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OK, a terrific doc who happens to be overweight is fine -- but my doc's only solution to any health issue is a pill. That's my main gripe.
His weight is not the issue, I've come to realize but it's his method of treatment that's the sticking point for me. Cholesterol is a tad high? Here, take this pill. Zero discussion of diet -- or non-medication ways to lower.
Guess I expect too much. If he doesn't appear to practice good nutrition or portion control himself, I shouldn't expect him to offer any advice along those lines to me.
I'll follow your advice and pay out of pocket for a naturopath or nutritionist. The advice here seems to be I cannot expect--or get nutrition/life-style advice from a regular physician.
Having said that, I'll always be grateful to the doctor who sent me to the smoking cessation program. I owe her a huge debt. She left medicine after a while -- she told me she wanted to spend more time with patients but it had turned into a numbers game with the practice she was in -- and that wasn't her style of medicine. A big loss for her patients. I've never found anyone like her since.
For the poster who said they quit smoking 3 packs a day cold turkey -- that's great. You're strong. I'd tried several times by myself and failed. It took a month long program to help me quit. Guess I needed more support-- but ultimately successful for 20 years of being smoke-free.
When I was a kid (way back when) we had a family doctor who was not only borderline obese, but he smoked cigarettes in his office and coughed like there was tomorrow. I still remember his name and I can still picture him.
He advised my mother to lose weight, too. That was a riot, considering she wasn't as overweight as he was!
Now I can't even find a family doctor; isn't that sad?
When I was a kid (way back when) we had a family doctor who was not only borderline obese, but he smoked cigarettes in his office and coughed like there was tomorrow. I still remember his name and I can still picture him.
He advised my mother to lose weight, too. That was a riot, considering she wasn't as overweight as he was!
Now I can't even find a family doctor; isn't that sad?
Yep, it's sad and true...I live in a small town with a limited selection of PCP's who accept Medicare. Some who live here drive 3 hours away to get treatment/surgery from doc's associated with a teaching hospital.
A lot of people don't want to hear anything about their weight or diet from their doctors and they expect pills to do it all for them. For those people, a doctor who just prescribes and doesn't lecture or offer advice might be ideal.
Also, you have no idea how your overweight doctor talks to his overweight patients. One of my doctors is overweight. I'm trying to lose weight. She knows this and offers advice to help me get to my goal. I keep going to her because she's the only doctor I've seen who was willing to discuss my weight before I had lost a lot of weight. Nobody else was willing to discuss the elephant in the room I guess they thought it would make me mad, when all I wanted was help to change. But this doctor is willing to discuss my weight and to get stern with me when I start getting off track and gaining weight back.
My sister is also overweight and she will only see overweight doctors. She actually managed to find a OB/GYN practice that was all overweight female doctors when she was looking for a doctor to deliver her baby. She wanted to make sure that if she had an emergency and had to see the doctor on call, that one was also overweight, because my sister didn't feel comfortable with a thin woman seeing her bare bottom. Seriously.
OK, a terrific doc who happens to be overweight is fine -- but my doc's only solution to any health issue is a pill. That's my main gripe.
His weight is not the issue, I've come to realize but it's his method of treatment that's the sticking point for me. Cholesterol is a tad high? Here, take this pill. Zero discussion of diet -- or non-medication ways to lower.
Guess I expect too much. If he doesn't appear to practice good nutrition or portion control himself, I shouldn't expect him to offer any advice along those lines to me.
I'll follow your advice and pay out of pocket for a naturopath or nutritionist. The advice here seems to be I cannot expect--or get nutrition/life-style advice from a regular physician.
Having said that, I'll always be grateful to the doctor who sent me to the smoking cessation program. I owe her a huge debt. She left medicine after a while -- she told me she wanted to spend more time with patients but it had turned into a numbers game with the practice she was in -- and that wasn't her style of medicine. A big loss for her patients. I've never found anyone like her since.
For the poster who said they quit smoking 3 packs a day cold turkey -- that's great. You're strong. I'd tried several times by myself and failed. It took a month long program to help me quit. Guess I needed more support-- but ultimately successful for 20 years of being smoke-free.
Naturopaths have very little training in nutrition compared to someone who actually has a degree in the field of nutrition science. Ask your doc to refer you to someone who is a licensed dietitian.
Many doctors are extremely overworked and, unfortunately, don't have time to look after their own health. The issue starts in pre-med, is exacerbated in medical school and then just continues on afterwards.
Also, a big part of losing and maintain healthy weight is physical activity. You should see a certified professional for this also.
You would think doctors would be "pictures of health" but most aren't. My own doctor is pudgy and pasty and never stops yawning. He looks extremely unhealthy to me. But I just worry about taking care of my own health. I only go there to get my lab results and prescriptions for metformin.
Seriously, now being "pasty" is unhealthy? I guess you haven't heard that it is EXTREMELY unhealthy to tan, whether in the sun or by using tanning beds. And many people are naturally fair-complected?
Oh, but you're diabetic? Well I SUPPOSE part of that may be genetic, and a small part behavioral that you can control? Don't throw stones...
Since you are limited to conventional allopathic doctors, refuse or take the pill(s) and do your own healing as best you can. That's allopathic medicine, scripts/pills. I take a couple meds: thyroid and BP and the rest supplements. I'm so happy to have an integrative MD who does take medicare. I'm seeing a D.O. next week as my daughter is getting good help from one here and we'll see if that D.O. can help my body compression... She can also write scripts but I'm good for a while with refills from my MD who is in the process of moving her practice. In life so much is location location location. We have many alternative "healers" in So. Cal.
As far is nutrition, there is SO MUCH info for us to grasp and don't need an MD for that help.
Someone mentioned doctors smoking, they endorsed smoking years ago.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 04-30-2016 at 11:35 AM..
I'm trying to come to grips with the fact that my primary care physician is fat. Very fat, in fact. His PA's are fat, too.
This thread puts me in mind of Dr. Andrew Weil on PBS-TV giving weight loss advice.
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I guess they thought it would make me mad, when all I wanted was help to change. But this doctor is willing to discuss my weight and to get stern with me when I start getting off track and gaining weight back.
