Morbidly Obese doctors

karensoxfan

I had a morbidly obese Dr. once, and it bothered me b/c when I saw him, he never advised me that I needed to lose weight for my own health.

My current doctors are all thin/healthy weight, and have advised me to lose weight/fat for my health, which I appreciate.

So if obese doctors are less likely to advise their patients about the risks/benefits of weight & weight loss, then that's a problem. Otherwise, I can acknowledge that they're human, and subject to the same temptations & challenges as the rest of us, so who am *I* to criticize or judge them for their own condition? To me, it's no worse than doctors who smoke and know all the risks associated with that, but do it anyway.

tamtamzz

C'mon now.

As long as they are good, competent doctors I couldn't care less about their weight, or anything else pertaining to their personal life. That is their business. Would you feel more comfortable going to a fit doctor who will misdiagnose you? My gynecologist is a man, and he delivered both of my children. Maybe I should stop going to him since he doesn't have a uterus.

tehzephyrsong

My boyfriend's parents are doctors. Surgeons, specifically, so they're mostly in the business of fixing problems rather than preventing them in the first place (mom's specialization is plastic surgery, dad is a general surgeon), but still - you'd think their particular line of work would make them *more* inclined to make good decisions. His dad eats more salt in a single day than I do all week, pouring the stuff on his dinner plate before he even tastes it. His dad is also probably about 40 pounds overweight, easily. Their clients seem to like them, so I guess they do good work, but it's still troubling.

YoungDoc2B

Nope, none of my doctor's have ever been overweight. With that being said, I feel as though it's important to lead by example, especially in a healthcare field. That's why I'm taking the steps needed now in order to be a positive rolemodel for my future patients.

skylark94

I do think that regardless of their lifestyle, doctors need to hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to health. When my daughter was in the hospital it always made me nuts to look out the window and see the number of doctors and nurses standing just off the property to smoke.

"Do as I say, not as I do" should not apply.

Why shouldn't it apply? If a doctor knows how to make someone healthy or healthier, are you suggesting that they shouldn't do it because they don't keep themselves healthy?

I'm saying that doctors should not be allowed to use "Do as I say, not as I do" as an excuse to be unhealthy. They need to lead by example.

Edit to add- I'm not saying a doctor can't be a bit overweight, but obese is or smoking is another thing. I prefer my and my children's physicians practice what they preach.

bpotts44

Last doctor I went to was a urologist and I think his finger was too big.

TrimAnew

They are human and capable of faults just like us. More hospitals and other health care fields nowadays are pushing their employees to lose weight and show healthy lifestyles. I know--for a fact--that some require employees in positions of power to weigh in or meet other health goals (like to stop smoking).

We all know how hard it is to lose weight and the pressure we put ourselves under. Can you imagine having your boss tie your work goals and bonus pay to how much weight you've lost or gained lately!? I'm mean, it's great that they are taking notice and want their employees to practice what they preach, but I personally would not want that sort of personal/professional cross on something like that! Can you imagine the extra pressure that adds?

Odds are that any doctor or nurse you know that is overweight is already well aware of it and may even be working to change it. If they work with a large system there are likely incentives and employee fitness programs that they are strongly encouraged or even required to participate in. But that doesn't mean they can do it overnight or that they'll want to tell you all about it. They deserve privacy too.

ValerieMartini2Olives

For a regular doctor like a general practitioner to be overweight... whatever. But I'm not going to heed his/her advice to lose weight if they give it to me.

If I'm seeing a nutritionist or dietitian who is overweight... we got a real problem here.

However, I feel if you are working in the health field, you should probably be pretty healthy.

linz1125

I honestly. Think I'd see a doctor who was morbidly obese. I could handle a little overweight- but not morbidly obese. That is a serious conflict in my book- they obviously aren't interested in their own health, why would they truly be invested in mine. I'm not saying they shouldn't practice medicine, I just prefer not to go to them. If I knew my doctor smoked I would also find another doctor. In my eyes, a doctor should be utilizing the knowledge they have to live the best possible life. If they ignore all of that information and live an unhealthy lifestyle, what are they ignoring about my health?

NeverGivesUp

A doctor's knowledge has nothing to do with what they choose to do with their knowledge. Maybe they have conditions that make it extremely hard for them to lose weight. One never knows. My doctor is my good friend (yes kind of awkward) and she has a perfect body. I do have issues with marriage councelors or psychologists giving advice when they can't even make their own marriages work though.

ChgingMe

I honestly. Think I'd see a doctor who was morbidly obese. I could handle a little overweight- but not morbidly obese. That is a serious conflict in my book- they obviously aren't interested in their own health, why would they truly be invested in mine. I'm not saying they shouldn't practice medicine, I just prefer not to go to them. If I knew my doctor smoked I would also find another doctor. In my eyes, a doctor should be utilizing the knowledge they have to live the best possible life. If they ignore all of that information and live an unhealthy lifestyle, what are they ignoring about my health?

:drinker:

withabandon

I honestly. Think I'd see a doctor who was morbidly obese. I could handle a little overweight- but not morbidly obese. That is a serious conflict in my book- they obviously aren't interested in their own health, why would they truly be invested in mine. I'm not saying they shouldn't practice medicine, I just prefer not to go to them. If I knew my doctor smoked I would also find another doctor. In my eyes, a doctor should be utilizing the knowledge they have to live the best possible life. If they ignore all of that information and live an unhealthy lifestyle, what are they ignoring about my health?

:drinker:

Less than you would imagine. They are getting paid, afterall, to be invested in your health. Money talks. LOL Same reason my sister will go and spend hours cleaning someone else's house for an hourly wage but lives in a pigsty.

gsmithnp

Don't we generally go to the doctor to get their help and opinion/ advice?
I don't go there to judge them for their lifestyle, their size does not make their medical degree any less valid.

but since a lot of their requests are personal opinion.. if they don't know how to live a healthy lifestyle, its hard for them to really be helpful in perusing one.

Then again, im not there for their advice... Im normally only there to tell them run this test and give me the numbers, or give me an antibiotic.
I look at it a lot like a car mechanic. While there are great mechanics out there, none of them are going to put the same amount of time effort and commitment into my car as I will.. they cant get it as good because they cant commit that much time to one car. I might not know anything about your car, but I know mine inside and out..... same thing goes for myself.

UMMM...did you go to medical school? How do you know you need an antibiotic or whatever? What qualifies you to make that determination? You may certainly REQUEST something specific, but your provider is going to determine if that is indeed indicated based on your condition, their training, and current research.

And just so you know, it IS a provider's job to give advice, whether it's to prevent illness/injury in the first place (called "primary prevention") or to treat an existing condition ("secondary prevention").

And on the original topic--as someone who works in health care, I feel very hippocritical if I recommend healthy habits and then turn around and eat a brownie and drink a soda and not exercise. I may not be perfect, but at least I'm trying, and I have a little more empathy for patients who truly struggle.

bradphil87

One of my friends is a doctor, he smokes and drinks regularly (he is not overweight tho) however because he makes those choices it doesn't have any baring at all over his knowlage of medicine. 9/10 times anyway
People don't listen to their doctor when they tell them something they don't want to hear. " you need to get your blood pressure down or your going on meds." they say "I will work on it doc" and 6 months later they are worse than they were because they've been hitting the drive thru everyday at lunch. The truth is, whatever the doctor looks like/does in his spare time has no baring over the fact he DOES know what you should do to get/stay healthy (even if they do not follow it themselves.)

neverstray

My mom's oncologist was very overweight. It was weird, but he was the best. So, whateves.

MrDude_1

Don't we generally go to the doctor to get their help and opinion/ advice?
I don't go there to judge them for their lifestyle, their size does not make their medical degree any less valid.

but since a lot of their requests are personal opinion.. if they don't know how to live a healthy lifestyle, its hard for them to really be helpful in perusing one.

Then again, im not there for their advice... Im normally only there to tell them run this test and give me the numbers, or give me an antibiotic.
I look at it a lot like a car mechanic. While there are great mechanics out there, none of them are going to put the same amount of time effort and commitment into my car as I will.. they cant get it as good because they cant commit that much time to one car. I might not know anything about your car, but I know mine inside and out..... same thing goes for myself.

UMMM...did you go to medical school? How do you know you need an antibiotic or whatever? What qualifies you to make that determination? You may certainly REQUEST something specific, but your provider is going to determine if that is indeed indicated based on your condition, their training, and current research.

And just so you know, it IS a provider's job to give advice, whether it's to prevent illness/injury in the first place (called "primary prevention") or to treat an existing condition ("secondary prevention").

And on the original topic--as someone who works in health care, I feel very hippocritical if I recommend healthy habits and then turn around and eat a brownie and drink a soda and not exercise. I may not be perfect, but at least I'm trying, and I have a little more empathy for patients who truly struggle.

well.. im im there for an antibotic... its because I have an infection. lol. it was just an example.

and yes. I was a doctor....


but it turns out im a total quack.

opuntia

Does anyone have one? My doc is about 60 or so pounds overweight. Am I the only one that finds this disturbing?

Why is it disturbing? Is it impairing his/her ability to do the job? If it was a surgeon and the weight was slowing his/her reflexes and fine motor control, then yes, I'd find it disturbing. If it was a GP, whose job is to use medical knowledge to diagnose and advise me, rather than to cut me open, it wouldn't worry me in the slightest.

Although if I had an obese doctor who was lecturing me on being overweight, I would find it quite amusing, and I'd probably say 'But you're fat too - do you find it a struggle to watch your weight?' In fact, in reality, they'd probably be more understanding of the difficulties involved in losing weight. When I was at uni, I had a disability support worker who also had a disability herself, and I found that gave her a lot of insight that a non-disabled support worker wouldn't have.

Years ago, though, I saw a counsellor who was very obese, and this did actually make me question her ability to do her job, because counselling is all about emotional health, and so I expected a counsellor to have a reasonable amount of emotional health and control in order to be able to help me with mine. I was very young then - I might have a different attitude now. I'd probably be less quick to judge. Incidentally, she turned out to be a rubbish counsellor - really very bad at her job - although of course that could have been the case if she were slim too!

blackcoffeeandcherrypie

No, I like knowing I'm talking to a fellow human who knows what it's like to have a weight problem. People who've never struggled with their weight can sometimes be very judgemental. Give me a fat old woman who's seen it all and done it all, any day :-P

redhousecat

my oncologist was overweight. She was very cognoscente of the fact and made it quite clear to her patients. But she was (gasp) human. She learned she had thyroid trouble, and commenced to treating it. She educated herself in nutrition, and exercised when she could. She had not lost alot of weight before I moved, but the effort was there.

Just like many busy people, I think dr's in that situation just need a little more time to fit exercise into their schedule. As long as they can diagnose/treat me properly, I surely don't care what they look like.

I'm sure many people would bash the obese dr if he/she chose WLS as well. Everyone wants perfection, yet do little to perfect themselves.

heytherestephy

My doctor is in good shape, but he's an extremely active person. Not that he eats well at all though LOL I once watched him down a danish the size of my head.

redhousecat

My gynecologist is a man, and he delivered both of my children. Maybe I should stop going to him since he doesn't have a uterus.

:laugh:

21June

No, you most certainly are not, ). Going to see a doctor who tells you that you need to lose weight when they are like that themselves or worse seems kind of hypocritical if you ask me! They should be setting a good example!

Bentley2718

Doctors are human, just like everyone else.

BR3ANDA

I went to a "quick weight loss" clinic group meeting last year with a friend who was using it, the Dr (the one who owned the clinic) walks in weighing about 350#, could barely talk after the walk from his car to the clinic ( a whole 30 yards at least) saying he has been dong this for 10 years and his patients have had great success, all I have to say is "Practice what you preach".

jeffrodgers1

My Doctor followed my lead... she now runs to work 2 days a week and cycles the other 2. Seriously. After I lost 80 pounds thru diet and exercise, we had a very candid discussion (which included MFP, and discussing execise).

Afterwards, She started to exercise as well. I am proud to say I helped her regain her health.

Now how many people can say that?

greeneyed84

I go to a military hospital and since all the docs there are military they are required to stay fit, which i think is great. I wouldn't wanna hear from an obese doctor that i'm obese and need to lose weight. It's hypocritical! lol.
I know of obese nurses though, i can imagine it's not easy to be in the hospital for so many hours and not being able to really eat. BUT i think they do need to be in shape.

justdazed

None of my doctors have been obese but this is reason #1 why I'm apprehensive about pursuing a degree in Nutrition. I feel people would be judgemental because I'm not at a healthy weight (yet).

NoAdditives

I do think that regardless of their lifestyle, doctors need to hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to health. When my daughter was in the hospital it always made me nuts to look out the window and see the number of doctors and nurses standing just off the property to smoke.

"Do as I say, not as I do" should not apply.

This. If you work in health care, you should be healthy.

lorib75

They're human and have their own struggles too, including with their weight. Just because a person knows better doesn't necessarily mean that they do better. I'd be more leery of a doctor on a ridiculous fad diet than an overweight one.

This!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd say if a NUTRITIONIST is obese that is more offensive to me. Dr's spend long hours at the hospital where the only food available at some times is the vending machine crap. They've also been through medical school and with that comes late night study sessions and living on caffeine. Then the binge eating after an all nighter!!!
So should they be held to a higher standard just because of the degree they hold? Sheesh!:ohwell:

Akimajuktuq

If the doctor is following the nutritional advice that they give out to their patients, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he/she is morbidly obese. Most doctors do not have the education that they should have if they choose to advise on nutritional issues (key word "most" not "all").