'Your GP telling you you're obese is wrong and just weight bullying'
- Thread starter goingtobeskinnysoon
- Start date
Paul_Farnham_uk
Full Member
I have to say i go to 26.5 st and was suffering with back and joint pain and so went on Sw to lose weight however..
Because of my size i was concerned about the chances of Heart disease, diabetes and other obesity related illness so i went to my GP and requested some blood tests.
Guess what... no diabetes, no thyroid problems, no general ill effects and a cholesterol score of 4.5! so yes i needed to lose weight for mobility and lifestyle reasons but i was in no imminent danger of serious illness so technically you can be obese and healthy.
For the record my BMI is now down to 42.5 ish which is still morbidly obese but now i have no joint problems etc and am still in good health.
Dont get me wrong i will continue to lose weight because i WANT to but not because if i dont i am gonna keel over and die!
Because of my size i was concerned about the chances of Heart disease, diabetes and other obesity related illness so i went to my GP and requested some blood tests.
Guess what... no diabetes, no thyroid problems, no general ill effects and a cholesterol score of 4.5! so yes i needed to lose weight for mobility and lifestyle reasons but i was in no imminent danger of serious illness so technically you can be obese and healthy.
For the record my BMI is now down to 42.5 ish which is still morbidly obese but now i have no joint problems etc and am still in good health.
Dont get me wrong i will continue to lose weight because i WANT to but not because if i dont i am gonna keel over and die!
ermintrude
Gold Member
Well the point isn't about any IMMINENT danger - it's not that you're going to drop dead instantly because you're overweight. The fact is that you *ARE* at much higher risk of *developing* problems as you get older and you ARE unlikely to live as long as someone who is not morbidly obese. You get less and less likely to live til 60, 70, 80, 90. It isn't about now, it's about your future. The point of the GP is to make you aware of this, as some people just arent.
Its great that youre losing it because you want to and congrats on your success so far
But at the end of the day people who are 25, 30 stone or more WILL "just keel over and die" a lot earlier than non-morbidly obese people.
kingleds
Gold Member
I am in general a big fan of tough love but its HAS to be relevant, and thats where the problem lies here. If I go to the doc with back pain, I should rightfully expect advise to loose some weight as it is quite obviously related, and honestly, in this scenario the doc could be as blunt as he likes to me. If i go with a mole on my back I DO NOT expect a lecture, tough love or otherwise, about something completely unrelated to my complaint.
I would also expect someone who has spent as much time at university and in training to have the ability to diffierentiate between patients likely health risks based on their background and family history. For example, I have no history of heart disease, high cholestrol or diabetes in my family, and have never suffered from any of the indicators that I will, but there is cancer all over the place. I expect someone with the analytical skills a GP is supposed to have to be able to recommend to me areas where I need to improve my health to prevent those kinds of risk, not ones I have no history of or any indicators of suffering.
sarah_lou1981
Back again!!
Im about to go to the Docs with symptoms that my PT and NHS Direct believe could be connected to low blood pressure. Im fully ready for her to blame my weight. Weight is, after all, a contributory factor to blood pressure. However, this has been a life long problem and is something that has reared its ugly head again after Ive lost almost two and half stone and never bothered me at my biggest. At my lowest weight, 11stone and a size 10-12, it affected me quite a lot. But they dont listen to that. All they see is the number on the scales and the big flashing 'Obese' above my head. So we shall see.....
Sent from my GT-S5830 using MiniMins
Sent from my GT-S5830 using MiniMins
Nomes
Gold Member
The mole thing is strange! I think nowadays that our diet is so bad and lifestyle unhealthy that it's hard to just look at family background .
I think it would be nicer to have a longer time slot with the doctor to delve deeper into issues instead of being rushed through as they get money taken off for longer waiting tomes.
I'm typing this off my face on pain killers and isn't predictive text great ?
I think it would be nicer to have a longer time slot with the doctor to delve deeper into issues instead of being rushed through as they get money taken off for longer waiting tomes.
I'm typing this off my face on pain killers and isn't predictive text great ?
Lauratheloop
Silver Member
I think it's a little bit of a joke.... I'm over weight infact classified as obese yet I reckon in terms of fitness I could run rings round plenty of slimmer ladies and men.....
So why does everything the doctor says come down to weight???
I understand they have an obligation to fulfill but at the same time, I bet they are the first ones to sit down at diner and polish off a bottle of wine, what about the nurses and doctors that wander around over weight?
I'm not interested in doctors BMi and ideal weight graphs.... I am physically fit, I run 4 times a week and spin 4 times a week with a few strength sessions in there too... Yet only wet lose 1 pound a week or stay the same, my diet is perfect as per a dietician . It's taken a while to get here but doctors just like to see the issues rather then provide solutions or assistance - personally I don't Wana swallow prescription drugs to lose weight...
Shock tactics work for some but not all of us and doctors should just learn to deal with the problem rather then make everything about our weight
So why does everything the doctor says come down to weight???
I understand they have an obligation to fulfill but at the same time, I bet they are the first ones to sit down at diner and polish off a bottle of wine, what about the nurses and doctors that wander around over weight?
I'm not interested in doctors BMi and ideal weight graphs.... I am physically fit, I run 4 times a week and spin 4 times a week with a few strength sessions in there too... Yet only wet lose 1 pound a week or stay the same, my diet is perfect as per a dietician . It's taken a while to get here but doctors just like to see the issues rather then provide solutions or assistance - personally I don't Wana swallow prescription drugs to lose weight...
Shock tactics work for some but not all of us and doctors should just learn to deal with the problem rather then make everything about our weight
Nomes
Gold Member
You are so right about the medical professions own behaviour! I don't believe that nurse nor doctor should be overweight. I'm a teacher and I don't drink or socialise where kids are and always take into account where I go and what I do if a kid could be there. The attention that the media have brought to education is crazy yet doctors and nurses are unhealthy.
It would be a smoker telling me to cut down ( I don't smoke but came to mind)
It would be a smoker telling me to cut down ( I don't smoke but came to mind)
kingleds
Gold Member
This is a great point, and its really nice to hear that, as a teacher, you take into account how your behaviour outside of the classroom could be viewed. Though I feel its a bit sad that you have ot be so on your guard.
My OH best mate was married to a GP for years. She was basically a functioning alcoholic- In fact I'm pretty sure her giving up drinking was the reason Oddbins went into adminstration. SHe would easily do 2 bottles a night and 4 on a saturday and sunday. It was unbelievable.
Nomes
Gold Member
That's some going !! I understand their job is stressful but the pay compensates just like holidays do for me. I dealt with two examples of suicidal teens last week but have the summer to deal with that.
My sis does complain about the about of timers she had just prepared food and then have to drip it all and go answer emergency calls . But the nurses always kept choc at the table!
Excise the style please
My sis does complain about the about of timers she had just prepared food and then have to drip it all and go answer emergency calls . But the nurses always kept choc at the table!
Excise the style please
Mummy2Bslim
Banned
I think some Drs just handle it wrong as well. I've had some Drs who just politely ask about my weight and I can happily say I'm on slimming world and I've lost 4 stone so far (before baby bump lol) to which they usually say wow well done keep up the good work. Those I don't mind, they are being sensitive to my feelings but still doing there job which is caring for my health!
But
I had one Dr who told me I needed to stop eating so many chips and chocolate when I went in with a sore throat I proceeded to berate him for his assumption that I was not handling my weight for his insensitivity and asked him if he regularly checked his own appearance in the mirror as he was hardly a frickin fairy himself!
He was a locum and I've never seen him at the surgery since!
I haven't has many drs refer to my weight only fertility dr and when I hurt my back but I don't mind. It's like a shop assistant asking if you have your club card, or a bank clerk asking if you want a credit card. They probably don't want to ask you or bring it up but it's there job and they have to.
Lol
X x x
But
I had one Dr who told me I needed to stop eating so many chips and chocolate when I went in with a sore throat I proceeded to berate him for his assumption that I was not handling my weight for his insensitivity and asked him if he regularly checked his own appearance in the mirror as he was hardly a frickin fairy himself!
He was a locum and I've never seen him at the surgery since!
I haven't has many drs refer to my weight only fertility dr and when I hurt my back but I don't mind. It's like a shop assistant asking if you have your club card, or a bank clerk asking if you want a credit card. They probably don't want to ask you or bring it up but it's there job and they have to.
Lol
X x x
MadameLaMinx
Gold Member
I disagree that docs and nurses should be the epitome of good health. In an ideal world, sure, but this isnt, and they have their own pressures and issues to deal with and in the same way as I would defend Slimming World Consultants when people come and complain about theirs not being skinny, I think the same applies here. I had a GP who when he found out I was doing SW, admitted that he and his wife both also follow it. You cant expect docs and nurses to be some sort of robotic purified version of a human, they arent. They are just people, and I think that kind of gets forgotten sometimes. For all you know, that overweight doctor has an underactive thyroid, and attends a SW group but finds the battle very hard. For all you know, that nurse is comfort eating because she lost her partner a few months ago and has been desperately unhappy ever since.
I refuse to judge anyone by their cover, because I dont like people doing that to me. Yes, Doctors have an obligation to remind you that what you are doing to yourself could be causing you problems, but at the same time, they are only human themselves.
I refuse to judge anyone by their cover, because I dont like people doing that to me. Yes, Doctors have an obligation to remind you that what you are doing to yourself could be causing you problems, but at the same time, they are only human themselves.
Nomes
Gold Member
I think if you read my posts you'll see that I highlight their humanity but they should strive to be within a healthy weight range! That's like a teacher saying that you shouldn't read!!
Everyone has problems but doctors and nurses have the knowledge about health. It ought to be practised.
It's also like seeing pregnant women smoking or drinking- being healthy isn't easy but the best things in life never are
Everyone has problems but doctors and nurses have the knowledge about health. It ought to be practised.
It's also like seeing pregnant women smoking or drinking- being healthy isn't easy but the best things in life never are
MadameLaMinx
Gold Member
You would have to pretty much live in a cave with no access to the outside world to NOT have the knowledge about health. Its not about having the knowledge. Its about practicing the knowledge. And as we all know, sometimes, that simply isnt as easy as it sounds. It is nothing like pregnant women smoking or drinking, simply because a pregnant woman smoking or drinking may be risking the health of her unborn child, who has no choices. And really, who are you to say that doctors and nurses arent striving to be within a healthy weight range? BMI isnt the be all and end all, as has been more than appropriately highlighted here - with posters who have rightfully pointed out that they are a damn sight fitter in an obese or overweight weight category, than some people would be in a healthy one. Simply being a certain weight is not sufficient to consider yourself healthy. Yes, it helps to minimise some health risks, but it doesnt do one iota for a whole lot of different ones...
LuhLuhLoser
4. 8. 15. 16. 23. 42.
Plenty of valid points flying around. Just wanted to add my personal-not-aimed-at-anyone opinion.
I went to the doctors last year because I was feeling really tired all the time, way more than normal. I'm lazy at the best of times but this was a noticeable difference. I had a couple of tests done which came back fine, the nurse who was giving me my results was really lovely and also quite overweight. I was really nervous as I hate needles and I'm quite a nervous person anyway, but she was going through my blood pressure results which were higher than they should be and she joked that it was okay because she knew what it was like to be overweight and that I shouldn't worry. I was really shocked by this and I'd much rather be told I was overweight and should try and do something about it than be told it was alright.
I've never liked going to the doctors and part of that is because I knew they'd lecture me about my weight, but I also knew that that was my issue and not theirs, I just didn't want to deal with it. I'm less bothered now because I really can't be bothered to sugarcoat the situation and I'd much rather someone was blunt with me, but I'm also aware that it's quite a personal thing and that everybody is different and it can have an adverse effect. In my personal case, I feel I'm responsible for the state in which I've let my weight get too and I have no worries about being called overweight or fat or anything because it is just a fact as much as somebody who is underweight could be described as thin or underweight. I'd be offended if someone joked or made a snide comment about it, but that goes with anything. If someone said I had brown eyes or was quite short, I'd be fine. If they said my eyes were the colour of poo or something, I'd be a bit less happy!
I went to the doctors last year because I was feeling really tired all the time, way more than normal. I'm lazy at the best of times but this was a noticeable difference. I had a couple of tests done which came back fine, the nurse who was giving me my results was really lovely and also quite overweight. I was really nervous as I hate needles and I'm quite a nervous person anyway, but she was going through my blood pressure results which were higher than they should be and she joked that it was okay because she knew what it was like to be overweight and that I shouldn't worry. I was really shocked by this and I'd much rather be told I was overweight and should try and do something about it than be told it was alright.
I've never liked going to the doctors and part of that is because I knew they'd lecture me about my weight, but I also knew that that was my issue and not theirs, I just didn't want to deal with it. I'm less bothered now because I really can't be bothered to sugarcoat the situation and I'd much rather someone was blunt with me, but I'm also aware that it's quite a personal thing and that everybody is different and it can have an adverse effect. In my personal case, I feel I'm responsible for the state in which I've let my weight get too and I have no worries about being called overweight or fat or anything because it is just a fact as much as somebody who is underweight could be described as thin or underweight. I'd be offended if someone joked or made a snide comment about it, but that goes with anything. If someone said I had brown eyes or was quite short, I'd be fine. If they said my eyes were the colour of poo or something, I'd be a bit less happy!
Nomes
Gold Member
Lol!!
The reason I used the analogy of preg smokers is to combat the idea that it's a person choice what they do and how they eat. Perhaps if we all were to strive for health the nhs would be in I better state.
And I come from a family of docs and nurses - practising what you preach is so important.
One of my colleagues interestingly pointed our that since diet and low fat food has been produced, obesity has increased not decreased. What does everyone think?
The reason I used the analogy of preg smokers is to combat the idea that it's a person choice what they do and how they eat. Perhaps if we all were to strive for health the nhs would be in I better state.
And I come from a family of docs and nurses - practising what you preach is so important.
One of my colleagues interestingly pointed our that since diet and low fat food has been produced, obesity has increased not decreased. What does everyone think?
Shirleen
Gold Member
It was after a health visitor pointed out that I had to 'get that weight off' after having my Dort that I started to binge!
I was a stone over my maximum BMI at 12 stone she however was at least twice that!
Because I had PND I assumed that I must be MUCH bigger than her as she'd looked at me with such disgust! I remember thinking 'I'm never going to be slim again' I really did believe I was bigger than this woman! I went and bought a bag of doughnuts!
She gave me no help as to HOW to get the weight off! Just judgement!
Incidentally I have been offered the health check regarding cholesterol etc, measuring blood pressure ( never had a problem) waist size(oops) and to discuss drinking (three times a year), smoking ( not for 16 years) and diet (on SW) I don't see the point!
I was a stone over my maximum BMI at 12 stone she however was at least twice that!
Because I had PND I assumed that I must be MUCH bigger than her as she'd looked at me with such disgust! I remember thinking 'I'm never going to be slim again' I really did believe I was bigger than this woman! I went and bought a bag of doughnuts!
She gave me no help as to HOW to get the weight off! Just judgement!
Incidentally I have been offered the health check regarding cholesterol etc, measuring blood pressure ( never had a problem) waist size(oops) and to discuss drinking (three times a year), smoking ( not for 16 years) and diet (on SW) I don't see the point!
judimac
Mad old Bat with Attitude
Just a few points. Being overweight may not really impact on your health when you are young, but it certainly catches up with you when you get older. If you look at a chest xray of someone who carries alot of fat round their middle, the size of the lungs is dramatically restricted because it pushes up into the thoracic cavity. Less air intake, more chest problems. Higher anaesthetic risk, less stamina, reduced mobility. Don't even get me started on mobility scooters! Lets just say that getting someone out of bed and mobile again after a hip replacement is far easier for both patients and staff.
