremely biased online reviews (these are not real reviews, they are rants).
MD asks me if I am trying to put on weight or if I am aware I put on weight the one time my office visit weight fluctuated (+10lbs)...I'm usually rock solid/consistent +/-2-3 lbs from same weight time & time again. They should ask because unintentional weight gain or weight loss can be a sign of an underlying condition developing or not yet known (diabetes, hypothyroidism, edema, congestive heart failure, etc for weight gain, Ulcerative colitis, IBS-D, hyperthyroidism, HIV, TB, cancers, etc. for weight loss).
Goes without saying but not offended (but glad) if they ask about weight12 -
Nope. My MD sucks plan on switching ASAP.0
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Yes. I insist on having a doctor that isn't going to placate me or withhold medical opinions because it may hurt my feelings. What's the point of going to a doctor who can't be honest?
I appreciate his honesty and directness in discussing my health.7 -
Glad I stumbled across this thread! My annual exam is coming up and I have been a little lackadaisical about weight lately. I went back a year on MFP and see that I am 6 pounds heavier than at the same time last year. Time to start paying better attention!
My doctor and I always touch on my weight, along with a whole checklist of other health concerns. She is very thorough. Two years ago (after a year on MFP) we had this conversation:
Dr. Katie: Looks like you've lost some weight!
Me: Yes (beaming)! I'd still like to lose a little bit more. (Me thinking 5-10 but I didn't say it).
Dr. Katie: 15?
Me:
Last year:
Dr. Katie: Wow, your weight is really great!
Me: YES! and I'm feeling really good!
End of conversation about weight.
Switch to discussion about exercise.
Now, part of the reason I love my doctor is that she is a little overweight herself, so she totally understands the struggle. She doesn't give me a ton of grief about it but we do talk about it.
I'm going to try hard to drop a few pounds before my appointment in a couple weeks. I want to continue the trend of doctor approval.
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Yes, and I am very grateful. My primary care doctor patiently and kindly explained to me seven years ago that I had high blood pressure, hypoglycemia, and joint problems because I weighed almost 200 pounds and the best way to fix the problems was not medication, but for me to eat a healthy diet and start exercising. She gave me print outs of the DASH diet as a starting point. I listened and tackled the problem head on. I met my first goal of getting off of blood pressure medications within 3 months and when I went back in for a check up, she told me that she had given many people copies of the DASH diet sheet and only a very few actually used the information to help themselves get healthier. She put me on a path to being much healthier and fitter in my 50s than I was in my 30s and 40s. The key is that you have to be open to the message. I have known people with extreme morbid obesity who changed doctors in anger because the doctor told them they needed to do something about their weight. "Doctors are stupid and they don't know anything" puts the blame on the doctor, but the consequences of avoiding change land squarely on the patient.7
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I 100% think that a doctor should comment on your weight if your having health implications that could be down to it. People are way too sensitive these days, if your overweight and suffering issues then it’s a bit of a no brainer to lose some weight2
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I tried to bring my weight up with my doctor and she dismissed it. The next time I saw her I was 15lbs lighter and she didn't talk about it even after I told her I was working on my diet and exercise. My blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol had improved significantly. I kind of wanted a "way to go" from her or keep up the good work or something. My dog's vet checks his weight every time I take him in and she initiates a conversation about how his weight is.5
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Both my GP and my psychiatrist go over my vitals every time I see them. "BP, looks good". "Weight, within normal range." Or, If I've just bulked, they will say they see I'm up a bit and once I tell them why, they say great, I'll note that.
I would not be comfortable with a doctor that didn't bring up weight with their patients.3 -
I have no problem with a doctor having a frank discussion with someone about their weight. However, based on my kid's experience and many others I know...that doesn't happen very often. The medical community seems to be unable, in many cases, to actually talk about weight in a helpful way.
Doctors are notorious for putting on 'overweight' goggles and attributing ANY problems you have to weight, if you are overweight. Every time my kid (adult kid) has been overweight and comes in with a problem, the doctors quite literally attribute it to weight immediately. So until doctors can actually view weight with less bias, then I think they should think long and hard about whether to bring it up, personally.
I am not saying that there aren't things that weight can cause. There is quite a bit, obviously. But a doctor needs to at least CHECK their assumption of causation, you know? And they aren't doing that. Even here, I'm seeing folks talk about doctors telling them what problems weight caused...and it doesnt sound like they had a discussion, they were just told. Whether it's right or not, it's really poor medical practice to just decide that without at least a small exploration of the assumption.
Like, for example, if someone comes in with pain that has been going on 'for months now,' a couple questions would do the trick. 'What weight were you when the pain started?' and 'has this gotten worse or better with any weight changes you have gone through?'
But these questions don't happen. As an example, my kid has been told that her joint pain is due to weight. They never ask questions to find out that she's had joint pain when she was barely 100 pounds and underweight, and that it does not seem to fluctuate with her weight but simply grows increasingly worse over the years.
I have numerous friends who are overweight who were ill for years because of this, as no matter what they described, the doctors were sure it was simply because they were overweight. When one lost 100 pounds and the problem was getting worse rather than better, the doctor STILL told her that weight must be the problem. She ended up in the ER and had to rushed into emergency surgery, in the end.
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I have no problem with a doctor having a frank discussion with someone about their weight. However, based on my kid's experience and many others I know...that doesn't happen very often. The medical community seems to be unable, in many cases, to actually talk about weight in a helpful way.
Doctors are notorious for putting on 'overweight' goggles and attributing ANY problems you have to weight, if you are overweight. Every time my kid (adult kid) has been overweight and comes in with a problem, the doctors quite literally attribute it to weight immediately. So until doctors can actually view weight with less bias, then I think they should think long and hard about whether to bring it up, personally.
I am not saying that there aren't things that weight can cause. There is quite a bit, obviously. But a doctor needs to at least CHECK their assumption of causation, you know? And they aren't doing that. Even here, I'm seeing folks talk about doctors telling them what problems weight caused...and it doesnt sound like they had a discussion, they were just told. Whether it's right or not, it's really poor medical practice to just decide that without at least a small exploration of the assumption.
Like, for example, if someone comes in with pain that has been going on 'for months now,' a couple questions would do the trick. 'What weight were you when the pain started?' and 'has this gotten worse or better with any weight changes you have gone through?'
But these questions don't happen. As an example, my kid has been told that her joint pain is due to weight. They never ask questions to find out that she's had joint pain when she was barely 100 pounds and underweight, and that it does not seem to fluctuate with her weight but simply grows increasingly worse over the years.
I have numerous friends who are overweight who were ill for years because of this, as no matter what they described, the doctors were sure it was simply because they were overweight. When one lost 100 pounds and the problem was getting worse rather than better, the doctor STILL told her that weight must be the problem. She ended up in the ER and had to rushed into emergency surgery, in the end.
This is the same thing I get as a type 1 diabetic. Everything is attributed to diabetes. Doctors are not always thorough.
Not all health issues in an obese patient are caused by weight. However, it is still a good idea for people to achieve a healthier weight. Physicians should still bring it up.0 -
I have no problem with a doctor having a frank discussion with someone about their weight. However, based on my kid's experience and many others I know...that doesn't happen very often. The medical community seems to be unable, in many cases, to actually talk about weight in a helpful way.
Doctors are notorious for putting on 'overweight' goggles and attributing ANY problems you have to weight, if you are overweight. Every time my kid (adult kid) has been overweight and comes in with a problem, the doctors quite literally attribute it to weight immediately. So until doctors can actually view weight with less bias, then I think they should think long and hard about whether to bring it up, personally.
I am not saying that there aren't things that weight can cause. There is quite a bit, obviously. But a doctor needs to at least CHECK their assumption of causation, you know? And they aren't doing that. Even here, I'm seeing folks talk about doctors telling them what problems weight caused...and it doesnt sound like they had a discussion, they were just told. Whether it's right or not, it's really poor medical practice to just decide that without at least a small exploration of the assumption.
Like, for example, if someone comes in with pain that has been going on 'for months now,' a couple questions would do the trick. 'What weight were you when the pain started?' and 'has this gotten worse or better with any weight changes you have gone through?'
But these questions don't happen. As an example, my kid has been told that her joint pain is due to weight. They never ask questions to find out that she's had joint pain when she was barely 100 pounds and underweight, and that it does not seem to fluctuate with her weight but simply grows increasingly worse over the years.
I have numerous friends who are overweight who were ill for years because of this, as no matter what they described, the doctors were sure it was simply because they were overweight. When one lost 100 pounds and the problem was getting worse rather than better, the doctor STILL told her that weight must be the problem. She ended up in the ER and had to rushed into emergency surgery, in the end.
Unfortunately doctors aren't any better than the rest of us at figuring out how to use statistics properly. Any patient who is not a "typical case" is likely to be ignored. The problem is that "typical" often means less than half of all cases!
Swollen calf, possible blood clot? Flex your foot, if it doesn't hurt it must not be a blood clot. But this sign is only present in about 30% of cases. That's a significant number, but not enough that a lack of it should be used to rule out a problem which may suddenly develop into a life threatening pulmonary thrombosis!
Obese adult presenting with diabetes? Must be type 2! Except some obese adults do develop type 1 - and it usually takes a year of useless medication for doctors to investigate further.
Slender woman younger than 50 with chest pain? Probably a panic attack or pulled muscle - until the woman keels over dead.
I'm not sure how to correct this error in thinking. Doctors already take statistics. And we don't really want them to ignore the most common possibilities. But humans are just not good at thinking outside the box.3 -
I went to a new doctor 4-5 months ago. I was weighed, etc and asked about everything including my sex life except my weight. I am about 20 lbs overweight I know and carry a lot of weight in my belly but my doctor did not tell me I was overweight or speak about weight at any of my appointments. I was not asked if I had gained or lost weight. General recommendations of more vegetables, lower fat intake and regular exercise were brought up but no mention of weight management. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, probably perimenopausal and weight was not brought up. My blood pressure and cholesterol were a bit higher than they should be and there was no mention of weight.
I was surprised. I thought weight would be at least mentioned briefly considering a family history of diabetes, heart disease, cancer. I guess I don't need a doctor to tell me I am overweight and should lose weight to reduce health risks. The doctor doesn't really know that I know that though.1 -
It’s really sad to me that doctors are choosing not to mention weight problems to their patients.
Would a doctor ever feel like it was awkward or uncomfortable to tell their patient they needed to take high blood pressure medication? Would a doctor avoid offending a patient by simply not telling them they had diabetes? No!
It’s important to be kind and considerate when talking about a sensitive issue (e.g. weight), but not talking about it at all does a disservice to the patient.2 -
I have no problem with a doctor having a frank discussion with someone about their weight. However, based on my kid's experience and many others I know...that doesn't happen very often. The medical community seems to be unable, in many cases, to actually talk about weight in a helpful way.
Doctors are notorious for putting on 'overweight' goggles and attributing ANY problems you have to weight, if you are overweight. Every time my kid (adult kid) has been overweight and comes in with a problem, the doctors quite literally attribute it to weight immediately. So until doctors can actually view weight with less bias, then I think they should think long and hard about whether to bring it up, personally.
I am not saying that there aren't things that weight can cause. There is quite a bit, obviously. But a doctor needs to at least CHECK their assumption of causation, you know? And they aren't doing that. Even here, I'm seeing folks talk about doctors telling them what problems weight caused...and it doesnt sound like they had a discussion, they were just told. Whether it's right or not, it's really poor medical practice to just decide that without at least a small exploration of the assumption.
Like, for example, if someone comes in with pain that has been going on 'for months now,' a couple questions would do the trick. 'What weight were you when the pain started?' and 'has this gotten worse or better with any weight changes you have gone through?'
But these questions don't happen. As an example, my kid has been told that her joint pain is due to weight. They never ask questions to find out that she's had joint pain when she was barely 100 pounds and underweight, and that it does not seem to fluctuate with her weight but simply grows increasingly worse over the years.
I have numerous friends who are overweight who were ill for years because of this, as no matter what they described, the doctors were sure it was simply because they were overweight. When one lost 100 pounds and the problem was getting worse rather than better, the doctor STILL told her that weight must be the problem. She ended up in the ER and had to rushed into emergency surgery, in the end.
The original cause of the joint pain may have not been weight, but I can guarantee you the excess weight isn't going to help that joint pain any. Doctors will always look for the most likely cause to any ailment and work from there. If you don't feel they are adequately triaging an issue and exploring all options then find another doctor who will. There is a wide range of issues that can be caused by obesity so it makes sense to focus on an obvious way to prevent further medical issues.5 -
I remember one doc we went to commenting, "well, you'll die of heart disease like everyone else does". That was about it. It was some health scares outside of the docs office that led me to lose 60 plus pounds and keep it off for around 5 years and running now. In his defense, they only are allotted like 15 minutes a patient. I'm sure that many really wish they could mention weight. But would that open up a debate? Some people insist they are fat but bit, yada, yada. Others would want hormones tested, etc., then the doc would have to explain that they'd have to make a separate appointment for that (I would think). It's more the system than the doc in my humble opinion. They are supposed to be like GreatClips, 4 patients an hour, just enough time to prescribe a pill and next one!2
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midwesterner85 wrote: »I have no problem with a doctor having a frank discussion with someone about their weight. However, based on my kid's experience and many others I know...that doesn't happen very often. The medical community seems to be unable, in many cases, to actually talk about weight in a helpful way.
Doctors are notorious for putting on 'overweight' goggles and attributing ANY problems you have to weight, if you are overweight. Every time my kid (adult kid) has been overweight and comes in with a problem, the doctors quite literally attribute it to weight immediately. So until doctors can actually view weight with less bias, then I think they should think long and hard about whether to bring it up, personally.
I am not saying that there aren't things that weight can cause. There is quite a bit, obviously. But a doctor needs to at least CHECK their assumption of causation, you know? And they aren't doing that. Even here, I'm seeing folks talk about doctors telling them what problems weight caused...and it doesnt sound like they had a discussion, they were just told. Whether it's right or not, it's really poor medical practice to just decide that without at least a small exploration of the assumption.
Like, for example, if someone comes in with pain that has been going on 'for months now,' a couple questions would do the trick. 'What weight were you when the pain started?' and 'has this gotten worse or better with any weight changes you have gone through?'
But these questions don't happen. As an example, my kid has been told that her joint pain is due to weight. They never ask questions to find out that she's had joint pain when she was barely 100 pounds and underweight, and that it does not seem to fluctuate with her weight but simply grows increasingly worse over the years.
I have numerous friends who are overweight who were ill for years because of this, as no matter what they described, the doctors were sure it was simply because they were overweight. When one lost 100 pounds and the problem was getting worse rather than better, the doctor STILL told her that weight must be the problem. She ended up in the ER and had to rushed into emergency surgery, in the end.
This is the same thing I get as a type 1 diabetic. Everything is attributed to diabetes. Doctors are not always thorough.
Not all health issues in an obese patient are caused by weight. However, it is still a good idea for people to achieve a healthier weight. Physicians should still bring it up.
Everything is my Crohn's apparently even my idiopathic gastroparesis. I'm pretty underweight (17.5 bmi and dropping) because of the gastroparesis but my GI isn't doing anything about it because I'm not dead yet. I wish I could have a real discussion about my weight with him.
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My dr tells me the advantages to losing weight. She encourages me to lose but does not shame me2
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I mention my 30 lb weight gain to my endocrinologist (thyroid issues) and she dismissed it. She said it's not that bad, I weighed 175 at 5'6 5", which for me was very high. I wasn't obese by comparison, but certainly was trending towards obesity.
I never went to her again.
I wish she would have helped with suggestions or even acknowledged an issue instead of giving positive reinforcement.0 -
If a doctor does not comment on weight (significant over/under or change vs prior visit) they are ignoring the elephant in the room (no pun intended) as to possible health issues.3
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If I had a doctor who did not bring up potential health risks....I would find a new doctor.
I don't pay money to professionals to paint rosy pictures...I want an honest assessment. My primary care physician just retired and my endocrinologist is nearing retirement, meaning I need to find a new physician who puts patient care above political correctness.4 -
Being overweight isn't as much of a concern for me as the consequences of being overweight, such as hypertension, type II diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. If my A1C is high and is a risk factor for heart disease, then I want to know how to respond. I expect my doctor to look the data at and help me understand risk factors. If losing weight helps, great, I need to know that. What I want is the truth. My doctor is helpful in that regard.2
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I don't think I've been there since 2014 so no lol0
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No, but I've never been to the doctor for a weight-related issue/something that could potentially be caused by my weight or fixed by losing weight. I once had a doctor ask if I wanted to be weighed backwards/not be told my weight. I was normal weight at the time. I know people who don't want to go to the Dr. because they don't want to be weighed. Maybe they were thinking it's better for people to come in and avoid that vs. not coming in at all?
My mom lost a lot of weight and her doctor asked her how she did it. She tracked calories (old school in a notebook, not on MFP). He said, "You know, writing down everything is what people seem to have the most success with." Of course her response was, "Then why didn't you tell me that years ago?!"2 -
My primary care doc said that we need to discuss my weight at my visit last year. So we discussed it. And, when I went to another doc - she just put on my chart that i was obese. Aaaaaaah.... I hated that. I was only 2 pounds into the higher category. Now that was a year ago. And, I can't wait to go back - so she can see that I'm only overweight now. I really want that obese designation off my chart. And, if I wait long enough for the visit, well, I'm only 7 pounds from a normal BMI.1
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It is funny I saw this topic this evening. For the past few years my doctor has told me to lose weight. I had an appointment in a few months, I thought it would be great to have lost 30 or so pounds and walk into his office.
Something came up and I went into the doctor's office today, I have lost 20lbs/9kgs and he said nothing about it. I was very disappointed he didn't say anything. My blood pressure is much lower, and he said nothing about it it either.1 -
DoubleUbea wrote: »It is funny I saw this topic this evening. For the past few years my doctor has told me to lose weight. I had an appointment in a few months and I was planning to weigh a lot less. Something came up and I went into the doctor's office today, I have lost 20lbs/9kgs and he said nothing about it. I was very disappointed he didn't say anything. My blood pressure is much lower, and he said nothing about it it either.
Well, that is downright disappointing !!! No congratulations job well done from the doc. I would have been like - did you know, I lost 20 pounds from last visit? And, wow - my BP is much better than last time, right?????1 -
Yep, even when I was skinny as anything I weighed high on my BMI, I assume it was down to my muscle, I was riding horses a lot for work and very strong and toned but still above the average BMI. I told people and they all told me if I had lost any weight I would start to look sick. So don’t know how that worked 😅
Now I’m further up in my BMI and not in that same shape, iv been told I need to loose weight and now I can actually say she is right.0 -
I have a follow-up in two weeks after I have some tests done, maybe I will say something if he doesn't.1
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I remember going to a doctor's appointment for my mother when I was about 21-22 and the doctor actually looked me over (when I was obese) and said something like, "You're pretty overweight too, you don't want to end up like your mom here do you?" It mortified me. No doubt it encouraged me to lose weight, but I can't say it was healthy or done in a good way.
Another time I was weighed (at 116 lbs...much lower than the weight I was in the last paragraph) and the nurse decided it was her duty to tell me about when she was 96 pounds -20 lbs lower than me- that she was forced onto an eating plan and she looked "waaay skinnier" than me. This was completely unprompted and definitely triggered some bad eating habits afterwards.
It seems like whether I am large or small, someone has SOMETHING to say.2 -
Yes, he said he wishes more patients would watch what they eat and not just ask for a pill to resolve issues.
When he suspected me of T2D, I did ask about Metformin in the short term, as it's pretty effective, and he agreed that it would be appropriate as a temporary measure for now.
After losing ~40 pounds, my fast BG has dropped from in the 170-180 mg/dL range to 95-110 mg/dL range since Valentines Day. A1C dropped from 7.3% to 5.4% in the same period. After I lose another ~20 pounds, I'll probably come off the Metformin.
I already, with his approval, skip the daily dose if I wake with a fasting BG of less than 100.3
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