Obesity - Should Gps Just Tell People " You Are Fat "

[sunny-dave]

An interesting article :

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9049971/the-battle-of-the-bulge/?utm_source=feedly

What do you think?

[Sqad]

Well dave..........I have always used the word FAT..........cus that's what they are.........FAT.

However, it would seem that the country, indeed the world is divided as to how overweight people should be addressed......fat or obese.

Yes, obesity may be a manifestation of an underlying disorder, but very rarely, as opposed to the commonest cause, glutony and laziness.

[237SJ]

The trouble is, the term 'disease' has been used to describe obesity (probably in an effort to scare people into addressing their problem) but that has backfired and people think they are "suffering" from obesity as if it is some sort of affliction that they have no control over and the medical profession has to sort out.

[LazyGun]

I think he has a point.

[sunny-dave]

It's an interesting conundrum.

I know that I currently need to lose a few pounds (OK a few kilos) - but would my GP saying "Come on Dave you fat bastard, cut out the carbs and walk the dogs a bit more" be useful?

I tend to think (for me at least) it might - but then I'm not in there asking for some medical panacea to control my foddering.

[ClaryS]

I few years ago I got told by my GP that after doing calculations of my height and weight I was borderline obese. At the time I was working out, was doing Triathlon at county level and had approx. 18-19% body fat which is not in any way an indication of obesity. Until GP's or anyone for that matter can have a true indication of an appropriate weight range for the individual persons frame, age and lifestyle, then people who are naturally muscled or athletic will continue to be told they are overweight , and unhealthy flabby individuals given the ok because they weight it deemed to be within the normal parameters which were written in the 1950's by someone working for an Insurance company in the USA and are no longer appropriate for people in the 21st century. Rant over...lol!

[LazyGun]

I think that's kind of the point Dave. It ought to be a judgement call by the GP which term they feel might be most useful to galvanise the patient. Some GP friends of mine would have no hesitation in bluntly describing some patients as fat with some patients, but might elect to adopt a different approach for other patients.

Whether it be described as fat, or obese, or healthy-weight challenged though, there is no doubt that as a society we eat too much and do not exercise anywhere near enough.

[Gromit]

The Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation is highly flawed and is only about 80% accurate. It was made up by a Belgian and is not very scientific. So it leads to very fit people being told they are over weight and children being told they are under weight when they are plainly not.

'Fat' and 'Obese' both have stigma attached to them. 'Over weight' is a better term.

[ludwig]

They could inject a bit of humour into it. Tell the patient to get on the scales and then do the old 'One at a time please' or 'No coach parties' in a robotic voice.

[ClaryS]

Gromit -until someone comes up with a weight chart that take into account the individual and their circumstances then 'Over-Weight' means absolutely nothing. I believe that the current charts used date from the 1950's American Life Insurance charts which looked at the weight of people who died early and somehow decided what was a 'healthy' weight and what wasn't. According to these charts I'm just over what my maximum weight should be for my height and age so am technically over-weight. I wear size 8-10 jeans, size 12 tops, measurements hips 36 ins waist 27 inches and bust 38 inches. Just call me fatty....lol!

[joggerjayne]

If someone is overweight because of a medical condition, or because of a recognised psychological condition, then the doctor must be sympathetic.

If the patient just eats too much, or claims to be big boned* then he should tell them to stop wasting his time and stay off the hot dogs.

*no matter how many people say they are big boned, when you see actual skeletons, none of them ever actually has big bones.

[juliaorm]

I have recently been to the opinion that like any addict ( alcoholics and other addictions get more sympathy) that a person CAN get addicted to food and its hard to stop . This is now being recognised to offer help with the addiction and compulsion to eat, rather than using bullying tactics.They should be labelled as people with a problem relating to food!

[WELSHYORKIE]

ClaryS - i'd call you phwoooar lol

[LazyGun]

@jj "no big bones"? Really? Not what my XRay says ;)

[Old_Geezer]

The terminology isn't so important. It is understanding the underlying causes and knowing how to interact with folk to get the desired results.

[joko]

i agree overweight is probably a better term in general - its more descriptive of the issue, and has no reference in name calling - no child ever insulted a class mate by calling them 'overweight'

saying someone is fat could be seen as mean, and all this 'lets speak bluntly' business could just be used as an excuse to put people down - many people excuse their acid tongue as 'just being honest' ... and its generally true but it doesn't alter the fact that they have hurt someone.

- and really, a person is not 'fat' - they have fat on them, too much of it, but its not all they are.
if someone has cancer, we don't say they are cancer.
or any other condition.
we are encouraged not to call people by their illness - such as saying someone is an asthmatic etc, but by saying they 'have asthma' - so as not to 'define' a person by it.

i remember watching some dieting show and the bloke kept calling everyone 'massive fatty' - and i laughed my head off because he was so blunt

i guess the doctor would have to try to assess what affect it woul dhave on the patient - someone would be so upset it'd be the making of them - it would encourage them - others would go straight home and stuff their faces and go into a depression.

[sunny-dave]

Thanks joko - nicely put.

dave

[ludwig]

// The Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation is highly flawed and is only about 80% accurate. It was made up by a Belgian and is not very scientific. //

I don't know if it was intentional, but this sounds very funny. It's the inclusion of the fact that he was Belgian as if it's a key piece of supporting evidence that the BMI is no good.

If it was intentional, I apologise for being so dense.

[ChillDoubt]

The whole BMI thing is at times very perplexing.

I recall this story from a few years ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6040156.stm

If Messrs Pitt, Clooney and Damon are/were deemed 'overweight', what hope for the rest of us!!??

[sunny-dave]

"I apologise for being so dense"

Now I'm trying to work out if Ludwig is being clever ...