weight management, medical advice

[tulipchica]

Interesting article, especially since my husband is a fourth year medical student but definitely struggles with his own weight. It brings up issue of what qualities make the best health counselor-- authenticity, lack of cognitive dissonance, and/or sympathy?

When Weight Is the Issue, Doctors Struggle TooBy PERRI KLASS, M.D.; July 21, 2009; NYTimes

Comments

[nyclaura]

There is quite a bit of debate on this very topic surrounding Obama's SG pick, Dr. Regina Benjamin, too. She is overweight and probably actually quantitatively obese, per current standards.

As we all probably know, according the the CDC/NHANES, nearly 70% of Americans are either overweight or obese. So, I think if our country continues to follow this trend these questions of a "good role model standard of health" will become more and more valid.

One day it might actually be an impossibility to have medical professionals of a "normal" BMI giving health advice. That seems like a big loss, IMO.

Do health workers/providers need to all be marathon runners? No, of course not. But I do like to think that I put my knowledge of health, health related disease, and background into practice by carefully choosing my foods and activity levels accordingly.

Then again, we know psychologically that patients respond best to clinicians who resemble them/their circumstances - be that gender, racial, etc. So, perhaps as Americans become fatter so should the health care workers so there can be mutual empathy along those lines?

It does become a personal choice. Do you want to be a health worker that is beholden to ideals of health. Or, a health worker who is more "real, day-today". It is hard to diet and exercise - fitting all that in among various pulls. Most people do not diet and exercise per current standards. Is that ok or is it wrong? Should those of us who know better (health workers) DO better?