It’s not news that obesity — among children and adults — is a bigger problem now than it has ever been. And while some doctors are great about working with their patients to help them see the need to slim down and get them the tools they need to succeed, other doctors don’t even bring up the issue of weight at regular appointments.

Some of that no doubt has to do with the fact that doctors are busy and usually not in the mindset of preventive care; they’re thinking more about the particular health issue that brought the patient in the door that day.

But some doctors may also be reluctant to talk about the weight of their patients because they themselves are overweight and don’t feel like their patients will follow their advice.

Is a heavy doctor good or bad?

There are two main ways to look at the issue of overweight doctors dispensing health advice. Some patients will see that the doctor is also struggling with these problems and will feel like they have a partner who understands them and knows how difficult it is to follow that simple-sounding advice of eating less and exercising more.

On the other hand, there are people who will see a heavy doctor as not having anything to say to them on the issue of weight; clearly if it were that easy the doctor would be skinny, right?

Dr. J has noted in the past that he would prefer to visit a healthy doctor because that person might better be able to speak to his particular lifestyle, recommend good treatments for sports injuries and so on.

Just as you likely wouldn’t want to go to a dentist who looks like he doesn’t take care of his teeth, you might not want to visit a doctor who seems not to take care of his body.

Should excess weight exclude docs from conversation?

But being overweight shouldn’t necessarily mean that a doctor has nothing to say or no credibility on the issue of weight gain. That doctor has been there and likely understands an overweight person better than someone who had never struggled with their weight.

In fact, a study released earlier this year found that people studying to become dieticians were prejudiced against the obese, being more likely to consider them lazy and less likely to have a healthy diet than people with the same profiles who were normal weight.

Some people have questioned whether the new Surgeon General nominee, Regina Benjamin has any credibility on weight and health issues because she herself is overweight.

The Surgeon General is meant to be someone who speaks directly to the American people on the health issues that impact them most, and the nation’s weight problem is sure to be a big topic of discussion. It seems that more people may be willing to listen to her as someone who does have experience with these issues both in her own life and in the lives of patients in one of the fattest states in the nation.

She can speak to the problems that obesity causes on an individual and a community level in ways that other doctors might not be able, and that should add a different layer to the debate — and potential solutions — than we often see.

(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

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This entry was posted on Sunday, July 26th, 2009 and is filed under Government obesity actions, Medical professionals, Obesity causes, Public policy. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Permalink.