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Does your doctor comment on your weight?

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  • EatingAndKnitting
    EatingAndKnitting Posts: 531 Member
    My doctor comments on my weight when it's related to my problem or when I bring it up. I had an evaluation for ADHD yesterday, and he put me on a stimulant medication rather than the non-stimulant because the stimulant will help suppress my appetite (I'm also on a big cocktail of pysch drugs that increase appetite) and that might help me lose weight.

    I asked him about some knee pain I'm having when I walk, I had a tendon moved four years ago and my knee is mechanically abnormal. My weight had nothing tj do with why I had a tendon moved, it was a birth defect. He said the pain is mechanical and strengthening the muscles and losing weight will help.

    He gave me a high five when I said I've lost 45 pounds this year.

    He supported me when I wanted gastric bypass surgery. But he didn't push the issue when I decided against it. He's a very good doctor. He is honest and truthful without blaming everything on my weight or shaming me.

    I had another doctor when I was twelve that told me to go on a 1200 calorie diet the first time I met him, because I was obese. (I wasn't. I was overweight, but not close to obese) I told him that he needed to do the same thing first. He WAS obese. He was not a good doctor in other respects either.

    I do think doctors have a responsibility to be honest with their patients, but I also think some doctors assume everything is weight related first and don't bother checking into other causes for patient complaints. I also think a lot of patients with good, honest doctors are looking for reasons to be offended because they don't want to hear the honesty. I was there, I know how it feels to not want to hear it, but that opinion might be projection.
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
    jesslla wrote: »
    My doctor comments on my weight when it's related to my problem or when I bring it up. I had an evaluation for ADHD yesterday, and he put me on a stimulant medication rather than the non-stimulant because the stimulant will help suppress my appetite (I'm also on a big cocktail of pysch drugs that increase appetite) and that might help me lose weight.

    I asked him about some knee pain I'm having when I walk, I had a tendon moved four years ago and my knee is mechanically abnormal. My weight had nothing tj do with why I had a tendon moved, it was a birth defect. He said the pain is mechanical and strengthening the muscles and losing weight will help.

    He gave me a high five when I said I've lost 45 pounds this year.

    He supported me when I wanted gastric bypass surgery. But he didn't push the issue when I decided against it. He's a very good doctor. He is honest and truthful without blaming everything on my weight or shaming me.

    I had another doctor when I was twelve that told me to go on a 1200 calorie diet the first time I met him, because I was obese. (I wasn't. I was overweight, but not close to obese) I told him that he needed to do the same thing first. He WAS obese. He was not a good doctor in other respects either.

    I do think doctors have a responsibility to be honest with their patients, but I also think some doctors assume everything is weight related first and don't bother checking into other causes for patient complaints. I also think a lot of patients with good, honest doctors are looking for reasons to be offended because they don't want to hear the honesty. I was there, I know how it feels to not want to hear it, but that opinion might be projection.

    @jesslla great job on losing the 45 pounds!
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    Nope and it's irritating as well as sad. We have arrived in an era where it's better to let people kill themselves than chance losing customers because of the easily offended mouth breathers.

    Odd, from talking to my doctor and talking to friends who have heard their doctor talk about weight and such, seems like it's really common around here for doctors to raise the issue (my doctor says that she thinks it's a medical obligation), so I think your generalization that doctors don't is off-base, or at least a major over-generalization.

    I think it is more about my tone. I'm cynical. But to ease your troubled mind, allow me to clarify what it was that I was responding to..

    Question: (Does your doctor comment on your weight?)
    Answer: (No and it's irritating..)

    Responder: (I asked my doc if she ever suggested that people lose weight, eat better, exercise more, etc. She said that her answer would be mostly, "No." When I asked why.... ) etc etc etc
    My response: (We have arrived on an era when it's better to let others kill themselves..)

    Que the videos of people getting beat up or robbed while others video tape.

    We have arrived in an era..

    Que the videos of people walking past the homeless man ignoring him until one person out of thousands steps up to do the right thing..

    We have arrived in an era..

    Que the wealth we have in abundance, throwing away left overs, letting properties sit unlived in for tax purposes rather than help out a homeless single mother. The vet suffering from ptsd that has been abandoned and neglected..

    Am I generalizing? Well, when the general idea is me first and not my problem? Yeah, I suppose in that regard, I am. And we are all guilty of it.



    So what exactly triggered that?

    Do we need to arrange a safe space for you?

    Actually I was thinking I should arrange it for some of you. I don't need to hide who I am. I'm perfectly content with being snarky. It's most everyone else who seems all offended when I send transparent messages to those who see in opaque. Im not from the sensitive generation though.
  • zeldon919
    zeldon919 Posts: 118 Member
    Yes. I'm very overweight with PCOS, mentioning it is literally their job. If it didn't come up they wouldn't be doing their job.

    There's always a conversation the first visit, but my MDs have always treated me like an adult - "you need to lose weight because xyz" I tell them I know and I'm working on it and it becomes a thing to watch.

    After that they're usually happy with a downward trend and good blood work. If they see progress they remark "(quick good job"or something of the like) and move on.

    The most unique was the MD who didn't care about weight, only waist size. It should be at or below 94cm for men or 80cm for women.

    But - If I was only a tiny bit overweight and the MD made it an issue (due to genetics I'm very muscular, so BMI isn't accurate for me, and I won't trust any MD who treats it as gospel), or if the MD was very judgemental or agressive (different than persistent) about the issue, I would try to find another MD.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    My doctor, who is overweight got all over me about losing weight and eating better. I was looking at her like, "WTF"?

    She's no longer my doctor. But, I still go there sometimes because they are pill pushers, and if I need something, I can easily get it there. Where a good doctor wouldn't prescribe it. Lol

    Some doctors are bad examples to their patients, but it doesn't mean what they say is incorrect, or to be ignored. It is important that you strive to be near your ideal weight, even if your doctor doesn't practice what she preaches.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    Since several of my issues are obviously worsened by my weight, then, yes, it has been mentioned.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    I look at this from a scientific method and eliminating variables. Carrying excessive weight or being underweight are variables with inherent risk. Is there a legitimate reason to not remove these risk factors?

    My physician is nearing the end of his career and rarely brings up weight with his patients. He's an endocrinologist and in my opinion one of the best out there. Unfortunately as the majority of his patient population is obese he is fighting a losing battle.

  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Has your doc ever suggested you lose weight? If so, were you offended?

    I asked my doc if she ever suggested people lose weight, eat better, exercise more, etc. She said that her answer would be mostly "No." When I asked her why she explained that being a doctor is a business and if she would critique each patients weight, she is sure she would lose patients, especially the easily offended ones. She also said if the patient asks her opinion about their weight, should would gladly help them with a diet/exercise plan.

    Sounds like your doctor isn't a very good one. More in it for the money. Mine is sort of like that, she's very good, very knowledgeable, but unless you bring something up it doesn't come up. She did remark when I lost 100 lbs the first year and saw her for a sinus infection. But she's also the type of doctor who doesn't remind her patients that it's time for a checkup or that they need tests done because of age. If I don't ask, it doesn't happen. To me that's a 'reactive' doctor not a 'proactive' doctor. Even when I was 120lbs overweight, actually morbidly obese, she never said a word about it other than to tell me I had high blood pressure and that it was time to put me on medication. I think in passing she mentioned losing some weight or cutting out sugar and switching to stevia was a good idea, but I think I brought it up first. She had seen me many time over the previous years as I was gaining all that weight and not a word was said. Not blaming her for my gain at all, and I knew the whole time I should lose some weight and that eventually i was going to have to do so. Sometimes though, it helps to know your family doctor is pushing you to be better and to be healthier.

    I'd love to find a doctor who keeps good track of their patients health in my area, but going through five family doctors in the last 30 years I have not found one. I settled on the one I have now because I was tired of switching. At first my current doctor would call me with an automated system and remind me to go see her for checkups but that changed quickly after the first year. It's been 2 years now since I've went in for anything and no reminders have been sent my way. That's as much my fault as it is hers, I could easily make an appointment for a checkup but have not had a reason so I don't waste the $30 co-pay to go see her. If she were to send a reminder I'd probably do it, because my insurance covers annual checkups and extra testing. Right now I'm in 'test mode' with her. If I don't hear from her by the end of the year for any sort of reminder I'll probably be shopping for a new family doctor again. If there is one anyway, it's slim picking around here.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    I have never been obese, and just moderately overweight at most, so my doctors have never mentioned it except as part of a checklist (smoke? Drink? Feel safe at home? Eat healthy? Don't need to lose any weight).

    I do know a few drs who have had patients get upset when weight is mentioned as contributing to their disease. One said the dr "fat shamed her" after saying losing weight would help with her fatty liver disease! All the actual discussion of medications, tests done, etc was ignored and she only remembered the "lose weight " advice. Ugh.

    Another issue for US docs is that when patients are all offended, they don't just huff to their spouse, they write negative reviews online. And while we all know that online reviews of anything are skewed by people who either love or hate something, a bunch of touchy people ranting about dr so-and-so's terrible bedside manner and rudeness (bc she dared tell the patient she was obese) can lose them new patients.

    That being said, the docs I know well do talk to patients about weight management/loss when appropriate. One even recommends calorie counting and logging on MFP! So fear of patient annoyance isn't a deterrent, but definitely an annoyance.
  • Knokr
    Knokr Posts: 13 Member
    When I was only 5 pounds overweight and perfectly healthy my doctor (who was much more over weight than I) told me I needed to lose 15 pounds. Never went back.
  • Candyspun
    Candyspun Posts: 370 Member
    Yes. I would be happy if everyone was weighed at each visit, with a quick chat about whether or not it's a healthy weight. If more people were aware on a regular basis, things wouldn't get so far out of control.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    I am a PA and my doctor never commented on my weight even though it has crept up for years. When I mentioned my wanting to lose weight she suggested HCG diet and shots and phentermine pills. No thanks. Now, I know all doctors aren't like that. I do think PAs give better care though.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    I’ve never been overweight except for right after giving birth, and even then only slightly. So there’s never been a reason for a dr to tell me to lose weight. But if it was an issue for me I would definitely expect them to. That seems like part of their job to me.