Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
Does your doctor comment on your weight?
Replies
-
My endocrinologist always notes my weight .. whether I’ve lost, gained or maintained….even small increments.
It’s part of health. Glad she mentions it. It’s also related to metabolism and thyroid for me.. so something to keep in check.4 -
I drove a friend to the doctor today. Same office as my GP.
That doctor advised my friend to lose weight and exercise more, in order to avoid diabetes and another bad potential outcome.
I wish my doctor had treated me that way. They didn’t. 😾10 -
Per the original poster's question: It is rare that a doctor ever comments on my weight, despite being overweight my entire life. I was overweight as a young teenager and remain overweight as an adult.
Even more sad is that multiple times over the years, I have gone to practitioners to ask questions about my weight, or how difficult I find it to lose said weight in a sustainable way. The most they do is run the same tests for hypothyroid and pre-diabetes/insulin resistance. They always come back okay, so we know it isn't that, but that's the end of the appointment. I never get follow up appointments to discuss the results or steps forward, so I've honestly given up on trusting or listening to doctors about most things since it feels like none of them take any ACTIVE interest in my health. They only seem interested if you need medications or if you're already in kind of dire straits.
I will state though, I see military doctors, which means they don't get kick backs for promoting certain medicines, but also, the list of resources for our insurance might be somewhat limited. Anything that requires more than a GP has to go through a referral system and sometimes, that takes months. And depending on what area you live in, there might not be a specialist for your particular issue within 2 hours. Also, the joke is that their standard for pain relief is to just throw a bottle of Motrin your way (which they do.. 800 MG Motrin apparently solves all life's ailments).
There's also the fact that they rotate about as often as the active service members do, so you may not get the same GP for the entire time you are at one location, or you may get the GP that has a *kitten* attitude or treats all non-military members as though they are. It's... frustrating. And I'm sure that's a big reason why they don't seem to follow up or *do* much with any of their patients unless their patients constantly hound them. And I don't feel like being *that* person. My experience might be quite different if I had a GP I liked, trusted and could see for years at a time.
The ONE time a doctor commented on my weight, it was when I went in to see him (for the first time), about my jaw constantly popping. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with my weight, and had he looked at my charts or medical history, he would have seen that not only had I recently had a blood panel drawn, but that it all came back clean again AS WELL as the fact that I had been steadily either at the same weight *or* had been in the process of slowly losing it over 10 years. Instead, he commented on my weight (in an extremely RUDE manner), didn't answer my question about my popping jaw or if it was concerning, wouldn't write a referral to a specialist for it and had his aide (who was actually very polite) run out of the clinic and track me down to give me a piece of paper with "weight loss tips" which were NOT healthy at all! Promoting crap like low-carb diets for everyone, and extreme calorie reduction (I mean, a calorie intake under 1200). The whole paper he gave me was just.. nonsense. It left such a BAD taste in my mouth that I refused to go to a doctor for the rest of my time living in California. I didn't go in to see another until we moved to another state.
That doctor was an *kitten*. And I am not sorry about stating that. Some people just should not be doctors and should not be working with the public in any capacity, and he was one of those people. I later found out that multiple people (of varying weights and with different health concerns) all had similar issues with this man. He was just.. RUDE.
But again, per the OP's question: outside of that one incident, no.. they never ask and/or comment. If they did it in a kind and helpful way, I would not be offended and would gladly discuss with them things I have tried, ways forward, etc. My health so far has NOT been impacted by being overweight, but someday, it might.. and that worries me.9 -
KosmosKitten wrote: »Per the original poster's question: It is rare that a doctor ever comments on my weight, despite being overweight my entire life. I was overweight as a young teenager and remain overweight as an adult.
Even more sad is that multiple times over the years, I have gone to practitioners to ask questions about my weight, or how difficult I find it to lose said weight in a sustainable way. The most they do is run the same tests for hypothyroid and pre-diabetes/insulin resistance. They always come back okay, so we know it isn't that, but that's the end of the appointment. I never get follow up appointments to discuss the results or steps forward, so I've honestly given up on trusting or listening to doctors about most things since it feels like none of them take any ACTIVE interest in my health. They only seem interested if you need medications or if you're already in kind of dire straits.
I will state though, I see military doctors, which means they don't get kick backs for promoting certain medicines, but also, the list of resources for our insurance might be somewhat limited. Anything that requires more than a GP has to go through a referral system and sometimes, that takes months. And depending on what area you live in, there might not be a specialist for your particular issue within 2 hours. Also, the joke is that their standard for pain relief is to just throw a bottle of Motrin your way (which they do.. 800 MG Motrin apparently solves all life's ailments).
There's also the fact that they rotate about as often as the active service members do, so you may not get the same GP for the entire time you are at one location, or you may get the GP that has a *kitten* attitude or treats all non-military members as though they are. It's... frustrating. And I'm sure that's a big reason why they don't seem to follow up or *do* much with any of their patients unless their patients constantly hound them. And I don't feel like being *that* person. My experience might be quite different if I had a GP I liked, trusted and could see for years at a time.
The ONE time a doctor commented on my weight, it was when I went in to see him (for the first time), about my jaw constantly popping. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with my weight, and had he looked at my charts or medical history, he would have seen that not only had I recently had a blood panel drawn, but that it all came back clean again AS WELL as the fact that I had been steadily either at the same weight *or* had been in the process of slowly losing it over 10 years. Instead, he commented on my weight (in an extremely RUDE manner), didn't answer my question about my popping jaw or if it was concerning, wouldn't write a referral to a specialist for it and had his aide (who was actually very polite) run out of the clinic and track me down to give me a piece of paper with "weight loss tips" which were NOT healthy at all! Promoting crap like low-carb diets for everyone, and extreme calorie reduction (I mean, a calorie intake under 1200). The whole paper he gave me was just.. nonsense. It left such a BAD taste in my mouth that I refused to go to a doctor for the rest of my time living in California. I didn't go in to see another until we moved to another state.
That doctor was an *kitten*. And I am not sorry about stating that. Some people just should not be doctors and should not be working with the public in any capacity, and he was one of those people. I later found out that multiple people (of varying weights and with different health concerns) all had similar issues with this man. He was just.. RUDE.
But again, per the OP's question: outside of that one incident, no.. they never ask and/or comment. If they did it in a kind and helpful way, I would not be offended and would gladly discuss with them things I have tried, ways forward, etc. My health so far has NOT been impacted by being overweight, but someday, it might.. and that worries me.
I’m sorry that happened to you.
I’ve had doctors not listen to the very basic details of my health. It’s a disheartening thing to experience.
Recently my boyfriend pointed out that I have quite an attitude about doctors. And so I started listing all the times doctors have directly caused me harm.
Even one such incident is bad. But…. Let’s just leave it at this: I need two hands to count the times it’s happened to me.7 -
My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.4
-
BuddhaBunnyFTW wrote: »My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.
Your former doctor may have been on to something telling you to eat more eggs. Dietary cholesterol doesn't really affect blood cholesterol and my, and others, numbers were better when adding in eggs.
Edited to add: Phew! 5 mins left to fix that grammar. "I numbers"???? WTF, glassyo?!
9 -
Are we sharing doctors not listening stories now? Goodie. On my last visit, my doctor blanked on the fact that I'm unemployed and uninsured and prescribed a $500 per month medication.11
-
janejellyroll wrote: »Yes I gained weight during the pandemic, as did many people. But I’ve been overweight (according to the crappy BMI system) my whole life DESPITE eating healthy for years.
I know MANY women who eat healthy and are relatively active but they are STILL overweight according to BMI.
In any population you are going to have some individuals who are naturally thinner and some that are naturally heavier. It’s called genetic diversity. Even if every individual “ate within the calorie allotment they’re supposed to” guess what? You are STILL going to see a range of weights among the population - some lighter, some heavier. Caloric intake is only ONE factor that influences an individual’s weight. Genetics also plays a major role. Not everyone is genetically predisposed to be in the “healthy” BMI range, which is a completely arbitrary range. Case in point: in the U.S. the “overweight” BMI range starts at 25, but in Asia, it starts at 23. It modified to fit that population, which is genetically predisposed toward lower weight.
There are plenty of women who are predisposed to higher weight. They eat right and exercise regularly and are STILL labeled as “overweight” according to BMI… even though they are at their natural body weight that genetics has predisposed them to, and would need to starve themselves with an unhealthily low caloric intake in order to get their weight any lower. No thank you!
Anyone who thinks an overweight person is automatically an overeater is just uneducated. There is so much more that influences a person’s weight than caloric intake alone.
[edited by MFP Moderators]
It's a total misconception that "eating healthy" will ensure that one maintains a healthy weight. I've always eaten a diet that contained plenty of the foods that are associated with better health outcomes and minimized those that didn't (except for a couple of years in college). The issue is that you can still consume more calories than your body needs even when you're eating "healthy."
I fought this too and I had periods where I also believed that I was just destined to be bigger. Nope. As soon as I consistently ate the number of calories my body actually required for my desired weight, I was able to reach and maintain that weight.
We don't have a "natural body weight." It would be great if we did because over the course of human history, lack of calories has been a major concern. Eating "right" and exercising regularly are meaningless without the context of calories.
If you're fat, the cause is that you're eating more than you need to maintain a lower weight. "Overeating" isn't a character flaw, it's something that is very easy to do in our current world. Realizing you're overeating is the first step to controlling your weight, even if it feels like you're eating great and very normally. I too fought this for years.
Yes, this describes my experience as well. The one time I had a doctor comment on my weight, I was actually there to discuss it because I was confused for this exact reason - I ate healthy foods, I was reasonably active - averaged a lot of steps daily and ran a couple of times per week, but I couldn't seem to lose more than ten pounds or so. What the heck???
(Now I know that I was underestimating how much I was eating. No surprises there for any regulars here, but I was baffled and confused and annoyed. And I was due for a GP visit and needed a referral to another specialist anyway, so why not a dietician or something too so I could finally get this figured out?)
The hard thing was the doctor immediately jumped in before I had mentioned weight at all and made a lot of assumptions about my eating and behavior before I could explain what I was already trying. He didn't use a rude tone of voice, but he made it very clear he thought he had me all figured out: he thought I couldn't cook, that I went out to eat all the time, that I never ate vegetables, that I didn't exercise. And I was so shocked I couldn't think clearly enough to correct him and ask about a referral until I'd been shuffled out the door. I didn't get really mad about it until later that evening. And it still irritates me when I think back on it!
I need to go back now for another non-urgent health reason (I've had OB care in the meantime). I've actually been putting off scheduling it now that I'm actively losing weight so I can be in a healthy range the next time I see him. Maybe that's stupid. I have actually wondered if I should say anything to him about what he said all those years ago. Of course, if I lost the weight after all (even if I gained more before I started losing) he might think his counseling did some good. Maybe in a weird way it did, though it's made me avoid going back to him for...five years, now. Wow.
I'm also in the "overweight but currently healthy" camp, but I'm also still young. I don't think I could keep it up another couple of decades and still expect the same outcomes just from the additional stress of extra weight on the body. And I can tell that I feel a lot better now than I did thirty pounds ago. I have fifteen pounds to get into a normal range, and while it's not a perfect metric it suits me as a regular, sort-of-tall non super athlete housewife.5 -
That definitely is horrible. And I am sorry that happened to you.Are we sharing doctors not listening stories now? Goodie. On my last visit, my doctor blanked on the fact that I'm unemployed and uninsured and prescribed a $500 per month medication.
Here’s my worst Dr story.
Thirty years ago, in Helena Montana, my OBGYN knew I had no insurance. I am 100% sure of this because he insisted on cash payments with every visit, PLUS an extra $50 each visit so his delivery fee would be prepaid in time for the full term birth.
Memorial Day I started cramping a little bit. I was 4 months one week along. I called and got his service. Repeatedly. Over many, many hours.
I had no one else at home since my husband was a road musician and everyone else was …. Well, on the road.
I couldn’t drive safely because of the random cramps. The Dr knew I was alone because I said so every time I called the service.
I asked if I needed an ambulance. The service said the dr would order one if he thought it necessary.
But the dr never did anything. At. All.
Including call me back to check if I was even alive after I miscarried. All by myself.
The em effer never even gave me my deposit back.
Never asked how I was doing.
Never showed the slightest concern for my actual health, mental or physical.
I could have easily hemorrhaged to death all alone in my living room. As it was I had a fever for two weeks after.
That’s probably my worst story, but my former neurologist comes in at a very close second. Or third…. The ER doctors in Athens Ga who made note of my lack of insurance, then gave me lidocaine to shut off the pain from my sudden gall bladder crisis, and shoved then me out the door? That’s also a contender, considering I was puking, and standard of care for that is emergency gall bladder removal.12 -
MargaretYakoda wrote: »
That definitely is horrible. And I am sorry that happened to you.Are we sharing doctors not listening stories now? Goodie. On my last visit, my doctor blanked on the fact that I'm unemployed and uninsured and prescribed a $500 per month medication.
Here’s my worst Dr story.
Thirty years ago, in Helena Montana, my OBGYN knew I had no insurance. I am 100% sure of this because he insisted on cash payments with every visit, PLUS an extra $50 each visit so his delivery fee would be prepaid in time for the full term birth.
Memorial Day I started cramping a little bit. I was 4 months one week along. I called and got his service. Repeatedly. Over many, many hours.
I had no one else at home since my husband was a road musician and everyone else was …. Well, on the road.
I couldn’t drive safely because of the random cramps. The Dr knew I was alone because I said so every time I called the service.
I asked if I needed an ambulance. The service said the dr would order one if he thought it necessary.
But the dr never did anything. At. All.
Including call me back to check if I was even alive after I miscarried. All by myself.
The em effer never even gave me my deposit back.
Never asked how I was doing.
Never showed the slightest concern for my actual health, mental or physical.
I could have easily hemorrhaged to death all alone in my living room. As it was I had a fever for two weeks after.
That’s probably my worst story, but my former neurologist comes in at a very close second. Or third…. The ER doctors in Athens Ga who made note of my lack of insurance, then gave me lidocaine to shut off the pain from my sudden gall bladder crisis, and shoved then me out the door? That’s also a contender, considering I was puking, and standard of care for that is emergency gall bladder removal.
An ER doctor once tried to sent me home with an ovarian torsion, giant tumor, and an ovary which was dead and necrotic. Prescribed pain meds and tried to kick me out the door. I told him I would kill myself if sent home in that much pain and they called the hospitalist who got me admitted. I had to spend the rest of my stay with a staff member sitting there to make sure I didn’t kill myself but it was worth it not to, you know, die from dead and rotting organs! You shouldn’t really have to threaten suicide to get care, but that’s our hospital system for ya.10 -
It's funny, only one time a doctor ever commented on my weight and it's because she was worrying about my low body weight, she said 145lbs at 5'9 is "way too skinny", that's how she said it.
I've been 20-30lbs overweight and not one word from any doctor.2 -
BuddhaBunnyFTW wrote: »My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.
Most doctors know nothing about weight besides the BMI chart. They are just regular people. All my coworkers are doctors and think you have to do keto or some crazy diet to lose weight. None of them know half as much as 90% of the people on here.2 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »BuddhaBunnyFTW wrote: »My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.
Most doctors know nothing about weight besides the BMI chart. They are just regular people. All my coworkers are doctors and think you have to do keto or some crazy diet to lose weight. None of them know half as much as 90% of the people on here.
The hyperbole is great with this statement.
With that said, doctors should definitely have more training in nutrition.3 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »BuddhaBunnyFTW wrote: »My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.
Most doctors know nothing about weight besides the BMI chart. They are just regular people. All my coworkers are doctors and think you have to do keto or some crazy diet to lose weight. None of them know half as much as 90% of the people on here.
That isnt my experience.
I have worked in primary care for over a decade, along side many doctors.
None have been on keto or advocated keto or any crazy diets
and sure, they are not dieticians - dieticians are the experts in areas of nutrition and people get referred to them if neccesary
However not being an expert isnt the same as knowing nothing beside the BMI chart.
Really false dichotomy there.7 -
paperpudding wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »BuddhaBunnyFTW wrote: »My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.
Most doctors know nothing about weight besides the BMI chart. They are just regular people. All my coworkers are doctors and think you have to do keto or some crazy diet to lose weight. None of them know half as much as 90% of the people on here.
That isnt my experience.
I have worked in primary care for over a decade, along side many doctors.
None have been on keto or advocated keto or any crazy diets
and sure, they are not dieticians - dieticians are the experts in areas of nutrition and people get referred to them if neccesary
However not being an expert isnt the same as knowing nothing beside the BMI chart.
Really false dichotomy there.
Just springboarding from these thoughts here:
I think what can be tricky sometimes is that there can be a knowledge gap but a professional doesn't know/admit there is a gap, or accept that a non-professional can sometimes have and understand information the professional doesn't. I haven't run into this with nutrition exactly since my experience with medical care for it was summed up earlier in the thread, but I have run into it with gynecological and obstetrical care, which I have a lot of experience with. Did I go to medical school? No. But I am reasonably intelligent, can understand statistics, and know enough logic to be able to detect faulty reasoning. I also know myself very well. So it can be discouraging, if I have a question or concern, to be treated dismissively as if I were someone who Googled a question five minutes before my appointment and I came across some guy with a blog said "it's all toxins!!!" (Though the people who do that also need to be treated with care and respect, which I'm sure isn't easy while also working through the facts.)
My worst medical experience was when I had a child in NICU and a neonatologist who consulted told me he was "shocked [my] baby wasn't dead," because I had breastfed his older brother during my pregnancy. So there you have a knowledge gap (it's a myth that breastfeeding while pregnant is dangerous for the child in utero in general - it can be under a very specific set of circumstances but it's definitely not generally true), but it's related to the area of expertise so assumed to be part of a professional knowledge set. Arguably it's horrible bedside manner too (hello, I had a baby in the NICU, less than twelve hours old, and you're dropping comments like this like you're commenting on the weather? What?!)
I think this applies to professionals in any field, but it's important to avoid pride and be aware of how things "everybody knows" but actually aren't true can still stick around in your brain. Good doctors (and other professionals) are willing to check themselves. Not-so-good ones don't. I think there's a LOT of cultural myths and misperceptions regarding nutrition and weight loss that could be very easy for medical professionals to perpetuate in their practice, especially in the absence of focused training to correct some of it.7 -
penguinmama87 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »BuddhaBunnyFTW wrote: »My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.
Most doctors know nothing about weight besides the BMI chart. They are just regular people. All my coworkers are doctors and think you have to do keto or some crazy diet to lose weight. None of them know half as much as 90% of the people on here.
That isnt my experience.
I have worked in primary care for over a decade, along side many doctors.
None have been on keto or advocated keto or any crazy diets
and sure, they are not dieticians - dieticians are the experts in areas of nutrition and people get referred to them if neccesary
However not being an expert isnt the same as knowing nothing beside the BMI chart.
Really false dichotomy there.
Just springboarding from these thoughts here:
I think what can be tricky sometimes is that there can be a knowledge gap but a professional doesn't know/admit there is a gap, or accept that a non-professional can sometimes have and understand information the professional doesn't. I haven't run into this with nutrition exactly since my experience with medical care for it was summed up earlier in the thread, but I have run into it with gynecological and obstetrical care, which I have a lot of experience with. Did I go to medical school? No. But I am reasonably intelligent, can understand statistics, and know enough logic to be able to detect faulty reasoning. I also know myself very well. So it can be discouraging, if I have a question or concern, to be treated dismissively as if I were someone who Googled a question five minutes before my appointment and I came across some guy with a blog said "it's all toxins!!!" (Though the people who do that also need to be treated with care and respect, which I'm sure isn't easy while also working through the facts.)
My worst medical experience was when I had a child in NICU and a neonatologist who consulted told me he was "shocked [my] baby wasn't dead," because I had breastfed his older brother during my pregnancy. So there you have a knowledge gap (it's a myth that breastfeeding while pregnant is dangerous for the child in utero in general - it can be under a very specific set of circumstances but it's definitely not generally true), but it's related to the area of expertise so assumed to be part of a professional knowledge set. Arguably it's horrible bedside manner too (hello, I had a baby in the NICU, less than twelve hours old, and you're dropping comments like this like you're commenting on the weather? What?!)
I think this applies to professionals in any field, but it's important to avoid pride and be aware of how things "everybody knows" but actually aren't true can still stick around in your brain. Good doctors (and other professionals) are willing to check themselves. Not-so-good ones don't. I think there's a LOT of cultural myths and misperceptions regarding nutrition and weight loss that could be very easy for medical professionals to perpetuate in their practice, especially in the absence of focused training to correct some of it.
Absolutely agreed.
I’m sorry you had that experience with the NICU doctor.
I can’t even begin to count the insensitive or inaccurate things medical professionals have said to me or my loved one in my presence.
From Covid denying VA technicians, to doctors thinking I’m a hypochondriac for pointing out my nails peeling up from the nail beds = low thyroid (because ya, that’s really a thing)
The most recent one was a walk in clinic doctor. This was just over a month ago.
I was working on a project. The Xacto blade slipped and I stabbed myself full force in the calf.
1) I have neuropathy. So it didn’t really hurt.
2) The item I was working on had previously been used to house chickens. And it definitely was not sterile.
3) I knew my tetanus shot was long overdue.
So I went to the walk in clinic. Where the doctor sneered at me that I “didn’t need to come in to the emergency room for such a small scratch”
The darn thing was an inch deep. And dirty. And it was the walk in clinic. … which, granted, is next to the ER…. But I hadn’t gone to the ER, so, ya.
I mean, sorry I can’t feel my kitten legs, doc, but I’m pretty sure tetanus doesn’t care.
Anyhow. Doctors make mistakes, and are subject to logical fallacies, and other things, just like the rest of us.6 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »BuddhaBunnyFTW wrote: »My former doctor told me to get a job in a warehouse lol. Also said that I should eat more eggs (I have high cholesterol). My new doc just comments on my cholesterol numbers which are higher due to genetics and me being over weight. He suggested I start eating more lean proteins. I eat predominantly vegan. They are kind of out of touch IMHO.
Most doctors know nothing about weight besides the BMI chart. They are just regular people. All my coworkers are doctors and think you have to do keto or some crazy diet to lose weight. None of them know half as much as 90% of the people on here.
Yes I concur, one time I asked to be tested for vitamin D levels. My doctor asked me if I drink milk on a regular basis, I said yes, she then said there's no need to be tested for vitamin D because I drink milk.
But then you do some research and you realize there's only 100 IU in 250ml of milk, you would need to drink 10 glasses of milk a day to reach 1000 IU.
So yes a lot of doctors lack knowledge in nutrition.4 -
I have my share of incompetent doctors.
But I'll keep this to the OP. The only times I remember comments from any medical professionals about my weight are:
1) I was pregnant, 5 months along and had gained 35#. He told me if I kept gaining at that rate, I'd be obese when the baby arrived. He was probably right but I got angry because of his attitude and the way he presented it to me.
2) A NP told me merely eat carrots and not cookies when I practically begged for her help to lose weight. Again, clearly right but wrong presentation.
3) Different NP, same office, again practically begging for help in losing weight and she said I wasn't that overweight, if I was she'd help me reign it in. But then the next time I met with her, again pleading(by then she could tell it was clearly affecting my mental health)she recommended this place. Win win!!
I've found a lot of the medical professionals lack a lot of things, not just concerning nutrition.
You really have to push for answers, advocate for yourself, and find someone who will actually help.
As far as incompetent doctors, omg, trying to be by my parents' side as they aged and needed more medical help, my sister and I ran up against some real winners 6 -
This content has been removed.
-
-
-
Exactly, and that’s why I don’t identify as “morbidly obese”. I know my body and I know my fitness level and I know that “morbidly obese” doesn’t fit who I am on the inside.
Yes, I’m overweight and I admit that and that’s why I’m here. I am overweight. But I am also a relatively healthy and relatively average woman. ”Morbidly obese” is an awful term and makes it sound like I’m freaking 400 pounds. That’s not me. My weight has actually been pretty average my whole life and I only gained weight recently because of the pandemic. I am chubby but I don’t think anybody would look at me and say “she’s morbidly obese”!
You remind me so much of where I was 7 years ago. So, so much.
And I will say, even though this thread is not about this, that body positivity and self worth, at any size, should NOT be determined by a number on a scale or a tag number on a clothing rack. All of us, are so much more than that.
That self worth does not negate the scientific fact that increased weight, particularly increased abdominal weight, increases the likelihood for developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, even if a person does not currently have any of those issues. It puts them at higher risk to develop them, and at higher risk to suffer ill effects from them, up to and including death- hence the term morbidly obese. As macabre as the term may be, it is a simple medical diagnosis and descriptor- no different than 'diabetic', 'underweight', or 'bi-polar'. It is not a reflection on the person as a whole, or their personality or what kind of person they are. Simply a diagnosis. I used to be in the morbidly obese category. A fact is a fact. I am now probably just a few pounds shy of the overweight category, I think. I'd have to look at the charts. not too far from it, I know.
Back to the actual topic at hand, my Doctor and I talk about my weight constantly but thats my biggest preoccupation LMAO Before I started to lose weight, I didnt have insurance, so I only went to the doctor if I was having some kind of emergency and really HAD to go, and I certainly was not there to be 'lectured' about anything else. But was it brought up? Yes. And yes, I would say ' yes, i know, I need to work on it' and change the topic (like so many others, im sure). I began seeing another doctor after I had insurance, and she was wonderful and a great partner to work with. Got married, different insurance, went back to my old doctor. Didnt go back to him until THIS year. I didnt actually know my REAL starting weight until not long ago (they had my old records from random visits, remember). And was FLOORED, because it was a LOT higher than I THOUGHT it was. I mean, he was floored too, cause I was literally HALF the size, almost (am now lol).
So did he try to talk to me before about weight? yes. but I didnt do anything about it until I was ready to, which is another story entirely.
9 -
paperpudding wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Nobody (barring obvious outliers like people with dwarfism or born with missing limbs) has a 'natural shape' that is far out of healthy BMI range
I’ve been outside of the “healthy” BMI range my whole life DESPITE a relatively healthy lifestyle. I know lots of women in the same boat. Some people are just naturally heavier!
Nobody is just naturally heavier very far out of BMI range, (slightly out, yes that is possible for some people, but not very far) regardless of how healthy they eat or their lifestyle is or how much their friends weigh.
Here I am, the person who always goes on about frame size! I do agree with this though - my goal weight is just into the Overweight BMI category.
I have a large frame http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp * and the only time I've had a BMI as low as 24 was after 6 weeks of undereating and overexercising during boot camp. (When I first arrived there, I had to get boots and hats from the men's side of the uniforms room because there weren't any big enough in women's. At 5'6", I'm not especially tall. I've always had a hard time buying bracelets. I wear men's shoes as often as I can get away with it.)
My goal is to get back into my skinny jeans from when I was a full time yoga teacher, which will have me at a Low Overweight BMI, and I'm ok with that.
*This calculator may be inaccurate for people considerably overweight. I still had a large frame when I had a BMI of 24 when I was in the military.4 -
I gained 80 pounds in a year and a half so it was hard to ignore, but I’m so thankful my doctor didn’t call me “obese”. That word is very triggering and carries a lot of stigma. I am over 240 pounds now so I know that I am overweight at this point but “obese”
is a word that still feels very, very hard for me to accept and I definitely don’t identify myself with that label.
My previous doctor said I was “overweight” back when I was only 160 pounds which is a totally average weight for a 5’5” woman (most of my friends are in the 170s of 180s) and doesn’t seem big to me at all… I had an average fitness level and wasn’t too out of shape, so being labeled “overweight” was a big shock to me and just felt really, really unfair. I deserve better than being called “overweight” in a way that’s so insensitive to my feelings about it. Needless to say I changed doctors after that!
Everyone knows the BMI system is crap because it doesn’t account for muscle mass. A muscular woman could have a high BMI due to the muscle weight, but still have very low body fat, and BMI will classify her as “obese”. So yes, you can be “obese” according to BMI and be perfectly healthy. We need to be a lot more careful with words like “obese” because it can really hurt a person’s self-esteem and body image!
To really evaluate someone’s health you need to look at way more than just weight alone. But doctors are lazy and they throw around these very unfair labels of “overweight” and “obese” based on height/weight alone. Women are constantly judged and labeled based on a number on a scale that doesn’t tell you the whole story. It’s so unfair and really pisses me off!!
There's nothing UNFAIR about the labels “overweight” and “obese” - these are medical terms to which you are giving too much power.
If when I reach my goal weight, which is in an overweight BMI, and my doctor gives me a hard time about being overweight (which is not likely to happen given my prior experience with VA doctors) I will ask for a DEXA scan and be guided by the results. And not take it at all personally.12 -
I weigh in, and we discuss my weight loss, and what I need to do, to lose more. I tend to look at my doctors as my employees.. my team that I discuss my health with. I ask questions, they give answers, we discuss the plan for the next 3 months.. weight, blood sugar, diet, how I feel, exercise...
I'm not offended. That is how I set MY plan for the next 3 months. I can figure out that losing 10 lbs. in the next 3 months is better.. most of my actions won't change. I'll do the same exact things.. but it is nice to meet with my team, and review what I am doing, and reset every 3 months.
It helps me stay on track. I think it would be weird, if weight was NOT mentioned.. being overweight is a major concern, and a root cause of all my other major health problems.. and losing weight is part of the treatment for my diabetes, congestive heart failure, gout, and just not feeling that great sometimes.. being heavy is tiring. Losing weight improves your health in every way.
Doctors should mention it more often, and earlier in your life. I would much rather have had some heated discussions in my teens, until I ate better, and lost weight, than long talks about diabetes, and stabbing my fingers, A1C testing, and guess what.. DIET. As much as I loved the 8 hour training class where we spoke about comas, and death, and amputations.. 8 hours of my doctor making sure I ate healthy at an earlier date, would have been MUCH better.
8 -
kshama2001 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Nobody (barring obvious outliers like people with dwarfism or born with missing limbs) has a 'natural shape' that is far out of healthy BMI range
I’ve been outside of the “healthy” BMI range my whole life DESPITE a relatively healthy lifestyle. I know lots of women in the same boat. Some people are just naturally heavier!
Nobody is just naturally heavier very far out of BMI range, (slightly out, yes that is possible for some people, but not very far) regardless of how healthy they eat or their lifestyle is or how much their friends weigh.
Here I am, the person who always goes on about frame size! I do agree with this though - my goal weight is just into the Overweight BMI category.
I have a large frame http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp * and the only time I've had a BMI as low as 24 was after 6 weeks of undereating and overexercising during boot camp. (When I first arrived there, I had to get boots and hats from the men's side of the uniforms room because there weren't any big enough in women's. At 5'6", I'm not especially tall. I've always had a hard time buying bracelets. I wear men's shoes as often as I can get away with it.)
My goal is to get back into my skinny jeans from when I was a full time yoga teacher, which will have me at a Low Overweight BMI, and I'm ok with that.
*This calculator may be inaccurate for people considerably overweight. I still had a large frame when I had a BMI of 24 when I was in the military.
yes, exactly. An example of exactly what I meant
some people's best weight may be slightly out of BMI range - say, BMI of 26 or 27
Slightly out - or officially just into over weight level
Not obese or morbidly obese level..9 -
I've had doctors comment on my weight twice: Once was during one of my pregnancies, and that I was gaining a bit quickly ( I was). The 2nd was recently. My doctor commented that I had lost a bit of weight recently. I had never been overweight while going to this doctor, mind you, and went from a BMI of 22 to 20.4. I told him the reason for the loss was because I was on an elimination diet, and really hadn't been trying to eat less overall or even trying to lose weight. He said "well good work!" I thought it was so strange--I wasn't even overweight in the 1st place. Maybe he was trying to gauge if it was on purpose or not to ascertain if there was some other health concern.
I read an article not that long ago that now doctors were less likely to mention weight overall, basically for fear of offending people or making the visit about their weight and not their chief complaint.4 -
My doctor has mentioned weight when it was relevant to the issues I was discussing with her. Mostly when she wanted to put me on meds and I was balking.
I had bad reflux at one point and she told me losing some weight might let me stop needing prilosec, same when my cholesterol got to the point where she wanted to put me on statins. When I saw her the next year and I had lost considerable weight she made sure it was on purpose.
I never felt that she was blaming my health issues on my weight, and i was glad she was up front about weight loss when it could potentially affect my need for meds. She always presented it as a neutral alternative.5 -
kshama2001 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Nobody (barring obvious outliers like people with dwarfism or born with missing limbs) has a 'natural shape' that is far out of healthy BMI range
I’ve been outside of the “healthy” BMI range my whole life DESPITE a relatively healthy lifestyle. I know lots of women in the same boat. Some people are just naturally heavier!
Nobody is just naturally heavier very far out of BMI range, (slightly out, yes that is possible for some people, but not very far) regardless of how healthy they eat or their lifestyle is or how much their friends weigh.
Here I am, the person who always goes on about frame size! I do agree with this though - my goal weight is just into the Overweight BMI category.
I have a large frame http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp * and the only time I've had a BMI as low as 24 was after 6 weeks of undereating and overexercising during boot camp. (When I first arrived there, I had to get boots and hats from the men's side of the uniforms room because there weren't any big enough in women's. At 5'6", I'm not especially tall. I've always had a hard time buying bracelets. I wear men's shoes as often as I can get away with it.)
My goal is to get back into my skinny jeans from when I was a full time yoga teacher, which will have me at a Low Overweight BMI, and I'm ok with that.
*This calculator may be inaccurate for people considerably overweight. I still had a large frame when I had a BMI of 24 when I was in the military.
The linked site thinks I have big elbows and dainty wrists.
1 -
rheddmobile wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Nobody (barring obvious outliers like people with dwarfism or born with missing limbs) has a 'natural shape' that is far out of healthy BMI range
I’ve been outside of the “healthy” BMI range my whole life DESPITE a relatively healthy lifestyle. I know lots of women in the same boat. Some people are just naturally heavier!
Nobody is just naturally heavier very far out of BMI range, (slightly out, yes that is possible for some people, but not very far) regardless of how healthy they eat or their lifestyle is or how much their friends weigh.
Here I am, the person who always goes on about frame size! I do agree with this though - my goal weight is just into the Overweight BMI category.
I have a large frame http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp * and the only time I've had a BMI as low as 24 was after 6 weeks of undereating and overexercising during boot camp. (When I first arrived there, I had to get boots and hats from the men's side of the uniforms room because there weren't any big enough in women's. At 5'6", I'm not especially tall. I've always had a hard time buying bracelets. I wear men's shoes as often as I can get away with it.)
My goal is to get back into my skinny jeans from when I was a full time yoga teacher, which will have me at a Low Overweight BMI, and I'm ok with that.
*This calculator may be inaccurate for people considerably overweight. I still had a large frame when I had a BMI of 24 when I was in the military.
The linked site thinks I have big elbows and dainty wrists.
It confirmed my memory of having a thin frame…. That I haven’t seen in years.
Getting there, though. Bit by bit.4
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions