Healthy BMI, Doc Says I Still Need to "Drop a Few"

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Replies

  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    In general you won't get the best health care from a doctor that you don't feel comfortable talking to about your body. You don't have any real investment in this doctor-patient relationship yet. Maybe it makes sense to find another doctor. I'm your height and when I was younger and fitter, 130 would have been too high, but people are different. And a more muscular person can also weight more, even a higher BMI, and still be healthy. Your doctor may be right, but again, if you don't feel you can trust her judgement and talk with her about it, you may be better off with a different doctor.
  • jenlatham
    jenlatham Posts: 17 Member
    Your doctor sounds like a dweeb.
  • Idolina_Marie
    Idolina_Marie Posts: 18
    Ok, are you actually healthy though? I mean are your blood tests also in the middle of the range, or veering close to or over the ends? Any chance of problems with lady parts? Do diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease run in your family? Are any immediate family members your doc's also treated suffering from obesity-related diseases?

    I'm not expecting answers, my point is your doc has actually evaluated you, while the BMI chart compares individuals to a population and doesn't give individualzed info, like your doc can.

    Again, when the doc came into the room, this was literally this very FIRST thing we talked about (and taking blood pressure and pulse, which is great). After she mentioned my height/weight that my nurse recorded, she then took my family history sheet. I wouldn't consider myself a health nut, but I am certainly health conscious and I would say that the majority of the time I lead a healthy lifestyle. I will admit that during high stressed times during school (I'm a grad student) I can easily put on a few pounds if I'm not careful-- but since I'm aware of this, I try to do what I can to avoid it. Sometimes I'm not as successful, but I always manage to get back on track. I've never had any health issues.

    Sorry, I"m having a slow night. So, in order, it was:

    Hello -> BMI measurement & recommendation/BP/pulse -> family history? And no (even casual) discussion in between about metabolic disoders (like e.g. PCOS)?

    In that case, I can see why you might be a bit miffed, esp if she was brusque. You should actually give her feedback on this. She can't improve if no one tells her. Most people just switch docs. (Or switch, and give feedback later, either way she should know).

    Sorry, I worded that very poorly- I meant to say at the point she came in she already HAD my BP/Pulse (the nurse did height, weight, BP/Pulse, I was told my BP/Pulse were great). So when the doctor came in, she had that basic information, then commented on my BMI. After, she asked me for the family history sheet that I had filled out so she could enter the info in the computer. The way this doctor's office did it was they sent the paperwork to my residence, I filled it out, and was told to hang on to it until the doctor asked for it. She didn't comment on any of my family history though? Which is odd, because diabetes does run in some of my family.

    Honestly, I think I've reacted so strongly just because I've never had a doctor comment on my weight, even when I've asked their opinion with doctors I've had in the past. However, I don't think I'll go back, just because I like to feel comfortable with my provider. Also, we just moved, so switching doctors might be best anyway since her office is 1 1/2 hours away (appointment was made a while before we even knew we were moving). I did fill out a feedback from at the office, I basically just said it wasn't a good fit- I'm not a fan of minimizing a professional's expertise/experience even if we didn't click on a relational level, I make a point to separate liking/disliking from good doc/bad doc :)
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    I am 5'4 and before I started (August 2011 mind you) I was at my highest weight of 136 pounds. Had my bf% tested, it was in the obese category.

    Just saying that bmi is a poor scale IMO. I was at a healthy bmi, but an unhealthy bf%. Don't take it personally, I'm sure she probably said it because she felt it was true.

    I feel my *personal best* between 108 and 114. :)

    Same story as the above poster. At 5'5" and 140lbs, I had an obese BF%. You're on this site to lose a few pounds and feel good about yourself, but you're also here to be healthy. If you've got a pretty flat stomach at 140-145, then you may be at a healthy BF%, but you should get that checked out. In your doctor's experience, there's probably a lot more women on the high end of the healthy BMI range whose BF% is too high, and she thinks if you're at a lower weight you'll probably be healthier. Still, she should have explained her reasoning better to you (or perhaps you should have asked more questions...?). You should know WHY she's concerned about what she's concerned about.
  • Idolina_Marie
    Idolina_Marie Posts: 18
    I am 5'4 and before I started (August 2011 mind you) I was at my highest weight of 136 pounds. Had my bf% tested, it was in the obese category.

    Just saying that bmi is a poor scale IMO. I was at a healthy bmi, but an unhealthy bf%. Don't take it personally, I'm sure she probably said it because she felt it was true.

    I feel my *personal best* between 108 and 114. :)

    Very true! It's amazing how people at the same height can essentially look the same but have varying weight differences.... You are right though, BF% does make a huge difference. I've probably lost some muscle tone just with not getting in as many workouts as I'm used to (school is crazy right now) but it's not an excuse, and I know it should be a priority no matter what, which is why I'm now trying to get back on track. I'm definitely looking forward to toning up before summer, it does make such a difference!
  • Gary_AquaMan
    Gary_AquaMan Posts: 52 Member
    BMI is only one number. It can be misleading and therefore as others have mentioned, it should be taken in context with your build and fat percentage.
  • Docmahi
    Docmahi Posts: 1,603 Member
    Because you put this out there to the masses, I am going to give you an honest assessment. I think you are self-conscious about your weight and reacting extremely defensively to your doc's recommendation. You are using language that is WAY more melodramatic and forceful than the doctor used. You say you are being "punished" for being at the upper part of a healthy BMI range and that you're being told you "NEED" to lose weight when by your own admission, your doctor simply said she'd LIKE to see you drop a few pounds. That language is far less harsh and punitive than you are interpreting it.

    BMI is only one indicator of healthy weight, and you are clinging to it because it fits with what you want. A doctor who makes medical recommendations based on BMI alone is not worth her salt, and I strongly suspect she made the recommendation based on multiple factors. Is your blood pressure slightly elevated? Do you have a family history of heart disease? Diabetes? (I am already anticipating, based on your responses to previous posters, that you will insist that every single aspect of every test/family history was NOT the reason she made this recommendation).

    She is the one with a decade of medical education under her belt. At the end of the day, if you're happy in the 140-145 range, then fine. It's your body. Own it. You're an adult. Get some thicker skin. Yes, your doctor is in a position of authority but you always have the right to say "thanks, but no thanks."

    I truly respect your honest feedback. You are right, I am being really over sensitive. I guess I've just never heard this kind of feedback from a doctor before, so hearing that today was a total and complete shock--I suppose that's why I'm taking it so hard. However, you ARE right that if I truly felt 100% comfortable, it shouldn't bother me this much. It's really making me re-evaluate how I reacted. Granted, I still do think she could have presented it in a better way; but perhaps she truly only meant it as a recommendation and not as a condescending statement. Honestly though, I appreciate your genuine feedback, I think it's what I needed to hear. I could probably feel more confident in myself, even when I'm not at my "ideal". Having a positive body image is important, so maybe it's something I can work on so I'm not so hard on myself when I'm not at my personal perfect weight.

    if your physician said something that made you uncomfortable then you need to tell them.

    I am surprised that she came in and started with BMI - normally life style modification isn't the leading question, but there may be more to the story and its hard for us to speculate what your physician was thinking. BMI isn't as a poor a scale as MFP forum posters make it out to be - but that being said your BMI is 25 (if i remember your OP) which is fantastic, but maybe your physician knows something about your body habitus or health history that we don't

    I guess my whole point is that its an important relationship and important that you feel comfortable - so dont be scared to tell her that you were offended and you have questions, you will build a better relationship doing so. I would much rather someone tell me I upset them, then just carry on not knowing and they don't show up anymore
  • Idolina_Marie
    Idolina_Marie Posts: 18
    I am 5'4 and before I started (August 2011 mind you) I was at my highest weight of 136 pounds. Had my bf% tested, it was in the obese category.

    Just saying that bmi is a poor scale IMO. I was at a healthy bmi, but an unhealthy bf%. Don't take it personally, I'm sure she probably said it because she felt it was true.

    I feel my *personal best* between 108 and 114. :)

    Same story as the above poster. At 5'5" and 140lbs, I had an obese BF%. You're on this site to lose a few pounds and feel good about yourself, but you're also here to be healthy. If you've got a pretty flat stomach at 140-145, then you may be at a healthy BF%, but you should get that checked out. In your doctor's experience, there's probably a lot more women on the high end of the healthy BMI range whose BF% is too high, and she thinks if you're at a lower weight you'll probably be healthier. Still, she should have explained her reasoning better to you (or perhaps you should have asked more questions...?). You should know WHY she's concerned about what she's concerned about.

    Very good point, it's certainly something I could look into getting tested, just so I have a more accurate measurement of my health--do I just need to request it from my doctor?
  • kcaffee1
    kcaffee1 Posts: 759 Member
    It looks like you've stirred up a firestorme here, but I'm still going to toss in my two cents.

    I have a framework that is extremely dense and thick. And, when doctors look at me, they see someone who's much lighter than I actually am. So, when I step on the scale, they automatically demand that I lose weight. However, when I was at my stockeiest (can't say thinnest, because I've never been THIN) I actually weighed in around 250- 260, but I looked like I was around 180.

    Thankfully, I finally got a doctor that UNDERSTOOD the way I was put together, and told me never to go below that weight. So, now when I have a doctor tell me to loose weight, I either ignore them, or tell them that I'm working on getting down to a healthy weight. If they don't like it, then when ever they start pressing the issue, I tune them out.

    With that said, you KNOW YOURSELF what you feel best at. And, you know how your body looks below that weight. The doctor doesn't live in your shoes, or run your life. Granted, if you are sick, then yes, they can and do have knowledge how to treat that, but day to day living is something you have to do. I can almost guarantee if you tone up a little, even if you don't loose weight, you'll hit that BMI your doctor is looking for.

    I'm just sorry you had to hit one of the old fashioned believers in the steel clad height/weight chart that left no room for different body frame types!
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Funny how some doctors won't tell even their morbidly obese patients who have multiple serious weight-related problems that they should lose weight; while other doctors will tell every patient who walks through the door to lose weight.

    I had one doctor actually start writing a prescription for high blood pressure medicine. I asked her about it, and she told me it was for high blood pressure. To which I responded, "but I don't have high blood pressure". She looked at my chart again, and put away the prescription pad. Moral of the story... don't just "accept" everything your doctor says. You said you''re a grad student, right? Put some of your learning skills in there... ask. If she won't help you understand, find another doctor. She may have good reasons for what she said... but sounds like you don't know now.
  • seif0068
    seif0068 Posts: 193 Member
    I am glad you took my feedback well! We are all human and doing our best. Sometimes I need someone to tell me when I am being defensive or taking something the wrong way.

    I think another big takeaway that others have mentioned is talking to your doctor. Next time you are in, bring it up - hey, last time I was here this rubbed me the wrong way, can you explain more why you recommended that particular weight, etc.

    I read a study recently about how people don't really ask questions, they leave an appointment feeling confused or frustrated but for some reason the white gown makes people clam up and not say what is on their mind or ask questions. Communication is key!
  • tomg33
    tomg33 Posts: 305 Member
    Sorry to be blunt but the victim mentality in this thread is what is wrong with society. I don't know if you guys simply have terrible doctors or something, but assuming that the doctor is wrong is asinine.

    If you're on a fitness and health website in the first place, presumably trying to lose weight, why are you surprised that a medical professional is saying they would "like" to see you lose a few pounds? If you have a problem with your doctor's recommendations, then tell them. Part of a GP's social responsibility is to educate the public about medicine by making sure their patients understand what they're telling them and why.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    Ok, are you actually healthy though? I mean are your blood tests also in the middle of the range, or veering close to or over the ends? Any chance of problems with lady parts? Do diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease run in your family? Are any immediate family members your doc's also treated suffering from obesity-related diseases?

    I'm not expecting answers, my point is your doc has actually evaluated you, while the BMI chart compares individuals to a population and doesn't give individualzed info, like your doc can.

    Again, when the doc came into the room, this was literally this very FIRST thing we talked about (and taking blood pressure and pulse, which is great). After she mentioned my height/weight that my nurse recorded, she then took my family history sheet. I wouldn't consider myself a health nut, but I am certainly health conscious and I would say that the majority of the time I lead a healthy lifestyle. I will admit that during high stressed times during school (I'm a grad student) I can easily put on a few pounds if I'm not careful-- but since I'm aware of this, I try to do what I can to avoid it. Sometimes I'm not as successful, but I always manage to get back on track. I've never had any health issues.

    Sorry, I"m having a slow night. So, in order, it was:

    Hello -> BMI measurement & recommendation/BP/pulse -> family history? And no (even casual) discussion in between about metabolic disoders (like e.g. PCOS)?

    In that case, I can see why you might be a bit miffed, esp if she was brusque. You should actually give her feedback on this. She can't improve if no one tells her. Most people just switch docs. (Or switch, and give feedback later, either way she should know).

    Sorry, I worded that very poorly- I meant to say at the point she came in she already HAD my BP/Pulse (the nurse did height, weight, BP/Pulse, I was told my BP/Pulse were great). So when the doctor came in, she had that basic information, then commented on my BMI. After, she asked me for the family history sheet that I had filled out so she could enter the info in the computer. The way this doctor's office did it was they sent the paperwork to my residence, I filled it out, and was told to hang on to it until the doctor asked for it. She didn't comment on any of my family history though? Which is odd, because diabetes does run in some of my family.

    Well, then that is not great communication on the doc's part. And yeah bf goes down as a function of weight loss, but the worry for average-weighted people with no history would be visceral fat, which she can't eyeball. She definitely should have explained things. Fit is one thing, but that is pretty poor psychology.
    Honestly, I think I've reacted so strongly just because I've never had a doctor comment on my weight, even when I've asked their opinion with doctors I've had in the past. However, I don't think I'll go back, just because I like to feel comfortable with my provider. Also, we just moved, so switching doctors might be best anyway since her office is 1 1/2 hours away (appointment was made a while before we even knew we were moving). I did fill out a feedback from at the office, I basically just said it wasn't a good fit- I'm not a fan of minimizing a professional's expertise/experience even if we didn't click on a relational level, I make a point to separate liking/disliking from good doc/bad doc :)

    That is fair enough. Hope you find someone competent & likeable :)
  • wassergottin
    wassergottin Posts: 154 Member
    I often don't trust doctor's opinions. It's most likely due to my family having encountered a ridiculous number of misdiagnosed injuries and illnesses throughout the years. My favourite doctor was actually a nurse who had known my family for about four years and took what we said at face value. She knew we were weird, and had some rare diseases in our genes, she knew we were athletic and probably reckless when we were out doing things. When my brother was rushed in her room because he ran a tree branch into his eye, it was no big deal. She respected our opinions when we said we didn't want to try certain treatments (like opiates for severe cramping issues). And she worked with us. I've also had medical practitioners tell me that I am very unhealthy (because my blood pressure is too low - most likely due to running), that my diet is wrong, that my mum was dying of cancer (nope! she just has spherical blood), that she had tennis elbow (nope, her elbow was broken and because of his misdiagnosis, she has a piece of bone just floating in her elbow now), and a plethora of other things.

    What do they call a doctor who graduated with the lowest GPA in his class? A doctor. It's the same with engineers, as an engineer I know that we are all human and it takes more than one person to accurately see things for what they are.

    I think that this doctor was a bit brusque with you, and you likely don't need to lose as much weight as she thinks. Go with what feels right for your body and keep an eye on BF%.
  • Idolina_Marie
    Idolina_Marie Posts: 18
    If you're on a fitness and health website in the first place, presumably trying to lose weight, why are you surprised that a medical professional is saying they would "like" to see you lose a few pounds?

    Key words: fitness and health. I know a lot of people who use MFP just to maintain their weight and keep track of a healthy lifestyle. Not everyone is here to lose weight, but yes it's useful for that as well :)

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