weight management, medical advice

[tulipchica]

Interesting article, especially since my husband is a fourth year medical student but definitely struggles with his own weight. It brings up issue of what qualities make the best health counselor-- authenticity, lack of cognitive dissonance, and/or sympathy?

When Weight Is the Issue, Doctors Struggle TooBy PERRI KLASS, M.D.; July 21, 2009; NYTimes

Comments

[ethelfleda]

As a fat medical student I do find this issue fascinating. On the one hand 90% of my year are much thinner and better weights than me; but on the other, do they ever struggle with their weight? Is this just an abstract issue to them?

I suspect, like many things there is no 'right' answer, and reactions from patient to patient will vary.

[stacycat69]

I think the struggle is what makes it good advice. Sure, its easy to give advice like "lose weight" when you dont struggle with it.

I do wish that doctors would focus on physical activity, rather than weight. Suggesting that people be more active is both better for their health and less destructive.

[ethelfleda]

Yeah, I dance and fence. I claim to have a six-pack, just a well-insulated one :)

There are also days when I see what my elderly relatives are going through with dementia and wonder if dying early of obesity-related causes is actually such a bad thing...

[stacycat69]

See, thats where my issue comes in (caveat: I am an advocate of size acceptance.)

I really wish the phrase "obesity related causes" would disappear from the language. In almost any study that accounts for both socioeconomic status and level of physical activity, there is no mortality difference along the different BMI categories (and, in many cases, there is a slight protective factor to being "overweight" or "obese."

Instead, if the medical establishment started using the language that discussed physical activity and being active, rather than simply weight, I think that asking people to "lose weight" leads to many actions that are unhealthy. Rather, asking people to do positive things, like be more active or eat more vegetables, makes the biggest difference.

(rant over :)

[nyclaura]

There is quite a bit of debate on this very topic surrounding Obama's SG pick, Dr. Regina Benjamin, too. She is overweight and probably actually quantitatively obese, per current standards