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

'And one of the side effects of this medication is that they will gain weight. Those people need medical care for their weight.'

The vast majority of overweight people overeat. I'm not saying this to be goady it is true. A tiny percentage may be on meds that may increase appetite but that doesn't mean they cause weight gain. Stop enabling and excusing poor eating habits.

I'm not more deserving of nhs care specifically but people who become unwell through no fault of their own, not through poor lifestyle choices should not have to wait longer for services and treatment because overweight people are using resources.

I had weight loss surgery 11 years ago, a mini gastric bypass. Lost 11 stone in 10 months and continued to lose. I became very unwell. I had it reversed after 15 months. Kept the weight of for around 5 years but started to gain during Covid and got a PCOS diagnosis. I've now been on Ozempic for two years and I love it.

Goodness you're hard work!

I'm not talking about 'an unhealthy lifestyle.' You had an unhealthy lifestyle. I never have. I've always been really into nutrition and health. We are not all the same!

Imagine if ignorant people told you that, despite medical professionals telling you that you needed medical care, actually they didn't believe you did. You shouldn't be getting that medical care.

There are many people that do not have an unhealthy lifestyle. But they are unfortunate to become seriously unwell. So unwell they have to start taking medication. And one of the side effects of this medication is that they will gain weight. Those people need medical care for their weight. They are not less deserving because they have a different illness to you.

I'm not talking about being hungry or over eating. Yes, it is complex and perhaps this is why you don't understand. You are not more deserving of NHS care because you happened to get one illness over someone else getting something else.

'Imagine how you would have felt if people had been telling you, you didn't need medical intervention for your illness?'

How I'd have felt if someone told me I didn't need surgery I could cut down on what i ate and I'd be fixed? Well I'd have been overjoyed and relieved. Seriously please don't equate a serious diagnosis with unhealthy lifestyles.

You sound very proactive in your medicalising overeating campaign but I don't think it helps. We've said yes meds can increase appetite but being hungry won't kill you whereas being obese might. We need to reduce the amount of diet induced diabetics currently putting great strain on nhs services not excuse and say they can't help it.

So you were eating too much, then you stopped that and you lost the weight. That's wonderful that, that was the case and you were able to deal with it. But that really is a very simple case.

What you don't seem to understand is that not everyone has spent evenings gorging themselves on chocolate. So it not such an easy fix to just have a bit of self control. You didn't need medical intervention, no. But very many people are not so lucky in that regard. Some people have very complex cases. And yes, they do need medical intervention.

And those people just like you would fix themselves by self control if they could. Insisting that they don't need medical intervention because you are upset about your own illness is really very unfair. Let the health professionals decide who needs medical intervention. Imagine how you would have felt if people had been telling you, you didn't need medical intervention for your illness?

'I'm assuming you've struggled to lose weight and this is why you don't like the thought that there are people with more complex reasons for having gained weight.'

Not at all, I'm a fit and healthy size 12. What did happen was after years of eating what i liked when I liked it changed < as it does whe you get older > and I started put pounds on so guess what I did.. I ate less and it worked! As i keep saying I get cravings like everyone else but the days of gorging on chocolate every evening have gone I have to have a bit of self control. It's common sense tbh.

It isn't easy but it doesn't need medical intervention. I maybe have a chip on my shoulder as I had a serious diagnosis (not lifestyle related) that required surgery and further treatment and if I could have fixed myself by self control I'd have done it.

The having a takeaway once a month reminds me of someone telling me how they asked their GP how often they should eat chocolate as they were trying to lose weight. The GP said 'try to limit it to once a day.' They were overjoyed as they only had it once at the weekend. It's always dangerous not to know where someone is before giving advice!

Have you lost weight in another way?

But unfortunately some people will always think they know better than the professionals!

I can imagine that being really hard. I was given steroids once when very unwell. I'd barely been eating due to my illness and suddenly I found myself sitting there eating my dinner and thinking it was so tasty! (And this was hospital food!) I wondered what on earth was going on then realised...steroids!

Thankfully obesity understanding and management has moved on a bit since the days of 'eat less, move more!'

When I needed to lose weight my GP advised me to eat maybe three potatoes instead of four when having my dinner and maybe a takeaway once a month. That was it. Needless to say I didn't listen to him.

There are meds like steroids that make you really, really hungry. I have a condition that needs steroids and other people with the same condition say they have put on stones of weight. I found the only answer was portion control and will power. Truly dull.

Nothing you've said 'stings' as it's not the truth. I'm assuming you've struggled to lose weight and this is why you don't like the thought that there are people with more complex reasons for having gained weight. And I'm sorry if that is the case, I'd tell you to seek advice but no point as you'd think you knew better! Maybe it isn't but often it does seem to be the case.

I'm a nurse so fully aware you really don't know more than professionals. You've been unable to grasp the basics I've attempted to explain to you. You still seem to think I'm talking about 'over eating' when I have made it very clear I'm not.

You show your ignorance in this sentence 'The NHS just cannot sustain providing healthcare for the ever increasing obese population.' Those of us in the NHS know that, that is precisely the reason we need to support people to lose weight (also prevent gaining.) Because as much as you may want us to do it - when someone has a heart attack we don't turn them away because of being obese!

You may wonder why I am so passionate about people getting the right support and advice for weight gain. It's because the research my dietician did had more than the affect of meaning I could get back to a normal weight but I put him in touch with our dietician at the hospital I work with. It's helped many of our patients. I suggest you leave those of us who know what we are doing to deal with our patients

I've not said that most people are. But there is a very significant number of people that are. And professionals are quite able to discern that without your help! Your 'advice' is not going to be suitable for those people how ever much you argue. And I think the fact you have no idea about that suggests you are quite naive when it comes to this subject.

I'm not ignorant or arrogant. The NHS just cannot sustain providing healthcare for the ever increasing obese population. Dieticians should indeed be advising those with recognised chronic illnesses and diseases not giving dietary advice to overtreaters. I possibly do know more than some professionals

I'm sorry that the truth stings but until people stop medicalising overeating like you keep doing they'll never take responsibility and realise they are the ones to make changes and they are very able to do so.

We’ve got the message, @Riversideandrelax
You’re a complex case.
Most people really are not, however much you argue.

I'm sorry but you are so incredibly ignorant. There are many complex reasons people are overweight.

I'm not sure you get to decide what a dietician considers a complex issue. And I'm also pretty sure they're well able to know this themselves.

You do realise a complex cases means that there is not going to be suitable advice online? If a dietician decides they need a face to face consultation then they will do that.

Having to take medication that causes weight gain is not a 'bad habit'. As I have now explained multiple times my dietician did not tell me 'to eat healthily and moderately' as that was not the problem!

I find you so arrogant to think you know better than professionals.

Presumably your weight problem was because you ate too much and not healthily and therefore you didn't need to see a dietician. We are not all the same!

Who's 'the rest of us?' What was the cause of you gaining weight?

'And again why do you think people are referred to dieticians if @Janiiecould just advise all their patients'

Dieticians should be used for those who need them, like type 1 diabetics and others with complex medical problems. Imo they should not be used for weightloss advice, as we all know there is plenty available online etc no need for face to face assessments.

Again, it medicalises overeating and enables people's bad habits by thinking it's out of their control as they have a 'condition'. They don't. Again sympathies to anyone struggling but we can all eat healthily and moderately without an appointment with a dietician.

Meanwhile, for the rest of us; that’s exactly what works 🤷🏻‍♀️

It caused me to lose weight.

But not just that. All the advice and support I was given. That was one part.

I'm afraid you are misunderstanding. A prescriber may say take meds in the morning or at night. They may also advice as to meal timings. That is based on the effect the medication will have on the illness and/or side effects. That is not related to the optimal way for the patient to lose weight.

I saw my dietician within a month not 2 years!

And again why do you think people are referred to dieticians if @Janiie could just advise all their patients? You've already shown your ignorance so I'm pretty confused why you think you know better than the professionals? If you're already eating healthily in quantity and substance and walking a lot more than 10k steps a day I'm afraid your 'advice' is absolutely useless!

Very significant. It affects a large proportion of people with serious mental illness for a start.

I have lost weight by getting rid of my car in the pandemic and walking everywhere. Not possible for those who don't live in London, of course, but has done me and Dh a world of good. Other solutions are possible for other people. For instance, I don't eat meat or fish, so getting protein can be a challenge.

But I am not waiting around for specialist advice, sympathy or empathy. Would be diabetic by then.

'Of course. One thing he advised me on was what time to take my medication and told me to eat a snack with it (and advised exactly what to eat.)'

What? And this has caused you to loose weight?! We usually get told what time to take meds by the actual prescriber and eating with or without food is on the instructions too.

By parroting this 'only dieticians know how to advise us' you are enabling the myth that it needs constant specific intervention, we'll have loads of people saying 'oh I can't I'm waiting for a dietician referral which will take approx 2yrs'.

Eat less, eat healthily and walk at least 10k steps a day. No it isn't new news but it seems it needs repeating to remove the medicalisation of overeating.