Why are nurses obese?
Replies
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Does it have to do with low income? Not trying to sound mean but poor people and uneducated people generally are heavier...and people only really go into nursing if they have kids on accident, no degree, and need something fast. :P
That makes no sense to me. Every nurse that I know spent years in school to get their licence. I think you have nurses confused with strippers.
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Sucks that nurses have to work long hours, they should just be able to have a regular schedule like everyone else
Most nurses only work 3-4 days a week on 12-hour rounds so to be quite honest long hour shifts mean nothing.
^ What? Are you a nurse? I'd love to know where you worked. Talk to my coworkers who work 5-6 days a week 8-16 hour shifts because of lack of coverage. At least in a nursing home thats how it goes. Take-out, and having to scarf food down in between patients. 1 nurse to every 15-20 patients.0 -
They didn't used to be expected to work 12 hour shifts or else. That's come fairly recently.Sucks that nurses have to work long hours, they should just be able to have a regular schedule like everyone else
Why does it suck? You're acting like they were forced into their profession.
Pretty sure nurses are all aware of their work hours long before they go to nursing school.
Same as truck drivers, lawyers, physicians, teachers, etc.
Why would you feel bad for someone who is employed and actually in a job related to their area of study?0 -
I have pondered this very question very recently when my son went into hospital for an operation – every person I met, except the surgeon, that’s nurses, reception staff, cleaners etc were overweight to obese! Nurses must walk miles during an average shift….you also see allot of them at the gates smoking and that shocked me too.0
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Sucks that nurses have to work long hours, they should just be able to have a regular schedule like everyone else
That's nice... in theory. Too bad patients need 24 hour care.
so what you are saying that nurses should work 24 hours a day?
Nurses *do* work 24 hours a day. They do so in "shifts." Depending on the type of care, it could be three shifts of eight hours each, or it could be two shifts of twelve hours each. Sometimes they might work the same shift, but they often alternate to trade days off, especially when the holidays come around.0 -
I don't see how you can work in the medical field, and be obese/overweight. That has always bugged me. How are you going to tell others they need to eat less junk, when you're eating horrible things yourself? And none of that ''I work long hours'' crap. There's something called calorie control.
Because you don't go to a healthcare professional to be judged. You go to get honesty about what's good for you and your body. If my chubby nurse doesn't tell me to lose weight because she feels like a hypocrite, she's letting my appointment become about her issues and not mine, and she's not doing her job.
The reason why there are obese nurses is because knowledge =/= ability. The formula to lose weight is pretty simple, it doesn't take medical training. Actually doing it is the tough part, whether you're a nurse, truck driver, SAHM/D, or fast food employee. Some are better at it than others.
More excuses. I never said they couldn't give their honest opinion, but they should live by what they teach. If you're going to spend money on school, and energy on your job, you should live by them. I get that people don't have the time to cook a healthy dinner, but that doesn't mean you should pig out on big macs and giant fries, everyday. You can get a grilled chicken salad from the same place, without dressing.
I also don't get how they work long tired hours, yet claim they don't have much time to eat, yet are still able to pack down more than 2000 calories a day. Why don't they pack away fruit if they need a quick snack? Why do they need a snickers bar? It doesn't add up.
Your making assumptions on what you clearly know nothing about.
How am I making assumptions? Are these people getting fat by eating fruit?
Most nurses that have replies on this subject have tried to explain that already -is it an excuse ? Yes we all have excuses or we would all be perfect. They all didn't say they gorged out on Big Macs those are not in any vending machines I know about. The stress levels , the hours they work, the self all-mighty people they have to deal with, these are all factors and unless you have spent any time in their world it might be understandable that you don't understand. Judging them with out actually being there is another thing all-together.
At the end of the day if I was in the emergency room with my guts laying all around I sure would'nt care if the nurse weighed 300lbs or if they had a cigar hanging out their *kitten*. I would care about that they knew what they were doing and that they cared about what they are doing.
Well that's good for you, if you don't care, but for me I wouldn't want that.
Yep. I can see it now. IanBee93 lying in the street, nearly dying, but just sentient enough to gasp, "No! Not the fat nurse. I'd just as soon die alone in this street than to be given first aid by a fat nurse!" :laugh: :laugh:0 -
I'd like to see half the idiots with horrible comments in here try and do a nurses job.
:drinker: thank you!!! You haven't seen hard work until you have worked as a nurse!!!
+1
My mom suggested that I go into nursing to make more money. But there's no way I could deal with it. I prefer to sit behind a desk and work Monday-Friday with holidays off. I hate blood or poop or other such yuckiness.0 -
I have pondered this very question very recently when my son went into hospital for an operation – every person I met, except the surgeon, that’s nurses, reception staff, cleaners etc were overweight to obese! Nurses must walk miles during an average shift….you also see allot of them at the gates smoking and that shocked me too.
Well, last year after my motorcycle accident the ER doc had cigarettes peeking out of his lab coat pocket and my hand surgeon was at least 350 pounds. The only overweight nurse I encountered was me.
But I've pretty well had it with the self-righteous people here who think that they're not fat because they have some magical self-control that fat people lack.0 -
I don't see how you can work in the medical field, and be obese/overweight. That has always bugged me. How are you going to tell others they need to eat less junk, when you're eating horrible things yourself? And none of that ''I work long hours'' crap. There's something called calorie control.
Because you don't go to a healthcare professional to be judged. You go to get honesty about what's good for you and your body. If my chubby nurse doesn't tell me to lose weight because she feels like a hypocrite, she's letting my appointment become about her issues and not mine, and she's not doing her job.
The reason why there are obese nurses is because knowledge =/= ability. The formula to lose weight is pretty simple, it doesn't take medical training. Actually doing it is the tough part, whether you're a nurse, truck driver, SAHM/D, or fast food employee. Some are better at it than others.
More excuses. I never said they couldn't give their honest opinion, but they should live by what they teach. If you're going to spend money on school, and energy on your job, you should live by them. I get that people don't have the time to cook a healthy dinner, but that doesn't mean you should pig out on big macs and giant fries, everyday. You can get a grilled chicken salad from the same place, without dressing.
I also don't get how they work long tired hours, yet claim they don't have much time to eat, yet are still able to pack down more than 2000 calories a day. Why don't they pack away fruit if they need a quick snack? Why do they need a snickers bar? It doesn't add up.
Your making assumptions on what you clearly know nothing about.
How am I making assumptions? Are these people getting fat by eating fruit?
Most nurses that have replies on this subject have tried to explain that already -is it an excuse ? Yes we all have excuses or we would all be perfect. They all didn't say they gorged out on Big Macs those are not in any vending machines I know about. The stress levels , the hours they work, the self all-mighty people they have to deal with, these are all factors and unless you have spent any time in their world it might be understandable that you don't understand. Judging them with out actually being there is another thing all-together.
At the end of the day if I was in the emergency room with my guts laying all around I sure would'nt care if the nurse weighed 300lbs or if they had a cigar hanging out their *kitten*. I would care about that they knew what they were doing and that they cared about what they are doing.
Well that's good for you, if you don't care, but for me I wouldn't want that.
Yep. I can see it now. IanBee93 lying in the street, nearly dying, but just sentient enough to gasp, "No! Not the fat nurse. I'd just as soon die alone in this street than to be given first aid by a fat nurse!" :laugh: :laugh:
Hopefully, these idiots wear medical alert bracelets that let fat nurses know they don't want help if it's from a fat nurse. Otherwise we're trained to provide help to everyone.0 -
I'd like to see half the idiots with horrible comments in here try and do a nurses job.
:drinker: thank you!!! You haven't seen hard work until you have worked as a nurse!!!
+1
My mom suggested that I go into nursing to make more money. But there's no way I could deal with it. I prefer to sit behind a desk and work Monday-Friday with holidays off. I hate blood or poop or other such yuckiness.
Me too, which is why I quit nursing for IT. Monday through Friday. No nights. No weekends. No holidays. Computers are easier to deal with than people.0 -
Does it have to do with low income? Not trying to sound mean but poor people and uneducated people generally are heavier...and people only really go into nursing if they have kids on accident, no degree, and need something fast. :P
What?
I really hope you were being sarcastic??
I attended Catholic school for 16 years, getting my Bachelor's degree in Nursing from a renown Catholic university.
I certainly could not be "uneducated" to even be considered for admission into their highly demanding nursing program.
And while in the program, I needed to maintain my grade point average and could not get lower than a C in any nursing course.
This included taking mandatory elective courses which often meant 12+ hour days, starting with an 8 hour clinical at the hospital and ending with a medical ethics class at 7:00 pm because that was the only time I could fit it in.
All this while working two jobs.
I am married to a professional firefighter who also attended college for his BSN and none of my kids were "accidents"
I deliberately plan and bring my own healthy meals to work, so I don't "need something fast".
I reiterate: I am 5'8' and weigh 118#.
You don't sound mean, you sound absurdly ignorant.
I'm with you, but I think she meant "need something in a hurry" as in need a job in a hurry. You know, to pay for the unplanned kid?0 -
Sucks that nurses have to work long hours, they should just be able to have a regular schedule like everyone else
Most nurses only work 3-4 days a week on 12-hour rounds so to be quite honest long hour shifts mean nothing.
^ What? Are you a nurse? I'd love to know where you worked. Talk to my coworkers who work 5-6 days a week 8-16 hour shifts because of lack of coverage. At least in a nursing home thats how it goes. Take-out, and having to scarf food down in between patients. 1 nurse to every 15-20 patients.
I worked in a nursing home where the ratio was one nurse to 40+ patients (with 5 CNAs assisting) and on the "low care level" floor one nurse (with 2 CNAs assisting) for 85 patients.0 -
Does it have to do with low income? Not trying to sound mean but poor people and uneducated people generally are heavier...and people only really go into nursing if they have kids on accident, no degree, and need something fast. :P
What?
I really hope you were being sarcastic??
I attended Catholic school for 16 years, getting my Bachelor's degree in Nursing from a renown Catholic university.
I certainly could not be "uneducated" to even be considered for admission into their highly demanding nursing program.
And while in the program, I needed to maintain my grade point average and could not get lower than a C in any nursing course.
This included taking mandatory elective courses which often meant 12+ hour days, starting with an 8 hour clinical at the hospital and ending with a medical ethics class at 7:00 pm because that was the only time I could fit it in.
All this while working two jobs.
I am married to a professional firefighter who also attended college for his BSN and none of my kids were "accidents"
I deliberately plan and bring my own healthy meals to work, so I don't "need something fast".
I reiterate: I am 5'8' and weigh 118#.
You don't sound mean, you sound absurdly ignorant.
I'm with you, but I think she meant "need something in a hurry" as in need a job in a hurry. You know, to pay for the unplanned kid?
Perhaps.
But it takes longer than 9 months...
Just sayin'
BTW:
I started nursing school when I was 17 and had my degree and license (two separate, but equally challenging endeavors) by the time I was 21.
Before I had any kids.0 -
Sucks that nurses have to work long hours, they should just be able to have a regular schedule like everyone else
Most nurses only work 3-4 days a week on 12-hour rounds so to be quite honest long hour shifts mean nothing.
^ What? Are you a nurse? I'd love to know where you worked. Talk to my coworkers who work 5-6 days a week 8-16 hour shifts because of lack of coverage. At least in a nursing home thats how it goes. Take-out, and having to scarf food down in between patients. 1 nurse to every 15-20 patients.
I worked in a nursing home where the ratio was one nurse to 40+ patients (with 5 CNAs assisting) and on the "low care level" floor one nurse (with 2 CNAs assisting) for 85 patients.
Yep.
But get all your work done with no overtime.0 -
Does it have to do with low income? Not trying to sound mean but poor people and uneducated people generally are heavier...and people only really go into nursing if they have kids on accident, no degree, and need something fast. :P
What?
I really hope you were being sarcastic??
I attended Catholic school for 16 years, getting my Bachelor's degree in Nursing from a renown Catholic university.
I certainly could not be "uneducated" to even be considered for admission into their highly demanding nursing program.
And while in the program, I needed to maintain my grade point average and could not get lower than a C in any nursing course.
This included taking mandatory elective courses which often meant 12+ hour days, starting with an 8 hour clinical at the hospital and ending with a medical ethics class at 7:00 pm because that was the only time I could fit it in.
All this while working two jobs.
I am married to a professional firefighter who also attended college for his BSN and none of my kids were "accidents"
I deliberately plan and bring my own healthy meals to work, so I don't "need something fast".
I reiterate: I am 5'8' and weigh 118#.
You don't sound mean, you sound absurdly ignorant.
I'm with you, but I think she meant "need something in a hurry" as in need a job in a hurry. You know, to pay for the unplanned kid?
Perhaps.
But it takes longer than 9 months...
Just sayin'
BTW:
I started nursing school when I was 17 and had my degree and license (two separate, but equally challenging endeavors) by the time I was 21.
Before I had any kids.
Yes. I STILL don't have kids, and I went to nursing school almost thirty years ago. As my reply to her indicated, I believe she was confusing nursing assistants and nurse aides for "nurses." You can indeed go into that very quickly. It no way takes nine months. Either way, she didn't mean fast food.
Just sayin'0 -
Sucks that nurses have to work long hours, they should just be able to have a regular schedule like everyone else
Most nurses only work 3-4 days a week on 12-hour rounds so to be quite honest long hour shifts mean nothing.
^ What? Are you a nurse? I'd love to know where you worked. Talk to my coworkers who work 5-6 days a week 8-16 hour shifts because of lack of coverage. At least in a nursing home thats how it goes. Take-out, and having to scarf food down in between patients. 1 nurse to every 15-20 patients.
I worked in a nursing home where the ratio was one nurse to 40+ patients (with 5 CNAs assisting) and on the "low care level" floor one nurse (with 2 CNAs assisting) for 85 patients.
Yep.
But get all your work done with no overtime.
Hell, we got overtime all the time, but not because we didn't get our work done. There is a huge shortage of qualified nurses (because it's not easy and it requires an education) and we were short staffed perpetually. If you wanted to you could work two shifts seven days a week. You were pressured to pick up a lot of extra shifts.0 -
I don't see how you can work in the medical field, and be obese/overweight. That has always bugged me. How are you going to tell others they need to eat less junk, when you're eating horrible things yourself? And none of that ''I work long hours'' crap. There's something called calorie control.
I'm a nurse. Not a dietician. I've never once told a patient to lose weight. My job is to love and support people unconditionally in their weakest moments. My job is to save lives whatever condition they're in without prejudice or judgment. Not even considering that I'm a nurse, if I was employing a nurse it would be more important to me that they were ****-hot in knowledge and skills, not that they can bench press 200kgs and had a bmi of 25. I'll tell you something though - I might be overweight but I know a few of my 150lb friends couldn't shift a 500lb patient like I can.
I don't care, I would still want my doctor/nurse to be a role model, and be fit and healthy.
Douchecanoe0 -
They didn't used to be expected to work 12 hour shifts or else. That's come fairly recently.Sucks that nurses have to work long hours, they should just be able to have a regular schedule like everyone else
Why does it suck? You're acting like they were forced into their profession.
Pretty sure nurses are all aware of their work hours long before they go to nursing school.
Same as truck drivers, lawyers, physicians, teachers, etc.
Why would you feel bad for someone who is employed and actually in a job related to their area of study?
22 year nurse here, and have worked 12's since the day I started0 -
Most nurses only work 3-4 days a week on 12-hour rounds so to be quite honest long hour shifts mean nothing.
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Not true, as a CNA, I worked in a skilled nursing home 2pm-6am 6 days a week.0 -
Just because you're in the heathcare field doesn't mean you're going to be healthy. I'm a nurse and I'm overweight. I've been overweight since I was a child. Just because I became a nurse doesn't mean that the problem would go away. When you take away the scrubs nurses are human. The same reasons other people are overweight are the same reasons nurses are overweight: stress, sedentary lifestyle, bad eating habits, etc. If you work in a stressfull environment and also have a stressful lifestyle, your health will suffer. I just recently finished school for my RN ( I was an LPN). Working full-time and going to school full-time I only had time to study and sleep. Exercise was not a priority.0
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They didn't used to be expected to work 12 hour shifts or else. That's come fairly recently.
Before there were nursing programs at colleges and universities, all the programs were run out of hospitals.
"Book learning" was discouraged in favor of "hands on" training and the students would live at the hospitals and be used as cheap labor.
Pretty sure they were pulling some 12s at the least...0 -
Nurses know about the consequences of obesity and still get fat, just like smokers know about cancer and still smoke: we're human.0
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Just a random question for chit chat, something I have been curious about. Don't take offense or get upset, its just a general question. If you do take offense or get upset, oh well lol. So my question is...
Why are a significant amount of nurses overweight or obese? You would think that someone working in the healthcare field would be more knowledgeable about their own health and have more insight into taking care of themselves. I work at a hospital and see a lot of obese nurses. Also there have been studies done that show that a significant amount of nurses are overweight/obese. Here is just an example of something I found on Google, didn't try super hard to research it.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/study-finds-55-percent-nurses-overweight-obese/story?id=15472375
Again, not a dig on anyone, just curious. Opinions/comments?
Nurses know the consequences of obesity and still get fat, just like smokers know about cancer and still smoke: we're human. Every nurse is different and every story is different. They're obese because they work in stressful environments, have stressful lifestyles, put others before them, have bad eating habits, some don't have proper lunch breaks, sedentary lifestyles, etc. No health professional is perfect. I've taken care of other nurses as well as doctors.0 -
Most nurses only work 3-4 days a week on 12-hour rounds so to be quite honest long hour shifts mean nothing.
Not true, as a CNA, I worked in a skilled nursing home 2pm-6am 6 days a week.
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On the contrary long hour shifts mean everything! After a 12 hr shift the only thing you want to do is go home and rest. You've been busy all day. There is no energy left to exercise or even cook a healthy meal. After a long day the only thing on my mind is sleep.0 -
Have you ever heard of a nursing shortage?
The occupation is stressful enough but when you are already taking care of 4 or 5 sick patients and the charge nurse tells you that you are getting an admit, you have to find some time to get that person checked in, call admissions, obtain vitals, get their medication list (if you're lucky, they'll have that list available; otherwise they will tell you what color pill it is or maybe not remember anything at all.), call the doctor to get orders, implement the orders, etc. and still take care of your other patients. Sometimes they have to go to surgery straight away, and you have to draw blood, obtain an EKG and get consents signed and start IV fluids. Family members have spent hours in the ER waiting for their loved ones to get an unoccupied bed, and are demanding to talk to the doctor because they are ready to go home. If one of your patients has chest pain or is bleeding or starts to decline, you can't tell them that they can't have pain when it's time for you to go on break, etc. On really busy nights, one may not have time to chart until the shift is over and not getting out on time cuts into sleep time.
I pack my lunch each time I go to work and many nights I take the lunch home untouched except for eating an apple or a serving of nuts. By the time I get home I am starved. It doesn't matter that a healthy lunch is packed if one doesn't have time to eat it. Then one gets a limited amount of time to sleep, shower and get ready to go in again. I was wearing a pedometer and on a busy night walked 8 miles for a 12 hour shift, and on slow nights, 5 miles.
True enough, I chose my profession, and there are no professions without unpleasant aspects of the job. Sure, there are obese nurses just like in all professions. No question.
Personally I have talked to my patients about nutrition, weight loss, and incorporating exercise in a busy life style. Educating patients about health is part of my job. Before mfp, I prefaced my talk with "I struggle with this myself," and now I can say, "I have had success, doing it this way."0 -
Does it have to do with low income? Not trying to sound mean but poor people and uneducated people generally are heavier...and people only really go into nursing if they have kids on accident, no degree, and need something fast. :P
No.
22, no kids and own my own home. I had a ton of college credits by the time I graduated high school, so I was able to begin nursing school in the fall after high school.
Being poor or uneducated isn't why I chose nursing. I chose nursing because when I was little I noticed my dad always had to give himself shots (type 1 diabetes). I decided then that I wanted to go into nursing to help people like him.
My original response to this thread is on page 2 to answer the "why are nurses obese" question.
Now, this fat nurse needs to go get ready for work!0 -
Does it have to do with low income? Not trying to sound mean but poor people and uneducated people generally are heavier...and people only really go into nursing if they have kids on accident, no degree, and need something fast. :P
Huh? Are you thinking of a LPN with 10 months of training? Because I have 6 years, almost 200 credits and a$100k education with high honors. And I also have a family income higher than 80% of Americans according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But I'm also athletic and physically fit.0 -
There is one on my FL that is incredibly yumtastic, and I know several IRL that fit the fit bill quite nicely too.0
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Just a random question for chit chat, something I have been curious about. Don't take offense or get upset, its just a general question. If you do take offense or get upset, oh well lol. So my question is...
Why are a significant amount of nurses overweight or obese? You would think that someone working in the healthcare field would be more knowledgeable about their own health and have more insight into taking care of themselves. I work at a hospital and see a lot of obese nurses. Also there have been studies done that show that a significant amount of nurses are overweight/obese. Here is just an example of something I found on Google, didn't try super hard to research it.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/study-finds-55-percent-nurses-overweight-obese/story?id=15472375
Again, not a dig on anyone, just curious. Opinions/comments?
My brother-in-law's a nurse. While he's pretty fit, 29 yrs old and is health conscience about eating & exercising, during is 12-hr shifts, he eats basically NOTHING! Then, he'll gorge during one big meal a day. Probably not by choice...nurses just don't have time to take a breather let alone a lunch break. I feel for them...
Perhaps many are overweight because of their hectic schedules...from years of abuse. One meal a day will slow your metabolism...and it naturally slows with age.0 -
The same reason why they are all smokers and trashy!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1101475-why-do-so-many-nurses-smoke
Hmmm. I'm a nurse, hate smoking, and I'm not trashy. I do have some weight to lose, but where do you get off generalizing people like that? I work with about 50 nurses on my floor and only 3-4 of them smoke. So sorry to throw off your statement. Except I'm not.0
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