Is it wrong to change an otherwise awesome doctor solely bec

Maybe she's had one too many patient tell her that because she's overweight herself she's hypocritical to mention their weight, so now only brings up the subject with obese patients.

I wouldn't assume that she does not know about healthy eating and weight loss, she may simply not be prepared to make the effort for herself. Many doctors smoke, it doesn't mean they don't know the risks.

My feeling is that you won't find the answer on here, only bringing up the subject with her is going to reveal whether or not she's the right doctor for you. If you're wary of seeming personal and critical of her weight, you could couch it in terms of your finding that you personally no longer feel fit enough to do the things you'd like to be able to do.

Of course, if she really is awesome in all other ways, you could keep her as a doctor and see a specialist for the weight loss / fitness advice - which would probably be far better anyway.

hi, my doctor is one of those tiny twig men who i could sit on and squash like a bug. sometimes i want to do just that. i go through the va for my medical care and you get who you get. he is not a good doctor at all and i keep him because it is very hard to change doctors unless you move almost clear across the state. if your doctor has taken care of you in the past and you feel she is competient to do her job then keep her. my doctor never really mentioned my weight as an issue until i told him last month that i wanted to loose weight. he says doctors do notice what we weight but unless it is signifigantly effecting our health he tries not to mention it. he goes over my labs with me every time i go in because i asked him to. it's not something that he normally does with his patients unless they ask. he pointed out that doctors have many patients and not always alot of time to cover everything. he told me that everyone has differant health concerns but unless we address them then he is not going to. i started taking a notebook along with me so that i could write down ahead of time all my questions and i don't leave anymore until they are all answered. as far as being a diabetic goes. there are thin people who go undiagnosed with it and die. it is not just a heavy persons disease. as a patient you have a job to do to. if you haven't ever asked your doctor about any of your personal concerns before i would ask her and then if you feel your personal health concerns aren't met then by all means switch.

"Its not that simple. As a doctor shouldnt she have warned me about the dangers of my weight? Advised me to lose weight to prevent diabetes? If her own personal struggle affects how she advises me....shouldnt I change doctors?"

THIS IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR WELLNESS THAT YOU ARE TRUSTING TO A PROFESSIONAL.

Yes, she should have warned you. I just got a new Dr. and he reviewed my history and labs. My cholesterol has been elevated for about 3 years as well as my LDL..and triglycerides. The other dr.s kept saying they are on the low side of high, take fish oil and exercise. This new Dr. reviewed my family history, my father died at 62 of a heart attack. This Dr. put me on a cholesterol lowering med. to get my cholesterol down while I am starting this new diet and exercise program. He said because of my high BMI and family hx. I am at risk for heart attack or stroke. He was very honest and caring....did not make me feel bad about being obese but he also stated the risk of obesity. He was very fit. I just started seeing a nutritionist and feel that my diet is much better thanks to her advice and MFP. Thie new Dr. also wants me to be on fish oil, baby asa as well as Lipitor. The nutritionist has given me great advice here.

The bottom line is your Dr. herself is unhealthy and making bad choices. It would be very hard to take diet and exercise advice from her even if everything she was saying was correct. People, including myself don't want to be judge by our weight but the fact of the matter, for what ever reason, we have been over eating and under exercising. We can't hide our problem like an alcoholic or a drug user. It is out there for the world to see and yes, people do judge us. Medical people tend to tiptoe around obesity issues and don't want to hurt our feelings but it does nothing to help our health.

Please don't hate me.....but if you stop seeing her just because she is fat....what does that say about you?

I think it says that she is going to do the best for herself, even if her doctor won't!

I'm in a similar situation but I kind of like it because I don't have a doctor that blames every ailment on my weight, nor does she badger me about losing weight. Although she is very supportive when I do.

I think you have to do what is best for you. If you need a doctor that will be there to help you through this journey, go for it! Good luck!

Most of the doctors I know are overweight. I wouldn't even consider getting rid of an overweight doctor. It's not their job to tell you to lose weight. It's their job to support you should you decide to lose weight. I think most people would be up in arms about their doctor telling them to lose weight unsolicited.

I think that if she is a great Doctor (hard to come by these days) and you are happy with her in all areas of the healthcare she has provided to you then stay with her. Talk to her about your weight concerns and your need to become healthier over all.
If she is as good a doctor as you believe her to be then she will frankly discuss the topic with you reguardless of her own discomfort.

Consider the fact that she may not have felt you would take her seriously had she brought the subject up to you considering her obvious obesity, given that fact, also consider that she may also not feel that because she can not help herself in this struggle that she may not be qualified to help you either.

I would say TALK to her, the discomfort level on both yours and your Dr's side maybe a little stressful at the beginging of the conversation but in the long run it will help you both bridge that gap in your patient/ Dr. relationship so that in the future you can continue to go to her and recieve the great healthcare you have been reciving without the discomfort.

If nothing else she may be able to refer you to a nutrisionist who can better help you understand your weightt loss needs.
Dr's can and will diagnose obesity and they do know the basics of nutrition but they are not specialist in nutritional needs especially not that of a person trying to maintain the proper blood sugar lvls you need to keep from falling into the diabetic zone.

Good Luck!!

My cousin is a doctor that smokes and she preaches to her patients about not smoking all day. I told her she was a hypocrite and she said that it is her job to tell folks about their health, not be a role model. Your doctor should be trying to save your life. Period. If she doesn't seem to do that, then bring up the issue and see if she is supportive. She may be full of information that she wants to share but thought you didn't want to hear it coming from someone who has the same problem.

I have been overweight for three years now and she has never mentioned a problem with my weight. Even when I began showing signs of being prediabetic.

I'm asking this in a "truly curious, not being a snarky *kitten*" kind of way - how did you know you were prediabetic if it wasn't mentioned to you?

I don't get it. You're a paying customer, not their friend.

If you prefer the services of another professional or if you simply do not want their services anymore, you owe them no explanation.

Except she just said she was uninsured.....

Lots of doctors use a sliding pay scale for cash customers based on their ability to pay. They are quite common.

An overweight doctor might have more experience with trying to lose weight than a thin one who has never struggled with their weight. She might not have brought up weight before because she might have figured that you were aware of your weight and she was trying to respect your intelligence. I know I have talked to friends who are overweight and it annoys them when their doctors bring it up, because they feel like, "duh, don't you think I can tell I'm overweight?!"

You never know how she will react unless you bring up the subject.