How did your doctor tell you you're fat??

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Replies

  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    He didn't ... I knew I was fat. A normal person not in denial just knows.
  • amandzor
    amandzor Posts: 386 Member
    I know I'm fat, no doctor had to tell me.

    Mine asked how my diet was, if I was experiencing any symptoms that might be weight related. I let her know I was eating better, controlling my calories and working out much more often.

    She -did- offer me an appetite suppressant if I wanted one. I politely declined. No scolding or disappointing looks. I think as long as they know you're not ignoring your weight problem, and actively trying to take steps to improve your health, they're usually pretty supportive.
  • laynunugawa
    laynunugawa Posts: 108 Member
    I just went to the doctor earlier this month for my physical and for my lab results I did 2 weeks prior. Doctor asked me how I was doing and feeling and then she went over the labs. That is when she told me that my cholesterol was very high and asked me if I thought it was genetic or poor diet and lack of exercise.

    I told her that I was aware that I'm 25lbs overweight. Which was from not working out for 8 months because of my shoulder and eating crappy.

    So she asked me what I would like to do about it. I her told that I was back to working out and logging my food. Which she thought was an excellent idea and that she wants to see me in 3 months for lab work to see if there are improvements and to move forward from there.

    I'm not even 34 yet and already I have Hashimotos and now high cholesterol. I was glad that she wasn't rude and saying I should weigh a certain amount and asked me how I felt first.
  • I am really glad I asked this question! I loved reading all the replies. My current doctor happens to be a health/fitness oriented guy and he was straight forward without being mean. He actually referred me to the hospital based free dietician and exercise specialist. All without being a jerk! It is unfortunate that some of you have had to bring up the subject yourself to your doctor, I do agree with the fact that they should be helping or making suggestions. With that being said, I understand its a doctors job to tell me that i'm fat, but being insensitive about it is not the way to go.

    I know I said "recently",but that situation with my former doctor actually happened over a year ago. Which seems recent since i've only been to see my new doc twice since then lol. Anyways, I've gained around 30 lbs since then. Her rudeness wasn't very effective. I was angry and upset that day, and it led to a binge. On the contrary my current doc steered me towards the help I need and i'm finally feeling ready to make positive changes.
  • DonaldChadDavis
    DonaldChadDavis Posts: 89 Member
    My cardiologist was pretty straight forward with me. "You need to lose some weight if you want to have that heart transplant." He suggested 220lbs max weight.
  • JonnyMacAwesome
    JonnyMacAwesome Posts: 770 Member
    I don't generally have a doctor...I find no need to have one except when I need something, so I use walk-in clinics if something comes up, or if it's urgent enough, the ER at the hospital...

    But anyway, they didn't need to tell me I was fat, but they always preach about me quitting smoking. One day I will be ready for that, but not sure when.

    As far as being told I was fat, it was my pants that told me. When I could no long suck in enough to do up my pants, and had to go buy new ones,...well at first I kept going like it was no big deal, but 2 more trips to get pants to wear to work and I finally had enough and decided to weigh myself. 165 is the high end of Normal BMI for my height, and I was up to 208. I started to eat a bit better, and forced myself to use the gym at work (with some friendly encouragement from my co-workers at my request) and then started using MFP once I had gone through a week or two of the transition. My first weigh-in on MFP was at 203, I'm currently down to 186 as of a few days ago...so I am about halfway to my goal.

    It takes time, effort and dedication...but it wouldn't matter to me who told me, how they told me, or how I found out I was fat...The reality was something needed to change and that was easy to see, hard to start.
  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
    my doctor just told me I was overweight and at risk of diabetes (runs in the family), he didn't give me any magic pills...he told me about iifym.com and told me to give a shot and see what happens.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
    He didn't. I kind of figured that out on my own.
  • cwkwkw2
    cwkwkw2 Posts: 23 Member
    I like your doctor. Mine is similar. She told me I needed to lose weight. I said, "Any suggestions?". "Stop eating so much, all the time and exercise."
  • motivatedkarma
    motivatedkarma Posts: 67 Member
    In November 2013, I weighed 384 pounds at the doctor's office. My doctor sat down across from me and told me I needed to lose some weight, the same talk we had had 6 months earlier. She told me I should work on not gainning anymore by our next appointment, that in itself would be an accomplishment.

    In May 2014 when I returned to the doctor I had gained 16 pounds, 400 pounds. I know she saw in my eyes the hurt and humiliation I felt.

    She sat down across from me, took my hands in hers, and asked how could she help me. I cried and we talked for awhile.

    She told me about this awesome website called MyFitnessPal.com. I've logged on everyday since, good days, bad days all days. I'm so glad she did. I'm eatting healthier and I've lost some weight. I know this journey will be long and sometimes difficult, but I will succeed.

    Just watch me :-)




    you are awesome!!!
  • ChronicOptimist
    ChronicOptimist Posts: 558 Member
    I can't tell you how much I want to share this thread with physicians! I'm about to start my second year of medical school, and I look around the classroom at the people who I spend every day with, and 90% of them have never been more that 3 or 4 pounds over weight in their life. Doctors often don't know how to address overweight and obese patients because they haven't ever been there. I really hope to one day be a success story for my patients - and the fact that I know what a struggle obesity is will be allow me to communicate with greater empathy.

    I was actually at the gym the other day with one of my classmates who is very, very fit but put on about ten pounds this summer while traveling through Europe. She said to me, "Wow, I never understood how hard it is to lose weight until I had some weight to lose!" HELLO!!!!!

    I'm so sorry to all of you who have had negative experiences with your physicians, and so glad you haven't let their poor bedside manner hinder your incredible success!
  • Deanner03
    Deanner03 Posts: 371 Member
    Given my family's history of diabetes and high cholesterol, I figured I should go see a PCP for a routine physical for the first time (I'm 33). My blood glucose was fine, but my cholesterol was a bit high. My PCP suggested I check out the AHA's website for ways to lower my cholesterol. And that weight loss, diet and exercise may help. So...I got back on here and got at it.
  • 2kellymike
    2kellymike Posts: 72 Member
    I went to my family doctor and complained that I had been steadily gaining weight over a few years, in spite of being active and going to the gym. I was 5'0 and 165 pounds.

    He told me to "just don't eat anything white." :huh:

    I self-paid to see a dietician, and we have worked together over 16 months and I am down 32 pounds. In a healthy, sustainable way.
    Recently went back to the doc and had point out my loss, of which he was very complimentary. However, my blood work shows no improvement on my blood sugar, and I am firmly at a pre-diabetic state. This has never been mentioned by him. I pointed it out, and he said "you should stop eating bread."

    I am interviewing an new internal medicine doctor next week.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    I know I'm overweight. My doctor didn't need to mention it. One of the doctors I work with however.... "Do you think you've put on a few pounds?" My response "No. I don't think so, I know I've put on a whole lot of them. Thank-you for your concern." Other than my Mom telling me I'm fat, repeatedly, no one else has brought it up. It's a very uncomfortable conversation to have and approaching it in a tactful manner is even more difficult. Everyone has a different level of where they become offended.

    That being said, OP, I agree that your doc was rude. I hope your new one has a better bedside manner. Although, in my experience, a good bedside manner =/= good clinician.
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
    I talk to my doctor about it a lot, but when she brings it up, she typically says something like "have you been trying to work on your weight at all? or "have you developed an eating or exercise plan?" It's a nice way for her to say it, and she always tells me the risks associated with being overweight - we discuss high blood pressure (mine is not high due to all the exercise I do), diabetes (I am pre-diabetic, and she lets me know that even a 10-20 lb weight loss might help), heart disease, high cholesterol, etc. She's very empathetic, but I think it might be easy for her because I want to talk about it (I have thyroid issues and am pre-diabetic, so I would like to lose some weight).

    Sometimes I wonder if something like a prescription might not be a bad idea, although I sorta screw the pooch on the weekends, so it's my own fault. I doubt she'd prescribe me anything until I could show her that I wasn't successful even after being committed to a plan.
  • llysenw
    llysenw Posts: 57 Member
    This happened with a doctor I went to about ten years ago:

    "You need to lose weight."
    "I know..."
    "How much did you weigh when you were 18?"
    "I was about 105 lbs."
    "Then that's how much you should weigh now. You should exercise. And eat fish twice a week."
    "Um...okay."

    End of conversation.
  • kbolton322
    kbolton322 Posts: 358 Member
    I went for my yearly. when I got on the scale I had a oh *kitten* moment... I told the doctor that either I was pregant or I was just fat... and his answer was well.. your not pregant.. I was like great I'm just fat... (by the way I had gain 20lbs in 2 months at the point)
  • schelly81
    schelly81 Posts: 161 Member
    I was 24 and healing from a knee injury. My doctor said "you wouldn't have so many knee problems if you lost weight". At the time I was about 20 pounds overweight, 10 of which I put on because of my knee injury.
    My doctor now brought up my weight after my first was born. He brought it up gently, suggested I try substituting healthier foods for the foods I already eat and to make sure I get at least 5 servings of vegetables a day.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    :yawn:
  • fattymcrunnerpants
    fattymcrunnerpants Posts: 311 Member
    There's a lot of people complaining about their doctors telling them to lose weight. They look after your health. Being overweight is bad for your health. It's their JOB to tell you you need to lose weight. For many people that's the final push they need towards a healthier diet. Just because you're touchy on the subject doesn't necessarily make them rude, it's really no different from telling you to quit smoking or drinking. Would being told to quit smoking offend you? No, it makes sense that you should stop. Being told to lose weight is no different.

    It's also their job to help figure out why without making assumptions first.

    Example:
    Doctor: You're fat, you need to exercise and eat 1200 cals/ day.
    Me: But I eat about 1600 and I just ran a half marathon last mont
    Doc: Oh no, no, walking will help you more and cut those calories
    Me: mmm OK
    Doc: Oh, hey your thyroid is HUGE I think you might have a tumor there.
    Me: Hey doc, I think we found the problem

    ^^^ Actual conversation me and my doctor had.