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Gp's And Obesity
- Thread starter bulkbiker
- Start Date
KK123
Well-Known Member
I think the problem is that GPs tend to think that one size fits all. If a fat person is sitting before them you can guarantee their every ailment is put down to being fat. A thin person can sit before them with the same ailments and they are completely baffled and have no answers at all. They must love their obese patients because they can send them all off with a diet sheet without ever having to find out what is actually wrong. If we are simply talking about obesity in itself, I wonder what 'advice' they would be prepared to give other than lose weight and exercise more? I can't see them recommending any other diet than the so called 'balanced' one and there are no pills. It's a lazy approach.
DavidGrahamJones
Well-Known Member
Too much trying to judging a book by it's cover. My food diaries usually leave my GP with a chin dragging on the floor, and no further with trying to see what I need to do, apart from a 30 day fast, to lose weight.
JohnEGreen
Master
- Messages
- 14,002
- Location
- Nottinghamshire
- Type of diabetes
- Other
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Tripe and Onions
Do GP's make you obese?
Only if you eat too many.
Only if you eat too many.
ickihun
Master
I think that is exactly that. Dr's give up on patients because of the uselessness of the diet advice. They take heart by blaming patients, not the programme/system. They need to see successes as much as anyone else. Mine love the change around after bariatric surgery. They are advocates. My endo and cardiologist too.
ickihun
Master
With no metformin I'm exactly the same. In fact I still add weight but I guess due to worse IR.
- Messages
- 11,322
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
It is good that you know the reason for you becoming fat @Tannith.
There are many of us who have followed NHS recommendations for a healthy diet, become obese, then been blamed for doing so. Not just by medical profession, but by everyone who wants to believe the popular theory, promoted in the media, that we all eat too much and are lazy.
The survey article being discussed here shows that the prevailing attitude of GPs is that they generally do not quite know to help us.
lucylocket61
Expert
that is your experience. I respect your experience. However, I ask you to take on board and respect that others on here have different experiences, and different causes for their weight gain.
Do you also believe that being fat makes someone T2?
Dexterdobe
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 305
- Location
- Norfolk England
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- Being unwell and seeing BG levels soar
It's a shame GP's weren't asked if they should have more open minds. When it comes to obesity they belt out the 'healthy eating plate' dogma and when it comes to dieting they maintain that all fat is bad and must be eradicated from the face of the Earth. 
Resurgam
Master
- Messages
- 10,129
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
On the few occasions I have eaten with other people I am amazed at the amount of food they put away.
I always get looks of disbelief when I claim not to eat much - but unless I have some sort of mental aberration all the depictions of plates of food in the media and the overflowing plates of those who I see eating indicate that my own meals are quite modest, and I do not eat between meals nor eat constantly.
I always get looks of disbelief when I claim not to eat much - but unless I have some sort of mental aberration all the depictions of plates of food in the media and the overflowing plates of those who I see eating indicate that my own meals are quite modest, and I do not eat between meals nor eat constantly.
lindisfel
Expert
- Messages
- 5,853
Bret Scher MD blog. re:Google
Try this for a medical apology and more.
I think some of the comments on this thread display a measure of frustration and superficial assumption and generalisation.
I don't think you guys by being extreme encourage health care professional to engage in this forum, which is what I would have hoped.
D.
Try this for a medical apology and more.
I think some of the comments on this thread display a measure of frustration and superficial assumption and generalisation.
I don't think you guys by being extreme encourage health care professional to engage in this forum, which is what I would have hoped.
D.
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Resurgam
Master
- Messages
- 10,129
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
But the HCPs I have ever come across refuse to believe that my experience has any merit - it is due to my lying, or gorging, my inability to follow their instructions or to read a simple diet sheet - I have had doctors red in the face and spitting as they berate me for my stupidity and inadequacies - I'd argue that my being extreme is a perfectly natural response to such treatment.
Mr_Pot
Well-Known Member
I have two daughters in their 30's. Photographs from when they were each teenagers you cannot tell them apart and they have the same genes. One is now a size 8, the other probably size 16, certainly overweight. When they come to dinner the larger one has twice the helping of the other then looks for a dessert and later has a large milkshake. I think she has got into this "habit" because she comfort eats as she has a very stressful job. So, while I don't blame her, it is obvious that her weight is due to overeating.
lucylocket61
Expert
I think it extreme for a HCP to dismiss, ignore, ridicule or even outright accuse of lying those of us who bring our evidence to them, year after year. The tolerance has to work both ways in order for mutual respect to happen.
KK123
Well-Known Member
Mr Pot, of course there are plenty of people who have eaten things like crisps/sweets/cakes/pies/pizzas and so on to a level that has made them fat and probably massive portions to boot and they know who they are, let's be honest. I think what many people on here allude to though is that they have lived on a diet of wholemeal bread, potatoes, brown rice, fruit, cereal and all of that type of food which comes under the 'healthy' banner and then become fat. Also there are others who really do not eat mammoth portions and for various other reasons have also become fat, the reasons are endless but Doctors blame one thing and one thing only, ie eating too much!. I do agree with you to a large extent, MANY overweight people whether diabetic or not have got to look to themselves also and to be honest with themselves over their choices.
Possibly due to hormonal imbalances that mean her signalling is out of whack (leptin/grehlin).. so the reasons for the overeating may be completely outside of her control. Sounds like she eats carb heavy meals which cause insulin spikes which in turn lead to fat storage rather than using fat stores for fuel. Have you thought of suggesting cutting carbs to her?
NicoleC1971
BANNED
Hi. Re GP/hcp/dietician bashiing, agree it is unhelpful but believe that the medical professional types are not encouraged to join in here. As you say there is frustration among the patients and I imagine that there is a great deal of frustration on the part of GPs too because they may not have appropriate solutions to offer their patients other than surgery which is highly rationed in any case. Their views in this survey merely display the general social consensus on the causes and cures of obesity (eat less, move more) although they have an obvious insight into the seriousness of the condition.
I believe that 'diaobesity' should be the focus as this is the pathological part of obesity that leads to complications such as metabolic disease including diabetes, heart disease and cancer; you can be fat and metabolically happy albeit with sore joints whereas there are a minority of not very fat people
walking around unaware that they are at risk because they cannot handle carbohydrates well...
On the plus side, the new technologies makes self and patient education a lot easier. I did the RCGP course by Dr Unwin and it is very useful with handouts and supporting evidence - we could all share it with your GP or Diabetic lead in your surgeries.
When I was in my early teens, hunger took over my life. It ruled me. I bought and ate food constantly. Chocolate and cream cakes were favourites. I gained weight steadily. Every morning, the starvation diet began. Every evening I lapsed into desperate out of control binging.
Greed? Sloth? Slobbishness? My parents certainly thought so.
At the same time I was prescribed synthetic progesterone for a hormone problem. That proved to be an error, and things got worse. Later I was diagnosed with PCOS and a prolactinoma. I also had Reactive Hypoglycaemia symptoms from age 4 onwards, but no diagnosis.
The day I was prescribed Cabergoline for the prolactinoma was the day I stopped bingeing.
The day I got my blood glucose under control was the day my carb cravings faded.
In both cases the relief was life-changing.
I haven’t binged in nearly 20 years, but you know what?
Some of my family still think I am greedy.
Except now I correct them. Repeatedly.
‘greed’ is a symptom, not a cause. And there are many different causes.
