Was he right to talk with her about it? Or should have have addressed her other health concerns without talking about the weight, since she didn't bring it up, even though it may have impacted the other problems she was having?
Oh, absolutely he should have talked to her about it! He would be sadly remiss in his duty if he didn't - but his approach was reprehensible, and he lost any hope of actually helping his patient when he chose his unkind and unprofessional words.
My issue with the medical community in terms of obesity has never been one of "don't you dare tell me I'm fat." I KNOW I'm fat - hello! My issue stems from actually NOT treating symptoms until the patient loses weight. Some people can and do - others can't and don't. Many of us are living healthily, but are stuck with a certain setpoint to which our bodies always return once we've finished starving them. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise often result in - guess what? A healthy fat person.
When a physician refuses to address a set of symptoms until the patient loses weight, he or she is not being wholly realistic. If it was merely a matter of moral character, many of us would be pencil thin.
If Doctor Not-so-nice (I don't recall his name) REALLY feels that losing a great deal of body weight is as simple as a moral character change, perhaps he can start by changing his OWN moral character. He could begin by taking the class the board suggested he take that will teach him to talk to his patients at a higher level of skill. Learning to not talk like jerk must be at least as easy as dropping 100 pounds then living the rest of one's life on a limited caloric intake.
no subject
Oh, absolutely he should have talked to her about it! He would be sadly remiss in his duty if he didn't - but his approach was reprehensible, and he lost any hope of actually helping his patient when he chose his unkind and unprofessional words.
My issue with the medical community in terms of obesity has never been one of "don't you dare tell me I'm fat." I KNOW I'm fat - hello! My issue stems from actually NOT treating symptoms until the patient loses weight. Some people can and do - others can't and don't. Many of us are living healthily, but are stuck with a certain setpoint to which our bodies always return once we've finished starving them. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise often result in - guess what? A healthy fat person.
When a physician refuses to address a set of symptoms until the patient loses weight, he or she is not being wholly realistic. If it was merely a matter of moral character, many of us would be pencil thin.
If Doctor Not-so-nice (I don't recall his name) REALLY feels that losing a great deal of body weight is as simple as a moral character change, perhaps he can start by changing his OWN moral character. He could begin by taking the class the board suggested he take that will teach him to talk to his patients at a higher level of skill. Learning to not talk like jerk must be at least as easy as dropping 100 pounds then living the rest of one's life on a limited caloric intake.