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Weighing in on obesity

22.05.12

The letter’s author explained how she had felt so embarrassed to be told she was overweight at a checkup that she vowed not to return to a doctor’s office until she had dropped the necessary pounds. A decade later, still overweight but faithful to her vow, the woman was forced to the doctor by vaginal bleeding. The diagnosis was terminal cervical cancer.

The woman’s “very powerful testimonial” opened Lindor’s eyes to “what a touchy subject” weight often is, she said.

The fear of isolating patients — especially to the point at which they stop seeking care — is one of many reasons doctors dread bringing up weight issues with their patients. According to a few general practitioners, other factors include the lack of close doctor-patient relationships, physicians’ discomfort with their own weight, and even the limited amount of time doctors are able to spend with their patients during checkups.

A recent Harris Poll found that 19 percent of morbidly obese people — those weighing at least twice their ideal weight — reported that their doctors had never told them their weight was unhealthy. The percentages were much higher for obese (46 percent) and overweight (72 percent) patients.

Source: Scienceline