Jaime Paul
Herzog
Food Lit- 1
November 22, 2021
Word count: 750
The Doctor Is In: When And How Doctors Should Address Obesity With Their Patients
By Jaime Paul, Staples High School ‘21
People who are obese are judged, in public and private, and doctors are no exception to this. Doctors have a responsibility to provide equal care to all of their patients. However,. when faced with obese patients, doctors either refrain from addressing the disease or provide advice out of context condescendingly. The obesity epidemic will remain a prevalent issue in our society until addressed by whom?. Doctors should reevaluate their patient care and look into ways to properly communicate with their obese patients because obesity, a disease, is not a matter of opinion.
According to Dr. Sean Phelan, obese patients are subject to prejudice, derogatory comments, and poor treatment (Phelan et al.). Emily Wood, a counselor in Eastern Washington, struggles with her weight daily. When she went to a gynecological surgeon to have an ovarian cyst removed, the physician pointed out her body fat on the MRI, then said, “Look at that skinny woman in there trying to get out” (Hobbes). This unsolicited comment did not result in Emily losing weight; instead, she did not return to this doctor as she felt attacked. Unfortunately, most obese patients experience some form of unsolicited negative remarks similar to Emily’s at least once. Obese patients are also neglected by their health care providers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sixty percent of doctor visits, specifically for obesity, result in the patient receiving no advice at all (Leonard). When an obese patient sees a doctor specifically for advice, help is expected. But, doctors still fail to provide advice which in the long term causes the patient to develop other deadly medical conditions associated with obesity.
There is a difference in care for obese patients because doctors allow their personal opinions to seep into the exam room“Doctors disproportionately focus on weight and to interact with fat patients differently from thin ones.” (Okwerekwu). This disproportionate focus on weight can lead to a patient's needs not being met and can insult the patient. According to Dr. Sayantani DasGupta, a pediatrician and faculty member at Columbia University, "things exacerbate to a huge degree before they seek medical care because this stigmatizing interaction has set them up to mistrust any medical interaction,”(Okwerekwu). Who Continuously focusing on a patient's weight can cause them to become increasingly self-conscious. Over time this will progress causing obese patients to avoid going to medical facilities avoiding humiliation. who Not receiving care puts patients at risk for developing other medical issues such as coronary heart disease, type two diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. Overall, the doctors’ inability to address obesity could lead to their patients' death.
Some say the doctors should avoid the subject of weight loss entirely with patients., asking a patient to consider weight loss is unethical as body weight is genetically predetermined and weight loss projects do not work (Toomath). This statement is true to some extent; however, obesity, if not treated, can lead to numerous life-threatening diseases and recent studies have revealed that there is a way to address obesity without offending the patient.
Who Addressing obesity properly is a matter of proper communication. Studies have shown that approaching patients with care and understanding with phrases such as “I can see how frustrated you are by your slow progress — anyone would be,” or, “I can see this is very distressing for you,” can be beneficial (Okwerekwu) . That connection matters to patients and carries out beyond the exam room. People who are obese are constantly judged, however knowing that you have your doctors support can encourage patients to lose weight. Additionally, before discussing weight, the health care provider should always ask if the patient is comfortable discussing it and wants to discuss it and avoid jumping to conclusions.
Whether or not doctors realize it, when it comes to obesity, they enter the exam room with an opinion and this affects patient care. They either focus on the patient's weight without consent or fail to mention it all, even though obesity can be deadly. By who learning how to communicate to whom, and focusing on the patient's needs, however, doctors will be able to properly address the patient's weight. Obese patients will no longer have to stay away from the doctor's office out of fear of humiliation or worry about not being treated. Instead, they will be able to embark on a journey towards a healthier lifestyle with the support of their doctor.
Works Cited
The Growing Array of Weight Loss Devices, Procedures, and Medications Promise More Effective Long-Term Weight Control—important to Reduce Risks of Diabetes and Heart Disease. Endocrine Web, www.endocrineweb.com/professional/obesity/nuanced-approach-will-lead-more-effective-obesity-management.
Hobbes, Michael. "Everything You Know about Obesity Is Wrong." Huff Post, 19 Sept. 2018, highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/everything-you-know-about-obesity-is-wrong/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.
Leonard, Kimberly. "Fat? Your Doctor Can't Help." U.S News, 12 Apr. 2016, www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-04-12/doctors-inform-patients-theyre-obese-but-offer-few-solutions. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.
Okwerekwu, Jennifer Adaeze. "In Treating Obese Patients, Too Often Doctors Can't See past Weight." Stat News, 3 June 2016, www.statnews.com/2016/06/03/weight-obese-doctors-patients/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.
Phelan, S M et al. "Impact of weight bias and stigma on quality of care and outcomes for patients with obesity." Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity vol. 16,4 (2015): 319-26. doi:10.1111/obr.12266
Studio, Africa. Overweight Woman Having Consultation at Doctor's Office. The Conversation, theconversation.com/why-your-doctor-may-not-be-able-to-help-you-lose-weight-89060. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.
Toomath, Robyn. "Five Reasons Why Doctors Shouldn't Ask Their Patients to Lose Weight." Johns Hopkins University Press, www.press.jhu.edu/news/blog/five-reasons-why-doctors-shouldn't-ask-their-patients-lose-weight-and-five-things-they. Accessed 10 Dec. 2021.