An obese nutritionist: would you be her patient?

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Replies

  • MariaAlexandra
    MariaAlexandra Posts: 126 Member
    Most of the time, we tend to have a general judgment in our mind when it comes to professionals, right?

    Meaning, when we want to go to a professional, we expect them to be a certain way:

    "Nutritionists are suppose to be fit, muscular, skinny that way I know s/he knows what s/he is talking about; Doctors are suppose to healthy, non-smokers, non-drinkers, etc. because they are health professionals and they tell us not to do certain things to avoid certain diseases/health issues," etc. etc. The "Practice what you preach" mentality - which I agree with, i mean why spend your time studying and investing money and your time into a profession to not take advantage of it and practice what you learn and teach to others, and use that knowledge towards your own health and well-being? If you practice what you teach others, it will reinforce your knowledge of the materials and you'll be able to connect with your clients by sharing your experiences and offering suggestions.

    But maybe, if you go to someone that doesn't fit your general interpretation, s/he will know more on the topic as compared to someone who fits your general interpretation on the profession? In any career, it's not only about "looking the part."

    It can be psychological or as simple as a life choice, possibly? Maybe s/he enjoys helping others and doesn't really care about herself? Maybe she feels that as long as s/he is helping others with their weight and eating habits that s/he doesn't need to?
    Maybe s/he has a medical disorder, needs to take medication that somehow causes her to gain weight instead of lose it, or medical disorder/disease that causes weight gain?

    It could be a lot of reasons why s/he is obese. It's sad that s/he might not be taken seriously; most of us choose a career path that we are passionate about, and that passion towards that path can be triggered with life experiences. The obese nutritionist can be going through a medical situation like I said above and would like to help others either avoid her situation or help those in her current situation.

    I like looking at every situation in different perspectives before I come to a conclusion...I guess I can't really answer the actual question because I'm stuck between yes and no LOL
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    What if you only communicated though email or phone?

    Why even ask that?
    The question was "would you GO to an obese nutritionist?" If it was by email or phone then this entire thread is irrelevant.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    levitateme wrote: »
    I wouldn't trust a tone deaf person to be a vocal coach, so no.

    Would you trust a deaf person to write a symphony?

    In any situation, there are always exceptions. Beethoven wrote some pretty good music in the Late Period, so yeah, I can trust a deaf person to write a symphony.

    So because one exceptional person was able to produce the 9th symphony you would let every deaf person who studied music attempt to wright a symphony for you? Would you judge them on the same level as their hearing competators?

    I wouldn't automatically let all non-obese people be my nutritionist either. Point?

    Your arguments are very similar to the "IIFYM automatically means 'I eat nothing but bags of sugar.'" If someone says they don't want an obese nutritionist, that doesn't mean they think thin people are smarter/better than fat people.

    Do you think smokers who work in healthcare are hypocrites? Most people do, but it's okay to have that opinion. It's not nice to point out when people are unhealthy because they are very overweight.

    Oh now were are trying to discredit by association. Where does the argument about sugar consumption come into this?

    If you don't want an obese nutritionist, what are you choices? Right, a non-obese nutritionist. To me, that choice is arbitrary and without merit. IMHO
    The sugar consumption argument is because of your assumption that anyone who wouldn't want an obese nutritionist would hire a thin nutritionist just based on the fact that they are thin. No one said that but you. You wouldn't be able to tell if someone was "clinically obese but doesn't look it" unless you directly asked "are you clinically obese." The question is obviously based on a nutritionist who is undeniably visually obese. On my phone on lunch wasting my time with this, just because you are so bad at arguing and so smug about your opinion.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    flogging_dead_horse_what1.jpg
  • MariaAlexandra
    MariaAlexandra Posts: 126 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    flogging_dead_horse_what1.jpg

    LOLOLOL this made me chuckle :#
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    flogging_dead_horse_what1.jpg
    Lol I know, I just can't let this guy win. Someone please gif me "thats enough internet today" TIA

  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    levitateme wrote: »
    You know Beethoven wasn't born deaf right? He also wasn't completely deaf until very late in his life, so he heard music and knew how notes sounded before he went deaf.

    Are all obese people that way from birth or can circumstances change over time?

    I know I am being a little glib here but people spend more time researching what TV to buy than something much more important in my opinion - someone who can assist them with health and nutrition.

    Perhaps if we tried to eliminate our biases and spent a little more time looking at matters we would identify the best person for the job on actual merit, who could in fact be exceptional, be they slim or not.

    Wishful thinking may be but it is better than sitting back and saying "oh well, that's just the way it is" in my view.
    If in doing research the obese person is the Beethoven of nutrition then by all means hire them! If on the other hand they are on par with others who are able to present themselves at a healthy weight, their weight become a valid judgment point.

    Undoubtedly and as a rational consumer you would opt for the healthy weight nutritionist in that scenario.

    I would think the right move is
    levitateme wrote: »
    levitateme wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    levitateme wrote: »
    You know Beethoven wasn't born deaf right? He also wasn't completely deaf until very late in his life, so he heard music and knew how notes sounded before he went deaf.

    Are all obese people that way from birth or can circumstances change over time?

    I know I am being a little glib here but people spend more time researching what TV to buy than something much more important in my opinion - someone who can assist them with health and nutrition.

    Perhaps if we tried to eliminate our biases and spent a little more time looking at matters we would identify the best person for the job on actual merit, who could in fact be exceptional, be they slim or not.

    Wishful thinking may be but it is better than sitting back and saying "oh well, that's just the way it is" in my view.

    People just want to argue. Beethoven was a musical genius. Is every single obese person the Michaelangelo of food and I'm just missing out because I am close-minded?

    I could have easily ended up 400 lbs, but I didn't because I took control of myself. For this reason, I wouldn't trust someone who is 400 lbs to tell me what to eat no matter how much education they had. That's about all I have on the matter.

    I wouldn't hire any nutritionist though. I even cut my own hair, if that helps.

    Is every thin person a nutritional genius? Being thin doesn't qualify anyone any more than being obese disqualifies anyone. Going by looks is a rather shallow way of making the decesion in this case.

    Where did I say that someone being thin would make them a genius about food? Where? Find it.

    Obesity is costing the US healthcare industry literally BILLIONS of dollars a year. This has nothing to do with looks. Why would I go see a doctor that I deem unhealthy to get medical advice? I'm fairly certain that most people on this website are using it because they don't WANT to be obese. Does that have more to do with looks or health? Who knows, but being obese isn't a desirable trait, so I don't see why you need to argue this to the death. Do you want to be obese? Is that why you're on a calorie counting website?

    Your argument makes no sense to me. I find an obese person who goes to school to learn about nutrition but who chooses not to follow what they know to be hypocritical. I am not talking about "technically" obese people, or slightly overweight people. I am talking about 100 lbs overweight +

    ETA: And I know you're just going to come at me with "emotional, blah blah, losing weight is hard." Yes I know, I am a (mostly) recovered binge eater who was obese for many years. I know how hard it is.

    You implied it. Your argument makes no sense to me either. Have you seen my post about what it technically qualified as medically obese? If you are rather muscular and shorter, you can be clinically obese and actually have a fairly low bodyfat.

    Being thin (the opposite of obese and what you are implying here) doesn't make one healthier. Only your perception does. If you wouldn't want an obese person giving you nutritional advice, then one could disqualify a thin person because they could have an unhealthy eating disorder that keeps them thin.

    So the answer is "maybe". Depends on their qualifications.

    We wouldn't have access to a clinical BMI score for this person. The determination of obese would have to be made by what we see.

    In real life, if you look at a person and think they're obese, they're going to be over-fat, and/or possibly retaining a ton of water. Not 'rather muscular and shorter'. I mean, seriously?.

    Oh, and yes. Someone who appears unhealthy because they are too thin would also be passed over. The criteria is: if their appearance seems to indicate they would not be as fit to give good advice or to follow said advice for the client's needs. Assuming the needs are healthy weight loss. Not sure why that is not self-evident.

    I could see a shorter muscular person and probably guess they could be clinically obese. Just like you could try to determine an overly fat/thin person as being unhealthy.

    the criteria is "would you hire an obese person as a nutritionist?".

    You do enjoy attempting to deflect by deliberately missing the point, don't you.

    In the real world, people do not look at those with low %BF and classify them as obese. In fact, when they hear that some of those people are classified as obese by BMI (but not by %BF), the general response is that the BMI classification is ridiculous and without merit and that %BF should be used instead. So, you can safely presume that if you're going by sight alone, and not medical records, the only people being classified as obese will be those with higher %BF. How high that is will be a subjective thing, based on the client's perspective.

    My reference to a criteria is obviously not to the OP, but to the rationale on choosing the nutritionist.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    yoovie wrote: »
    NOT A CHANCE.

    I also wouldn't take management advice from a terrible boss.
    Or hire a babysitter that was on the phone with her boyfriend instead of supervising little ones.
    Or hire a trainer that was out of breath at the top of a flight of stairs.

    I'm a human and as a species we are wired to observe our environment and size up others in the vicinity. It's the whole 'think before you act' part that is necessary in good decision-making. Some people call it judging. That's not inaccurate.

    We do it when we choose a babysitter or a doctor. There are exceptions to stereotypes. Perhaps the obese nutritionist has special circumstances. But it won't change the fact that my brain registers a break between her product and her pitch. Someone offering others success, should be successful by their own program, right?

    So it isnt that she isn't trustworthy as a doctor, it's that my first impression of her information is that it doesn't work.

    It's not politically correct, but it's human to judge so as to be discerning.
    I would hire a sitter to watch my kids. I don't hire a dietitian to lose my weight. I just need information.

    I think it really depends on what people are seeking. If someone needs a role model, then they need a thin dietician. If they just need information, it makes no difference.

    I just meant that I couldnt trust someone to give me advice I haven't learned before, if they can't even follow it themselves and knowing it didn't help them - based on a first impression. Which is judgmental, and I accept that.

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    This thread has wasted pages of arguments over who would judge base off looks in this situation.

    Yup, luckily in post racial america, we've found that we can discriminate against yet another group!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    I stopped going to my doctor back home because of hygienic concerns of mine. He would have crumbs in his beard and his arm hair. He was a very overweight, sweaty mess. He was too lazy to get up out of his chair and collect things from cabinets and counters. He would ask me to do it. He just sat there, struggling, breathing hard, wheezing, his lab coat buttons about to pop open.

    It unsettled me and pissed me off. I couldn't understand how someone who was that unhygienic and out of shape could possibly keep me healthy.

    NO MAS! tu es FIRED!

    I prefer to surround myself, secularly and professionally, with people who obviously walk the walk.

  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
    edited December 2014
    stealthq wrote: »
    stealthq wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    levitateme wrote: »
    You know Beethoven wasn't born deaf right? He also wasn't completely deaf until very late in his life, so he heard music and knew how notes sounded before he went deaf.

    Are all obese people that way from birth or can circumstances change over time?

    I know I am being a little glib here but people spend more time researching what TV to buy than something much more important in my opinion - someone who can assist them with health and nutrition.

    Perhaps if we tried to eliminate our biases and spent a little more time looking at matters we would identify the best person for the job on actual merit, who could in fact be exceptional, be they slim or not.

    Wishful thinking may be but it is better than sitting back and saying "oh well, that's just the way it is" in my view.
    If in doing research the obese person is the Beethoven of nutrition then by all means hire them! If on the other hand they are on par with others who are able to present themselves at a healthy weight, their weight become a valid judgment point.

    Undoubtedly and as a rational consumer you would opt for the healthy weight nutritionist in that scenario.

    I would think the right move is
    levitateme wrote: »
    levitateme wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    levitateme wrote: »
    You know Beethoven wasn't born deaf right? He also wasn't completely deaf until very late in his life, so he heard music and knew how notes sounded before he went deaf.

    Are all obese people that way from birth or can circumstances change over time?

    I know I am being a little glib here but people spend more time researching what TV to buy than something much more important in my opinion - someone who can assist them with health and nutrition.

    Perhaps if we tried to eliminate our biases and spent a little more time looking at matters we would identify the best person for the job on actual merit, who could in fact be exceptional, be they slim or not.

    Wishful thinking may be but it is better than sitting back and saying "oh well, that's just the way it is" in my view.

    People just want to argue. Beethoven was a musical genius. Is every single obese person the Michaelangelo of food and I'm just missing out because I am close-minded?

    I could have easily ended up 400 lbs, but I didn't because I took control of myself. For this reason, I wouldn't trust someone who is 400 lbs to tell me what to eat no matter how much education they had. That's about all I have on the matter.

    I wouldn't hire any nutritionist though. I even cut my own hair, if that helps.

    Is every thin person a nutritional genius? Being thin doesn't qualify anyone any more than being obese disqualifies anyone. Going by looks is a rather shallow way of making the decesion in this case.

    Where did I say that someone being thin would make them a genius about food? Where? Find it.

    Obesity is costing the US healthcare industry literally BILLIONS of dollars a year. This has nothing to do with looks. Why would I go see a doctor that I deem unhealthy to get medical advice? I'm fairly certain that most people on this website are using it because they don't WANT to be obese. Does that have more to do with looks or health? Who knows, but being obese isn't a desirable trait, so I don't see why you need to argue this to the death. Do you want to be obese? Is that why you're on a calorie counting website?

    Your argument makes no sense to me. I find an obese person who goes to school to learn about nutrition but who chooses not to follow what they know to be hypocritical. I am not talking about "technically" obese people, or slightly overweight people. I am talking about 100 lbs overweight +

    ETA: And I know you're just going to come at me with "emotional, blah blah, losing weight is hard." Yes I know, I am a (mostly) recovered binge eater who was obese for many years. I know how hard it is.

    You implied it. Your argument makes no sense to me either. Have you seen my post about what it technically qualified as medically obese? If you are rather muscular and shorter, you can be clinically obese and actually have a fairly low bodyfat.

    Being thin (the opposite of obese and what you are implying here) doesn't make one healthier. Only your perception does. If you wouldn't want an obese person giving you nutritional advice, then one could disqualify a thin person because they could have an unhealthy eating disorder that keeps them thin.

    So the answer is "maybe". Depends on their qualifications.

    We wouldn't have access to a clinical BMI score for this person. The determination of obese would have to be made by what we see.

    In real life, if you look at a person and think they're obese, they're going to be over-fat, and/or possibly retaining a ton of water. Not 'rather muscular and shorter'. I mean, seriously?.

    Oh, and yes. Someone who appears unhealthy because they are too thin would also be passed over. The criteria is: if their appearance seems to indicate they would not be as fit to give good advice or to follow said advice for the client's needs. Assuming the needs are healthy weight loss. Not sure why that is not self-evident.

    I could see a shorter muscular person and probably guess they could be clinically obese. Just like you could try to determine an overly fat/thin person as being unhealthy.

    the criteria is "would you hire an obese person as a nutritionist?".

    You do enjoy attempting to deflect by deliberately missing the point, don't you.

    In the real world, people do not look at those with low %BF and classify them as obese. In fact, when they hear that some of those people are classified as obese by BMI (but not by %BF), the general response is that the BMI classification is ridiculous and without merit and that %BF should be used instead. So, you can safely presume that if you're going by sight alone, and not medical records, the only people being classified as obese will be those with higher %BF. How high that is will be a subjective thing, based on the client's perspective.

    My reference to a criteria is obviously not to the OP, but to the rationale on choosing the nutritionist.

    The last time I checked, I live in the real world. And by punching in my own info weight BF, I understand what it would take to be clinically obese and what that person might look like. The clinical definition of obese actually ASSUMES a BF. But if you enter the criterian for BMI it does NOT ask for BF%.
    I can only state MY opinion if I would hire that person or comment on the logic of others. If you wouldn't, that's fine with me. I'll just debate the logic of your reasoning. In the end, you can decide not to and in the real world, you don't need any logical reason to make that decision. You can agree with my debate, disagree and discuss or disagree and not discuss.
  • eat_hike_b33r
    eat_hike_b33r Posts: 82 Member
    I would base my decision on that persons credentials and personality/enthusiasm rather than their own personal struggles. Like other people said, that person may have a medical problem and a skinny dietitian or nutritionist may not be 'practicing what they preach' - a lot of my naturally thin friends eat the most junk and know much less about health than people who have struggled with their weight.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Storble wrote: »
    I would base my decision on that persons credentials and personality/enthusiasm rather than their own personal struggles. Like other people said, that person may have a medical problem and a skinny dietitian or nutritionist may not be 'practicing what they preach' - a lot of my naturally thin friends eat the most junk and know much less about health than people who have struggled with their weight.

    I wouldn't be more likely to work with her if she was thin.

    I would be more likely to use her services if she was a super healthy, actively engaged, role model.

    Just like I would for a trainer.

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    rbfdac wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    rbfdac wrote: »
    rbfdac wrote: »
    Yep. It's much easier to preach than to practice. Doesn't mean she/he doesn't know what they're talking about.

    No, but looking as though you take your own advice lends a bit of credibility. Would you go to a dentist who tells you how important oral hygiene is, that you have to brush and floss when they themselves have no teeth?

    Having good oral hygiene can hardly be compared to being overweight. It's quite simple to maintain good oral hygiene- brush your teeth and floss every now and visit your dentist twice a year and then and you're good (genetics also contribute to oral health). So, if my dentist can't seem to brush his teeth a couple times a day or floss every now and then, I might question his credibility.

    However, as we all know, maintaining a healthy weight and fitness level is a smidge more of a challenge. It's not as simple as "oh, just eat this many calories and exercise and you'll be healthy, ta da!". Emotions are involved in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and aid in the process of packing on pounds, as well as medical conditions, etc. Oral hygiene, not so much- you basically just brush your teeth. (I do understand some people are afraid of the dentist, etc., but that's not what I mean). If it were as simple to maintain a healthy weight/fitness level, this website would not exist.

    I am an intelligent person with a decent amount of knowledge about health and fitness and weight loss, but I, myself, am 100 pounds overweight. Doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about. I understand that someone might question my credibility and that's their prerogative, but the OP's question was "would YOU" be her patient. And yes, I would, because I am aware that there are other factors involved.

    You're over thinking this process. Because yes- it is that simple.
    The steps are very simple.

    eat less
    move more.
    It's quiet simple, outside of extreme medical conditions, to not be so excessively over weight.

    the whole reason this website exists is people over complicate it and make it about their emotions. Once they realize they aren't eating their emotions- or they get over their bad guilt/whatever hang ups over food- the pieces fall in to place. But again- maintaining a reasonable weight range and getting an hour or so of activity weekly is completely manageable and reasonable.


    Disagree. <snip snip snip>
    Sorry, but it's not as simple in real life as it is on paper.

    And that's why this is easier for me than it is for you- and as long as you maintain that mind set- it will continue to be that way. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    Is going to an obese nutritionist like riding a scooter?

    Lots of fun, but you don't want your friends to see you?
  • Maitria
    Maitria Posts: 439 Member
    Sure. We talk a lot about personal responsibility in weight loss. I don't need to worry about why she doesn't follow her own knowledge as long as I do. I'm not paying her to do the work for me but to help me understand it. A lot of people struggle with their weight, and for many of us, it's not lack of education. She has no more need to be perfect than anyone else. Someone who once upon a time helped me quite a lot with related issues was probably obese. She made such a lasting positive impression that she inspired my career path.
  • sati18
    sati18 Posts: 153 Member
    sati18 wrote: »
    It would really depend how big they were. Overweight but still healthy and fit looking then sure no problem. If they looked like a contestant for the biggest loser then no way - I would struggle to be inspired by someone who for whatever reason doesn't embody the lifestyle they're instructing you on. Lead by example and all that

    Do people really go to a nutritionist for inspiration? For back-patting and cheering and story-telling? For lifestyle instruction?

    You can do that at weight watchers. Or certain pages here. Both much cheaper and easier to find.

    Lets get to the root of the words. Nutrition. Diet. I've seen several nutritionists/dieticians. One for gestational diabetes, and others for nutritional counseling for my children who are underweight. I choose them for their knowledge. My dietician doesn't ever have had to struggle with diabetes to have helped me to create a meal plan to understand the GI of certain foods or manage insulin. Its science. I don't need them to lead me or be an example. There are better places for that. I need their knowledge. What they choose to feed themselves is irrelevant.

    Thats fine for you, but i wasn't telling you that you needed to be inspired or motivated by your dietitian - i was stating that I personally do. Which was actually the original question.

    So in answer to your question 'Do people really go to a nutritionist for inspiration?' the answer is yes, some people do. It entirely depends on your personality and the reason you're seeing them in the first place. Your examples were incidences where their knowledge may have been all you needed. When I've seen a dietitian it's been part of an eating disorder treatment program so actually their knowledge of food groups and numbers wasnt the whole of it. I needed to be encouraged and inspired to continue maintaining a healthy eating pattern, and held accountable when i didn't.

    I can't take people seriously if they say one thing and then do another and I definitely wouldn't accept recriminations or advice about how and why i should eat from someone dangerously overweight.

  • onionparsleysage
    onionparsleysage Posts: 103 Member
    If she was just barely in the "obesity" range on the BMI scale & came with great recommendations, then I wouldn't think twice about being her patient. That level of obesity can be caused by confounding factors like hormonal imbalances while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If she was hundreds of pounds overweight, then I'd be more hesitant to make an appointment. Severely obese people can certainly still be highly educated in nutrition, BUT one of the important parts of meeting with a nutritionist is getting practical recommendations about how to make healthy a practical lifestyle. I'd be concerned that the advice would be more academic & I wouldn't be able to glean the tips I needed to actually apply the advice.
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
    edited December 2014
    B)
    "Those who can't do teach."

    Self-control is not the same thing as having knowledge. I would probably take her advice with a grain of salt, and do my own research on her advise, but that wouldn't dissuade me from visiting her altogether.

    Sorry, I have to be a total nerd and correct this quote..."Those who can do, those who can't teach." Bernard Shaw (I use this and many other quotes from him frequently LOL). If mine is also a little off sorry but I think I'm close.

    While no one is perfect and certainly experience on the bad end of nutrition can be valuable I have to say if someone puts it out there that they are an expert in this I would expect they are in at least fairly good shape themself. These days I also think that doctors, nurses, etc should be held to a higher standard and take care of themselves better.
  • spamarie
    spamarie Posts: 2,825 Member
    I think it's more about attitude and manner rather than size. You can have the biggest or skinniest healthcare professionals giving you advice, but if they sound like they're judging you harshly and are unsympathetic, I'm not going to want to go and see them.

    As it happens, I visit a nurse who specializes in helping people lose weight, and she is a little overweight herself. But she is wonderful! She has lost a significant amount of weight, and truly understands the difficulty of it. She emphasizes it's not about reaching perfection, it's about being healthier and making better choices most of the time. Plus the main thing is, she's really nice! And I feel like she'd be that way no matter what her weight.