In an effort\u200b to\u200b destigmatize obesity, NPR reported<\/a> \u2062sympathetically in December that some doctors \u200dare refusing to discuss the health risks of obesity with their \u200coverweight\u200c patients, claiming\u2063 that addressing obesity can lead to \u2064”misdiagnoses.”<\/p>\n

The\u2064 story \u2062begins\u2062 with the account of a Seattle woman \u2062who \u2064was advised by\u2063 her surgeon to lose\u200c weight before \u2063undergoing surgery for \u2064a torn ligament in her\u2064 thumb. The surgeon believed that her \u2062obesity could have contributed\u200d to her injury, which the patient herself acknowledged as a possibility. (And medical evidence\u200d supports the surgeon’s \u2064perspective.)<\/p>\n

However, instead of considering \u2063the surgeon’s insights, the Seattle woman was outraged \u200cthat her\u2064 obesity was being addressed as a medical concern.<\/p>\n

Primary-care doctors\u200b often provide “unsolicited\u200b advice” as part\u2063 of their \u200dbest practices.\u2063 This\u2064 advice \u2063is crucial in helping patients understand the\u2063 epidemiology of\u2062 their \u200bsymptoms and recognize potential \u200dhealth issues before symptoms arise.<\/p>\n

For example, if Bob \u2063is\u200d diagnosed with skin cancer after years of sun exposure without protection, his doctor \u200bwould advise him to wear protective clothing<\/a>\u2064 and sunscreen. If the doctor fails to do so,\u200d they\u200d are not fulfilling their duty. The doctor\u2062 should not worry about whether Bob might feel momentarily judged for his\u200d lack\u2063 of attention\u200b to skin care.<\/p>\n

The Seattle woman in the story finds\u200d it “freaking exhausting” to \u200dhave doctors inform \u200cher about the potential negative effects of her obesity on her health. The article acknowledges that weight has long been used as a measure of\u200c health, with a higher body \u2064mass index being correlated with various conditions\u200b such as\u200b heart disease, diabetes,\u200c and certain types of cancer.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

However, \u200dthe author immediately \u200cdismisses this\u200c knowledge by claiming that\u2063 focusing on weight can lead patients to avoid or\u2062 delay healthcare, \u200cincluding recommended cancer screenings. \u200bEssentially, \u200bsome\u2062 obese patients \u2064are so sensitive about their weight that\u200b they would rather avoid going to the doctor altogether than receive\u200d accurate medical \u2062information about the effects of obesity.<\/p>\n

The\u2062 article argues that doctors often misdiagnose health problems in obese \u200dindividuals due to their \u2062excessive focus on\u200d weight. \u200dHowever, it fails to provide \u200cconvincing evidence\u2063 to support this claim. Given the clear correlation between obesity and numerous health disparities, discontinuing medical attention to obesity would \u2063come with significant health costs. While one doctor interviewed\u2062 claims\u2062 there are “horrible stories” of missed diagnoses due to weight focus, no\u200c specific examples are given.<\/p>\n

NPR suggests\u200b that the solution may\u2063 be “weight-neutral”\u2062 care \u200bor \u2063a \u2064focus on “health at every size,” \u200bwhich\u2064 means not recommending \u2064weight loss as a treatment for medical conditions.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

This approach essentially abandons one of the \u2064primary responsibilities of doctors, which is to provide patients with information on how to maintain their health. The doctor who advocates for this approach even informs obese patients who express a desire \u2063to lose \u200dweight that it\u2063 is\u200c likely to \u2062fail in \u200dthe long term.<\/p>\n

While it is technically true that many obese \u2062individuals\u2064 struggle to \u2064maintain healthy habits for sustained weight loss, it is morally detrimental\u200c for a\u2062 doctor to communicate such a negative outlook\u2062 to \u200ca \u2064patient. It would be akin to a physician encouraging a patient \u200dto continue smoking despite the elevated risk of lung cancer.\u2064 Success in becoming healthier may be challenging, but \u200ddoctors should not give up on their \u200cpatients.<\/p>\n

NPR tries to justify this doctor’s approach by citing a meta-analysis of long-term weight loss studies, which found that, on average, more than half \u200bof the weight lost by people with obesity is regained \u200cwithin \u2064two years, and over 80% is regained within \u200dfive years.<\/p>\n

However, assuming that every patient is “average” is a mistake. Just as Stephen Jay Gould argued against assuming imminent death for all individuals with a mesothelioma diagnosis,\u200c doctors should not rely on statistically ignorant\u2064 logic. \u2062It\u2063 is astonishing to see physicians advocating for such an approach.<\/p>\n

The NPR article\u200d concludes by stating that\u2064 people \u200dwith larger bodies still deserve\u200b to\u2062 be heard and respected in the doctor’s office, \u200dwith their\u200c primary\u200c health concerns addressed.<\/p>\n

If there is one \u200bphrase \u2064that\u200d should disappear from the \u200bEnglish language,\u200d it would\u200c be\u200b “my need to feel heard.” Speak reasonably, and\u2063 people will \u2063listen. But if you speak foolishness,\u2064 expect to be ignored, whether out\u2063 of politeness or because\u2062 you simply sound foolish.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

rnrn <\/p>\n

\u200c Why\u200c is it\u2062 important for doctors to inform obese patients about the potential negative effects of obesity on their health?<\/h2>\n
Hich is to provide accurate and evidence-based medical advice to their patients.\u2064 While it is important to promote body positivity<\/a> and prevent the stigmatization of obese individuals, disregarding the potential\u200c health risks associated with obesity is not the solution.<\/p>\n
Obesity is a \u2064complex health issue that is linked to various medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes,\u200d and certain types of cancer. Ignoring\u200b this correlation \u2064and avoiding discussions about weight may lead to delayed diagnoses\u200b and inadequate treatment options for obese\u2062 patients. Doctors have a duty to inform \u200dtheir patients about the potential negative effects of obesity on their health \u200din order to promote early intervention<\/a> and prevention.<\/p>\n
The article suggests\u200b that the focus on weight can cause obese patients to avoid or \u200bdelay healthcare, \u2063including recommended cancer screenings. \u2062While it is true that some individuals may feel sensitive about their\u200c weight, it is\u2064 not beneficial to withhold accurate medical information from them. Instead, doctors should strive to \u200dcreate \u2062a supportive and non-judgmental environment where \u2063obese patients feel\u200d comfortable discussing \u2062their health \u2062concerns.<\/p>\n
The claim that doctors often \u200cmisdiagnose \u200bhealth problems in obese individuals due to their excessive focus on weight lacks\u2063 sufficient evidence. Without specific examples\u200c or data to support this\u2064 claim, it is difficult to determine the extent of \u200dthe problem and the need for a weight-neutral approach. Discontinuing medical attention to \u2064obesity without\u200b proper investigation and consideration of\u200b the potential health consequences would be negligent and could\u200c have serious repercussions.<\/p>\n
Promoting “weight-neutral” care or a \u200bfocus on “health at every size” may seem like an inclusive\u200c and compassionate approach. However, it is essential to remember that weight loss can be a necessary and effective treatment option<\/a> for certain medical conditions related<\/a> to obesity.\u200b Dismissing weight loss as a potential treatment\u2064 option for obese patients can limit their access to appropriate care and\u200c hinder their overall \u2064health outcomes.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, it \u200bis important to address obesity and its \u2064associated \u200chealth risks in a\u200b sensitive \u2064and empathetic\u2064 manner. Doctors should continue to discuss\u2062 weight-related issues with their obese patients, while also\u2063 promoting body positivity and a non-stigmatizing\u200d environment. Dismissing the\u200b medical\u200b significance \u200cof obesity and avoiding discussions about weight could lead to missed \u2062diagnoses and\u200c inadequate healthcare. It is crucial for doctors to fulfill their responsibilities \u200cand provide accurate \u200dand evidence-based medical advice to their patients, regardless of their weight or body size.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In December, NPR reported on doctors refusing to discuss health risks of obesity with overweight patients, as part of media’s ongoing destigmatization efforts. These doctors argue that addressing obesity can lead to “misdiagnoses.” The story starts with a Seattle-based example<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":2139109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2139108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2139108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2139109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2139108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2139108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2139108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}