Isn’t it well-known that doctors frequently dismiss health concerns with “have you tried losing weight?”
Comment on doctors
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 month ago
What harm is the doctor doing to fat people in your opinion?
elephantium@lemmy.world 1 month ago
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 1 month ago
When you look at how strongly obesity correlates with everything from back- and knee pains to weakened immune response to sleep issues and cardiovascular disease…
When a severely obese person has any of the above, it’s reasonable, scientifically backed diagnosis/prescription to say “these issues will probably go away by themselves if you lose weight”. This is about treating the cause and not the symptoms: When severely obese people are heavily over-represented among those with a certain disease or problem, you can try treating the symptoms, but should expect that they return rather quickly.
Of course, there are cases where the issues come from something else, but no matter who goes to the doctor with health issues, their first response will be to try to treat the post probable cause.
DJDarren@sopuli.xyz 1 month ago
This isn’t always true though, so obese people end up not receiving the care they should, because their dr couldn’t or wouldn’t see past their weight.
13igTyme@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Weight gain can turn a small thing into a bigger thing. A outpatient procedure is more likely to turn inpatient if the patient is over 300lbs.
Realitaetsverlust@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
Because in many cases, the weight is the problem.
Being obese has so many related sicknesses. From having sleeping problems to back pain to knee pain to more serious stuff like cardiac arrests - being fat brings so many health problems.
Crashumbc@lemmy.world 1 month ago
While I have no doubt there are doctors like that, they are the exception.
Every profession has it’s idiots…
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 month ago
First I’m ever hearing about it.
ThatGuy46475@lemmy.world 1 month ago
There is a fat acceptance movement that says you can’t control your wight, and also the only healthy way to eat is to eat whatever you want whenever you want, and if doctors want to weigh their patients or inform them of the health risks of being overweight or not do operations where excess fat would create complications, the only possible explanation for any of that is fatphobia.
Irelephant@lemm.ee 1 month ago
That’s not what that is.
Its more just not going out of your way to be an asshole to fat people.
Delphia@lemmy.world 1 month ago
No theres absolutely people who believe that shit. Same as people who believe that Trump has all the answers, Jews are the problem and flat earth. The “fat acceptance”, “body shaming” and “body positivity” movements have legitimate positive roots but have also been co-opted by people who just want their bullshit view to be right.
Take “Healthy at every size” for example. You can have excellent cardiovascular fitness, great bloodwork and your weight isnt the cause of any health maladies but at some point at a certain body fat/muscle ratio (too high or low) is going to start to reduce the probablility of that being the case and people use these edge cases to justify their opinion. Look at Eddie Hall “worlds strongest man” he weighs 355lbs and over 6 foot tall, I havent seen his bloodwork but people will hold him up as an example that you can weigh 350+ but I also bet he doesnt need a scooter to get around wallmart.
There isnt an ideology or behavior on earth that cant be taken to a toxic place.
Irelephant@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Judging the body postivity movement (which is about much more than just fat people btw) by the vocal “extemist” people is like judging vegans/vegetarians by the evangelical ones.
letsgo@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Denying care until an arbitrary amount of weight is lost.
Maybe there’s sound science behind it, such as the procedures not having been tested on larger patients (if that’s the case why don’t they just say), but mostly it just looks like a waiting list hack.
absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 1 month ago
Risk/benefit ratio.
The benefit is X the risk is Y, but the risk increases with excess weight, at some point Y exceeds X. Once the risk exceeds the benefit, it no-longer makes sense to perform the procedure.
From the patient point of view, the likelihood of a bad outcome is above the likelihood of a good outcome. They would be worse off getting the procedure; but likely they are only considering the good outcome and wishing away any bad outcome.
From the doctors point of view, they are considering both outcomes and trying to communicate to the patient that it’s not a good option for them. There is also the opportunity cost to consider, they could be helping someone else that is more likely to have a good outcome.
sxan@midwest.social 1 month ago
This. And I suspect what they’re taking about isn’t common except in very specific cases, like transplants.
If there’s a compatible kidney doner available, and it’s a choice between an obese and a non-obese adult, they’re going to give it to the person more likely to survive and make longer use of the donation, and all other things being equal that’s the non-obese person. OP will categorize this as “denying care,” but it’s really a question of saving the person who isn’t likely to die anyway from comorbidities.
albert180@piefed.social 1 month ago
People love to claim that doctors don't take fat patients seriously and complain when they tell them to loose weight.
In the Fediverse there are also some Nutjobs who will claim that being morbidly obese isn't unhealthy and that those doctors just don't have a clue if they think it is unhealthy
dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
#loose
Fat people can lose weight. Loose people… are more fun I presume.
explodicle@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
Look, the doctor just said I needed exercise, but didn’t say it had to be boring.