Unhealthy people working in the healthcare field

peachyxoxoxo

I don't mean to be judgmental, since I'm trying to lose weight myself, and I know others may be on a weight loss journey of their own.

However, I'm currently a dietetic intern at a nursing home. Nearly every resident has some sort of nutrition related diagnoses - hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthrosis, GERD, IBS, sleep apnea, heart disease, etc. Of course they are all on a million different medications as well. My question is, when you are working around patients/residents who have these conditions and you can clearly see the impact of a poor diet in so many different manifestations, why wouldn't you be doing something to take control of your own health so you can avoid those things in the future? We were sitting in a meeting at 9am the other morning and I noticed an employee eating a candy bar and a bag of Doritos. At lunch a lot of people eat salads with bacon, cheese, creamy dressing, etc. Are they just oblivious or are they under the impression that "it's not going to happen to them"? A lot of the employees are very overweight as well. Why do I see so many unhealthy choices being made?

Impy84

i question fat nurses all the time. I just don't trust em.

LatinaButterfly

I once walked out of a doctors appointment when I saw that the doctor was at least 100 pounds overweight and his nails were yellow from cigarette smoke. If they don't take care of themselves then they have nothing to offer me.

cramernh

To be honest, I wont pass judgement.

I work in healthcare... The health system I work in has well over 300+ physicians of well over 30 different areas of medicine and combined medicinal therapies.

The OBGYN that delivered my daughter 19 years ago was a hispanic older gentleman who did have some pounds on him, but I didnt take that into consideration of his ability to affectively give care. The man saved my life as I was rolled into emergency surgery to have a C-section.

My PCP is a man who has known me for 22 years and knows that prior to taking me on as his patient, he knew the abuse I put up with from other PCP's who just didnt give two craps about the mysterious problems I was going through. He didnt toss me aside. The man was my mother's favorite customer - she used to serve him and his family dinner.. and the man ate some pretty unhealthy meals from time to time... I didnt care because that was done on his personal time. He helped me avoid being quarantined when my liver was failing due to extreme high doses of insulin was flooding my body right as I was about to be hospitalized.

My Dermatologist is a loving and caring individual, shares a practice with his wife. The man is unfortunately gaunt for someone 6'5", but does his best considering he too, has problems. I honor the ground the man walks on as he helped me with my hair-loss problem and made no judgement against me. I just had my last visit with him, and I cried knowing I wasnt going to be seeing him again because he was just that damn good of a doctor, but also a friend. Out of all his patients, I willingly chose to be part of a case study for women dealing with a number of medical problems like I am. He trusted me as a fellow medical professional, a patient and friend to give him the data he needed.

We are all human beings with a variety of problems going on, whether work-related, personal related, health-related, etc. What right do I have to pass judgement on them? Absolutely none whatsoever.

HiKaren

I got *****ed out before because I was trying to make this exact point on a different forum months ago... This poor lady, went to the doctor, and a very overweight nurse was telling her about watching her diet... That she was overweight... It kinda irritated the lady/patient because the nurse, should take her own dang advise. Whats good for the goose, is good for the gander.. Is that what they say? I worked in a long term care facility for a SHORT time, and it seemed that the other heathcare workers were not setting a good example either. Im sure there are many that do set a great example, and take good care of themselves.. Just the percentage is lower than we should expect. Thanks for reinforcing this theory. Cause I believe this too.

peachyxoxoxo

We are all human beings with a variety of problems going on, whether work-related, personal related, health-related, etc. What right do I have to pass judgement on them? Absolutely none whatsoever.

I'm not questioning their ability to do their jobs well. I work with many wonderful people. I'm just wondering why they make the choices they do in regards to their own health when they can see firsthand how those bad decisions are impacting others.

christine24t

I am an RN and when I was a student, I decided to lose weight because I knew it would be important to my practice. Practice what you preach.

1Kristine1

i question fat nurses all the time. I just don't trust em.

Just because a nurse is fat doesn't mean she can't do her job. Eating unhealthy is a choice, one she probably knows she is making. Just like many other people in other professions.

And to comment on a post made above about the overweight nurse giving nutrition advice: When you go to the Dr's office, the appointment is about/for you. The advice the nurse is giving you is probably still good advice and needed if the client is overweight. A person may or may not choose to follow it. Just because the nurse is overweight, doesn't mean she has no clue about nutrition (she went to school for 4yrs to get that degree, she knows something). She just chooses to live her life a certain way. That shouldn't impact the fact that a pt may need that advice. To make a decision, whether or not they want to take better care of themselves or not.

caegem

LOL.......would you think twice about hiring a FAT lawyer? or a Fat chef??? Come on people!! Ive been a nurse my entire life, and im smart enough to know that we are all different, and I certainly know that no one is perfect either!! If you were perfect you wouldn't need us fat dysfunctional health care workers to save your *kitten* when your dying! Geeze!!!!

1Kristine1

I am an RN and when I was a student, I decided to lose weight because I knew it would be important to my practice. Practice what you preach.

My weight loss is for me.

Jodibear58

I am a Nurse. An ICU Nurse to be exact. I have struggled all my life with my weight. We are all human. We all struggle with our own demons.

MadiRose2

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ZoeyRobinson

I don't have a problem with overweight people. I know how hard it is to lose weight. I do however have a problem with smokers. I went to the ER for a very bad migraine and the nurse smelled like cigarette smoke. It was so bad I ended up throwing up on her. If i could throw up on every smoker I would.


I also have problems with nutritionist who say to eat "whole wheat bread everyday" I have been told this by multiple nutritionists. I have celiacs for crying out loud and they are telling me to eat wheat. Even if I didn't have celiacs wheat causes inflammation and your blood sugar to soar and then crash.

Sorry that was my rant.

mermx

A couple of years ago pre MFP I went to see my doctor about my weight 180lbs I was desperate to have lipo and tummy tuck he gave me this long talk about primates etc. he prescribed xenical (which didn`t work. I went ot the lipo clinic the specialist told me to lose 30lbs to be a good candidate.

Both the doctor and the specialist doc were super overweight!

Not saying they are not good at what they do, but it is a bit soul destroying when the `experts` are not really in a position to advise on obesity

EDesq

i question fat nurses all the time. I just don't trust em.

Do you question your hair stylist with that JACKED Do? What about doctors with drinking problems? What about supposedly smart people who DO or Say DUMB things? What does being fat has to do with getting me meds or giving me a shot or wiping my *kitten*??? NOW, if I saw an overweight or obese Nutritionist or Trainer I'd have a problem, but maybe I would NOT because I would NOT select them for those services. Use some common sense!

aleciaj7

Wow! This goes ALL over me! I'm a nurse and have been for 4 years now. I, however, have been overweight all of my life. My being overweight hasn't once EVER affected my ability to do my job. I have coded 500lb men and been thrown back in on compressions way more than I would've ever liked because I was the ONLY nurse doing them effectively. I think this is all about a person's journey. Sure the nurse giving the doctor's prescribed diet advice might have been overweight, how do you as a patient know whether or not she's trying to diet on her own? Yes as a nurse I've personally seen all of the ill effects of what being overweight does to a person, which is why I'm trying VERY HARD, might I add, to change my life now before it gets any harder or further down the road. I think the important thing to remember here is if you have negative thoughts about someone else it's typically a reflection of something you don't like about yourself.

In response to why they might make those choices.... many of us are here because we've made bad food choices most of our lives, combine that with working a 13 hour day at a very high stress level and barely having time to pee, much less eat a real lunch and that's probably why they make those choices. Not saying they're right, but I've definitely done it before, which is why the saying if you don't plan, you're planning to fail is so true.

teacupowl

I have a couple of nurse friends who are just a tad overweight. It's mostly because they're so overworked, they don't even get a chance to eat. They've even told me some evenings all they have time for is to grab a candy bar out of the snack machine. So yeah, when they don't even get a provided opportunity to sit down and eat healthy, or course their metabolism is going to go a little haywire. So what if they put on a little weight? They're still some of the best, most dedicated people I know.

However, being overweight in the fitness and nutrition field is a pet peeve of mine. :-P

nursenikki829

We are all human beings with a variety of problems going on, whether work-related, personal related, health-related, etc. What right do I have to pass judgement on them? Absolutely none whatsoever.

^^^^This
As a nurse, and someone who has spent many years overweight, everyone needs to realize that we are all regular people with the same problems as everyone else. Obviously we should be trying to set an example for patients, but we are not perfect. I am 1 lb. away from being a normal BMI for the first time in my adult life, but losing over 50 lbs hasn't made me a better nurse *surprise!*. It is also to take into account that many people in the healthcare field work crazy hours, making healthy food choices more difficult. I this is the proper mindset, then we shouldn't trust skinny chefs or teachers that don't have children.

MsTanya77

LOL!!!! back in the day we used to have smoke rooms on the same floors as patient rooms in our hospital, but now our staff is much more health conscious and most of the clinical staff I see look pretty healthy, now as far as eating, I have seen some doctors and nurses eat alot of junk and drink alot of soda, but maybe it's because of the long hours they have to work and the days they have to spend at the hospital caring for patients, they prob don't have time to really think about staying healthy...........

africaa

I'm a nursing major right now and losing weight was influenced by that a little...I've just always been the type to get annoyed by nurses / doctors who tell me to lose weight but who are overweight themselves...I mean I don't like to judge people because I don't know their story/situation, but I'd rather be a healthy/fit nurse..

thepanttherlady

If the unhealthy portion is strictly dietary, no one will become healthier (whether it be food choices or losing weight) until they're ready.

Sad but true, no matter what they see on a daily basis.

ETA: What I read out of the OP was them wanting to know why anyone would continue making unhealthy choices in their lives when they see what the direct results of those choices are in the patients they care for.

ktsmom430

Health care workers are human, just like the rest of us. Refusing to take advice from them regarding poor choices they may make in their personal lives is prejudice. They make poor choices, like many of us. It does not mean that they are unable to counsel persons that seek help regarding health issues.
A rep from our insurance company was at my work place last December helping with health screenings for myself and my co-workers. She admitted that she, personally, was not a perfect representative for good health, but she too is working on getting there. This screening, 7 months ago, was the beginning of my life style change. I listened to this woman, because she had good information, and she has the same issues, as many of us have, to deal with. Perhaps this information coming from a "perfect" human would have been enough to discourage me from even trying.
Judging anyone, at any job because of personal appearance, is unfair and wrong, as is any prejudice.

amiguito123

I got in trouble once when I questioned a really overweight nurse about her ability to give me any good nutrition advice. She reported me to the union and the hospital and almost got banned from returning... I have always felt the same way about doctors and nurses who don't seem to take care of themselves and they work in the healthcare field only because that's what they went to school for and it is just another paycheck to them. My new doctor specializes in sports medicine and he's tall, skinny, and coaches me a lot about how to control my weigh through exercise and measured food intake. I trust him and his advise with my life.

lausa22

The size of the person has nothing to do with the quality of care they can give.
A lot of people on here will be parents, and they will probably be over weight (or were over weight) that doesn't stop them from being a good parent!
Doctors and Nurses save lives every single day. Their eating habits or weight have little to do with their abilities. As long as they can save lives and do their job, they can do whatever they want in their personal lives.

lrivera85

I work on a cardiac floor in the hospital. I had patients tell me to my face, it's funny you all give us advice on how to eat and that we should exercise, but it looks like your not following your own advice. yeah they had a point, However, not everyone can get healthy. Health care workers work crazy hours and shift sometimes you can go without taking a break. I work third shift so I don't get my recommend 8 hours of sleep especially with my two girls running around. It was easier for me to pick some fast food than cooking. But in the end the choice is their. I'm happy I made the right one for me and my girls.

kodom_123

I don't mean to be judgmental, since I'm trying to lose weight myself, and I know others may be on a weight loss journey of their own.

However, I'm currently a dietetic intern at a nursing home. Nearly every resident has some sort of nutrition related diagnoses - hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthrosis, GERD, IBS, sleep apnea, heart disease, etc. Of course they are all on a million different medications as well. My question is, when you are working around patients/residents who have these conditions and you can clearly see the impact of a poor diet in so many different manifestations, why wouldn't you be doing something to take control of your own health so you can avoid those things in the future? We were sitting in a meeting at 9am the other morning and I noticed an employee eating a candy bar and a bag of Doritos. At lunch a lot of people eat salads with bacon, cheese, creamy dressing, etc. Are they just oblivious or are they under the impression that "it's not going to happen to them"? A lot of the employees are very overweight as well. Why do I see so many unhealthy choices being made?

I don't particularly share this view but my husband works at the hospital as a security gaurd and this is his complaint about respiratory therapists...they all go in and tell their patients with breathing issues NOT to smoke and they see what smoking does to their bodies and then they go every chance they get to take a smoke break. Their choice really to do that damage to their body....but then they come back insde with all the smoke particles on them and go to the resp. floor and take care of patients that have breathing issues. They smell of smoke and carry it on them into the rooms...he thinks they should at the very least be required to change their shirt and cover their hair when out for a smoke break.

ldrosophila

I'm actually a Registered Dietitian, and although I am morbidly obese it doesn't stop me from doing my job well. Like many Dietitians I struggle with a food addiction/disordered eating. We all make choices, and those of use in the healthcare field understand the consequences. Many times it is more than just making a bad choices, its time contstraints, self destruction, not feeling spiritually in tuned to your body. I struggle with my weight. I'm trying to respect my body and make the right choices, but it's an on going battle. I do think that my struggle helps me have more empathy for my residents. I know what they mean when they say I just can't stop eating, and how difficult it is for them to change life long habits. Yes, I'm fat but that doesnt stop me from caring for my residents and using my best clinical judegment to ensure that they have quality life. In the end, thats why we are in healthcare to help people.

AmyW4225

Going through Nursing school is what encouraged me to lose weight! Just knowing everything that can happen to our bodies, when we don't take care of ourselves, scared the crap out of me! I felt like I could hear my arteries clogging up! Not to mention, I felt like patients would be judging me, if I were overweight!

Bevigal

Both a fat doctor and his fat nurse saved my life when it was in jeopardy...I was thankful for both their knowledge and training and I can assure you their dietary habits were not on my mind at the time.

peachyxoxoxo

We are all human beings with a variety of problems going on, whether work-related, personal related, health-related, etc. What right do I have to pass judgement on them? Absolutely none whatsoever.

I'm not questioning their ability to do their jobs well. I work with many wonderful people. I'm just wondering why they make the choices they do in regards to their own health when they can see firsthand how those bad decisions are impacting others.

Everyone is taking this the wrong way! Reread this ^^ post and my first post!

I am NOT saying it's impacting how they do their jobs or the quality of care. Not at all.

Personally, working around patients with chronic diseases, it makes me want to do ANYTHING I can to avoid ending up like that. I guess other people just might not feel the same way.

tnrunningnurse

So let me start off by saying I am a nurse, but I am fit and healthy. Next let me say, people who work in health care are no different than any other person, yes we know what is good and bad for us, but we have the same stress (probably more) as everyone else, we also have the same damn tastebuds, I mean let's face it food that is bad for us is tasty right????? Just because we know better doesn't mean we as healthcare workers have better willpower. I see respiratory therapist who smoke, the treat lung cancer patients all the time. The same struggles the non healthcare worker faces, is the same thing we as healthcare workers face, finding time to excercise, making good food choices. Do I think we should make a better effort of course, we need to be examples to our patients. Okay I am off my soapbox now.