To think that most health care professionals are hopeless at advising on weight

I still don't understand how you can state with such certainty that the people gaining weight through medication, are not a minority, yet you can't back it up with anything other than anecdotes?

It's actually much more complex what they do to cause weight gain. Everyone on my ward is well aware the meds cause weight gain. They come in underweight and can end up doubling their weight! Even though they are not over eating. So no them just paying attention to what they consume doesn't help. We do empower them - do you know how? You're not going to like this - but they see the dietician to get support to work against the medication. It's tricky work as very complex. But they finally feel in control of their weight and most are able to lose a significant amount with massive knock on effects to their physical health meaning they will be much less of a burden to the NHS.

'Many of those will take medication that causes weight gain. So I believe it is a significant issue'

Many of these meds may increase appetite rather than cause weight, or if depressed people are less likely to be up and about doing physical activity (which is a shame as endorphins etc released would be beneficial) they will gain weight. Or, some meds may slow metabolism in some cases but so does such naturally occuring body changes like menopause and if you eat less it balances out.

'Meds cause weight gain' is not always accurate or actually even helpful. If you still pay attention to what you consume it can be managed. We must empower people to feel in control rather than have this defeatist attitude.

I've not time to look up statistics but I have experience as a nurse. Certain psychiatric medications have a very, very common side effect of weight gain. On my ward currently we have 2 that are not obese and that is because of anorexia - they're probably borderline over weight. So, no, it's not the case of only a few will have that side effect. Within mental health weight gain is a very significant issue. It contributes to the reason why people with serious mental illness die so much younger than those without.

Can you link to any statistics or is this just what you think?

Millions of people take prescribed medicines. All of them come with a leaflet about side effects.

Not everyone who takes medication suffers from those side effects.

I'm on 3 different types of meds for life and suffer no side effects at all.

Yes, it is definitely a minority. If you were to purely look at people with a serious mental illness who are pretty much all going to be on medication with a side effect of weight gain (if compliant) then it's about 1% or 500000 people. But if you look at more minor mental illnesses of course they affect far more people. 25% of people experience a mental health problem every year. Many of those will take medication that causes weight gain. So I believe it is a significant issue.

Some people take medication that causes weight gain.

These people are not a tiny minority

This is interesting.

What are the statistics please? Out of the roughly 63% of overweight adults in the UK, how many take medication that causes their weight gain?

I would've thought it was a minority, but I can't find any stats?

'He's the person who both exh & I rely on if we have a fall, exh carers just stand there staring & do nothing other than ring ds '

I'm so sorry for what you endure. Please please get in touch with whoever organises your care. If carers cannot manually handle you and your dh safely then you need adaptations such as a hoist to make sure this can be done. I've every sympathy for your situation and of course i wouldn't tell an autistic 20yr they 'were fat' but a healthy diet would surely mean he was in a better physical state to assist you but do chase up hoists and adaptations .

I'm the mum of the obese 12 year old. He is disabled, autistic, suffers from hypotonia & dyspraxia. He is 20 now, he isn't a greedy person, eats 3 meals a day, does a minimum of 10k steps a day, has been a young carer since he was 8. He's the person who both exh & I rely on if we have a fall, exh carers just stand there staring & do nothing other than ring ds while he can get his dad up off the floor using his weight to his advantage to heft him back into his wheelchair, he's picked me up a fair few times when I have fallen. Ds has clearly marked on his records that he is a young carer. Imagine if one of your children was suicidal, a HCP called them fat & it tipped them over the top to attempt suicide. I know which I would prefer, a ds who is alive.

Weight loss club?! Dear god - the naivety! 😂 Sorry have to laugh or I'll cry.

Oh. I can imagine that. All drunk men and beaten men send off home as due to their poor choices they do not deserve to be treated, all with stab wounds as their poor lifestyle choices...then it would be all men with football, rugby and cycling injures. Then all who fallen from the horse, all drowning etc. We just can close NHS really.

I guess you are drinking or at least you drank in the past. Alcohol is one of the worst drugs know to humans. Caffeine is not that healthy either.
Really, I do not understand why we have to pay for people who cheerfully drank wine and coffee.

'I'm sorry you may not like it but you are extremely ignorant. You can't say it to me because it's not true!'

No, I won't say it to you because I'm not rude. We disagree, you mustn't take that so personally.

I've lots of experience regarding the nhs on both sides and as I keep on having to tell you services are absolutely snowed under with diseases that aren't all directly lifestyle related. Overweight people of course need motivation and support but this could be done by attending a weight loss club that they access independently.

And I'm really interested @Janiie as to why you think GPs/nurses etc are making all these, what you consider to be inappropriate referrals? And why dieticians are accepting them?

We all know obesity isn't caused by complex medical conditions. It is basic physiology that calories in must match energy used.

Why do you think this? It’s been proven over and over that this isn’t the case.

' should not see complex cases of obesity where over eating is notthe issue? I get you find it to hard to understand that, that is the case and you find it hard to understand what input a dietician can give'

Your dietician said take meds at a specific time and have a snack with them! I mean I'm sorry but that isn't the wondrous advice you seem to think it is. Maybe it's the placebo effect someone is 'treating' you so it gives you motivation and incentive?

I won't insult you by saying 'you're ignorant ' etc etc. We all know obesity isn't caused by complex medical conditions. It is basic physiology that calories in must match energy used. If you take meds that increase appetite you have to find strategies to cope with hunger pangs and an opa at a hospital to tell you that is absolutely unnecessary.

No, it's not a different opinion because you've not given an opinion on what I've actually said. You've misunderstood or ignored most of what I've said and just kept going on about 'medicalising over eating' and everyone just needs to eat less. It's a shame you are so completely unable to be able to learn anything that challenges your narrative that everyone is an unhealthy, chocolate binging, over eater as you've said you are. There is no debate with you as you don't respond to anything I've said.

I'm not struggling with my weight so have no defensiveness on that part. I just find ignorance so frustrating.

If you really want to debate:
Explain why dieticians should not see complex cases of obesity where over eating is not the issue? I get you find it to hard to understand that, that is the case and you find it hard to understand what input a dietician can give. (And as you think you know better than HCPs you can't accept they know) But putting that aside for a moment. Let's say theoretically that is the case. The person is not over eating so can't lose weight by reducing what they eat. If helped by a dietician they can get to a healthy weight and therefore put less strain on the NHS. Is that a suitable person for the dietician to see in your opinion?

'Well, I've tried my best to help you understand. But sometimes I guess there's no arguing with ignorance.'

It isn't 'ignorance', it's a different opinion. Try to debate without being rude. I understand it is an emotional issue for those struggling with their weight and of course defensiveness will be a natural reaction but we are allowed to, politely, challenge your views.

Oh gosh, sorry! 😄 No, his advice pertained to a quite specific but complex issue. He did lots of research and was able to crack it! But good luck with your own journey! I hope you find the thing to crack it for you too.

You clearly don't! You think you know better. You think you know better than me about my own patients for a start! I'm not talking about 'most people' as I have made abundantly clear!

Well, I've tried my best to help you understand. But sometimes I guess there's no arguing with ignorance.

Thank you, I'm glad it helped you, not gonna lie though I was hoping for a magic bullet for my own weight problems

I'm just not agreeing with you, most people simply eat too much of the wrong stuff. You must know this if you are a nurse?

Stop enabling and excusing, it doesn't help with the massive and ever increasing obesity problem. I'm not suggesting insults and sneers just stop medicalising it.

Not sure why you'd feel sorry for any hcps I encounter? I obviously respect their role unless they give me reason not to.

Are you honestly not able to understand this?

I am not talking about medication that increases appetite

I am not talking about people with poor eating habits

Some people take medication that causes weight gain.

These people are not a tiny minority

These people became unwell through no fault of their own

Health care professionals know what they are doing. Your ideas are pure ignorance. Including that you believe you know better than HCPs! 🥺 I feel sorry for any HCP working with you, goodness me!

YANBU I’ve been grossly overweight since aged 6 and diagnosed with T2 diabetes 25 years ago. I’ve seen GPs for over 50 years none of whom gave me nor parents any decent advice other than generic leaflets and a couple of dieticians and several diabetic specialist nurses were no better. They all just parrot the basic genetic info from nhs leaflets which I can read myself! I’ve Lost count of the number of times I’ve been told to eat fewer mangoes despite never eating them - what a surprise mangoes are mentioned in the nhs leaflets!