To expect fat nurses to have some insight?.

So they can ask questions about lifestyle. Isn’t that what normally happens? Then they can establish quite quickly that you exercise, don’t drink much, eat healthily and you don’t need their advice?

I'm a nurse and used to smoke 20 a day, binge drink, and do party drugs. I still had to do my job and promote the government policy on all of those aspects to my patients. I don't do any of those things now, but I am overweight and still promote the same government policies. I think you have a problem with how public health and health education is delivered. You're correct it is quite ineffective, but, like teachers, we are bound by what the government tells us to do.

When I trained, there were upper and lower weight limits for entry, based on the sound principle that a nurse has to be healthy to do the job, and that you were hardly going to be credible giving dietary advice if you were under/overweight.
So yes, when i observed a very obese nurse wheel herself on an office chair from her desk to the filing cabinet a meter away, i judged

Wow that's a bit rude.
Plenty of nurses with weight struggles because they are continuously over worked and can only grab vending machine snacks to see them through a long shift of helping everyone else.

I had a very overweight doctor for many years who was overweight. Didn't prevent him being very insightful and doing a brilliant job for his patients. The fat midwife helping me in labour was also an absolute godsend and clearly very good at her job

MN really does hate any woman that weighs over 7 stone and isn't a size 0

Diet advice from the NHS isn't just about weight.

For example, I am a nurse and have to advise people to try to eat at least 30g of fibre:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/

A good nurse needs two main qualities: intelligence and compassion. Neither of these have any bearing on physical appearance.

If you want all nurses to be fit and toned with a balanced diet, maybe lobby the government to improve their wages and working conditions so that a healthy lifestyle is more attainable.

YABU.

Hear hear @NeverEnoughPants it’s relentless on here today with comments on fat people.

It’s especially cruel this thread as I know in my life I’ve watched friends who are nurses pile on the weight largely due to the nature of the work they’re doing - long shifts, under staffing and work stress which makes it harder for them to exercise and eat healthier. Not impossible I know but still it does play a significant part. My friend lost 4 stone within a year once she took a break from nursing.

People working hard not particularly well paid jobs are doing their best trying to issue health advice and care give and others are judging them on their weight.

Is it just overweight nurses you object to, or would an overweight doctor also be deemed to be less competent with regard to their profession and training?
Many professions operate on a 'do what I say not what I do' basis, not just nurses.
The advice they were giving was presumably what they were trained and fully professionally qualified to deliver, whether they followed it themselves is a separate issue.
If you are not overweight, did you question why you were receiving dietary advice? Or was the advice more about healthy living and less about weight (low weight does not necessarily equal healthy living, as pps have pointed out).

I work in the NHS. I'm far from perfect. In these circumstances I think the phrase best used would be "Perhaps a private service might suit you better?".

😡

YABU to expect only those who are perfect pinnacles of health should be healthcare professionals. We have enough issues with the shortage of nurses.

Have you seen the recent advert, about how the mental health of people working in healthcare can be worse than that of their patients?

These are people dealing with death, with serious illness, with people getting bad news - every day of their working life. Maybe, just maybe, it's not surprising that some of them use food in a way that's less than ideal.

They weren't judging you. They were doing their job. You on the other hand...

They are people with their own lives and their own issues, doing a job that is all about helping other people. What do you do that is so great you can look down on some of the most important people in the workforce?

You wanted them to admit to falling short? Really?

Especially when they're sat on a chair, in a small room at a GP surgery from 7am - 7pm.

YABU @Vikingess

You know naff all about their lives. Of course they have to advocate good health, but when was the last time your head was up a randoms fanny removing a coil?

The stress and long days alone would have me piling weight on. Also the overweight nurses I see are a similar age to me. Pushing 50, a couple or more kids, menopause etc.

If was was a humongous 20 year old, you might have a case.

Being a healthy weight doesn’t necessarily mean you’re eating a healthy diet or living a healthy lifestyle.

It's literally their job

Lol

Nope, I mentioned it and asked @Vikingess to clarify. I reckon it might just be general basic healthy eating nutritional advice they are required to give to everyone as opposed to telling her to eat less.

And btw lots of thin people can be unhealthy. I was consuming crazy amounts of sugary foods for over a decade while being a size 6-8.

An old school friend I had who is super tall, thin and a vegetarian lives on air and sweets. Or she did anyway last time I saw her. She barely eats fruit and veg.

They are qualified to give the right advice even though they obviously weren’t able to follow it themselves

Exactly. Nurses are not immune to the difficulties lots of people face with weight problems. Why would they be? One of the causes is stress - I imagine their job is pretty stressful.

Did the OP need the ‘health advice’ as she isn’t overweight? She probably knows exactly how to lead a healthy life. I too would have found it patronising.

Staggering. I am a fatty boom boom GP. I also have an additional qualification in obesity and diabetes. I am especially well educated and experienced in these fields.
I cant/don't follow the advice I dispense. I guess best I just throw the towel in if I'm not to be taken seriously.
There are many reasons I'm obese ...childhood abuse, DA, menopause, long covid. But you know us fatties were all just sooooo stupid for being fat. It's all just so easy isn't it.

There are loads of very fat nursed and midwives (and lots seem to smoke).

Were they offering you advice about your weight? If so, Was the advice good?

Here you are body shaming these highly intelligent women. You don’t necessarily know more about healthy eating than the nurses just because you weigh less. They deserve respect while doing their job.

Diet advice isn't just based on weight.

You can be "normal" weight or underweight, and have a crap diet.

What diet advice did they actually give you OP? What has offended you about it?

If you're not overweight, I'd imagine it was the stock advice of try to eat plenty of veg and fibre. That's just based on "guidelines" which they have to repeat to people.