How important are appearances when it comes to someone’s job?

My claim was “People with traits x and/or y are saying z” and I told you where you can find people with traits x and/or y saying z.

What “research” are you expecting? You’re being really weird

Tbh I feel comforted when an overweight HCP is dealing with me because I know they’ll understand the complexities of being overweight and won’t just preach and judge.

We have someone at work who is responsible for interior design and she always looks like a slob. Has a standard work uniform of a shirt and jeans which in itself wouldn't be a problem but both are at least three sizes too big, the jeans dragging on the floor and all shredded at the bottom, hanging dangerously low and threatening to expose her bum at any moment. Shirt always incredibly creased. Hair never looks like it has been brushed.

She meets often with clients and I always wonder what kind of impression they get of the company after seeing her. Definitely doesn't look like someone who would be at the forefront of fashion and design.

You’re asking me for evidence that overweight and shilling HCP are saying BMI is useless. I’m directing you to posts from those individuals saying BMI is useless. Not everything in life needs to be backed by rigorous, unbiased studies and data. Sometime you can simply look around and observe something that people are doing or saying.

Go online to social media and search up BMI or body positive doctors/health care. You’ll see a tonne of content from a tonne of HCP. There’s your evidence.

What negative views do you perceive me to have about overweight people?

I try not to judge but it's natural to notice.

I don't care about someone's weight if they give advice about weight, the most important thing is the tone they deliver their message in. I recently had my NHS 40s health check with a pretty overweight HCA. They knew their stuff, it was a nice meeting with no judgment felt at all, just advice on best practice. You don't need to be slim to know eating a lot of processed food isn't good for you. They didn't reference their own weight but did understand me when I talked about not getting enjoyment from exercise. If I go for a run, I just feel tired after, not energised! So in the context of the advice to increase activity, my 'barriers' were met with understanding, and I really appreciated that.

I'm also aware things like shift patterns can really impact how easy it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle - I've not been in that boat but it's not a hard stretch to see long hours, night shifts, shifting between the two etc, will be a natural trigger to dysfunctional eating, a hurdle most people don't have.

However, there are issues with weight interfering in the speed of delivery of care provision in medical settings, and in this situation I do thing it can be problematic. Excess weight very often leads to physical problems with backs, knees, etc etc, which has a direct impact on someone's ability to do a job which is often physical. It's really hard, but this exists in many physical jobs. We have a contract cleaner at work that is incredibly slow due to their weight, at what point do you say 'you can't do it!'? It's so hard! Hospital nursing and care staff whose physical weight impacts the way they do their job - it's a difficult conversation to have.

Having been in and out of hospital over the years the number of fat nurses surprised me as the distance they cover daily is amazing. As long as they did their jobs properly I had no problem with anyone.

Size is neither here nor there, it's all down to capability and personality and I wouldn't dream of being opinionated about it.

To be honest so many nurses i’ve seen have been overweight I’m more surprised by a slim
one. I’m not saying that to be rude, it’s a factual observation. I even googled it once and it said a lot of it was due to the hours and irregular/rushed meal times. My midwife was huge.

They were doing their job: they are expected to give you a lecture about smoking. And no doubt their doctor has done the same to them. The fact you claim you enjoyed your childish "gotcha" moment says way more about your unpleasant personality issues than it does about the doctor. The doctor's own health issues do not in any way mean that he/she can't then give appropriate and necessary advice to a patient. For example: are you seriously suggesting that a doctor who contracted an STD couldn't then give any advice to/treat anyone who has STDs or is in danger of contracting them??? Of course not!

Her personality has nothing to do with the advice which she gave you. In her line of work, she would have seen countless obese patients, and no doubt seen her fair share of the problems that arise, as a consequence of being overweight. Take her advice, or don't. But her being stick thin, is a ridiculous reason not too.

Had a surgeon give me a long lecture on smoking, only to find them out the front smoking.

I did enjoy that conversation.

I struggle with my weight and enjoy watching ‘My 600lb life’. Always smile a bit when Dr Nowzaradan berates his patients for the food they eat when he’s clearly a couple of stone overweight himself.

In general, what other people weigh is none of my business but if an overweight dietician tried to give me advice, I’d definitely be thinking, ‘well it doesn’t work, does it?’

My hairdresser said to never trust a hairdresser with good hair. It meant they weren't busy!
Never lecture someone on healthy eating if you are even slightly overweight, people won't listen. Talk about how hard it is to eat healthily, that will feel more authentic. And these days more people are overweight that not, so you have an audience.
I do judge appearance related to cleanliness and appropriate clothing. Anyone in a professional role should be clean and wear hole free clothes.

So it’s like, okay, if you’re telling me I need to do xyz to manage my weight… why haven’t you done it? If you haven’t been able to stick to doing it, why are you recommending it?

Maybe because it is sound advice, that they are giving. Just because they, for whatever reason, are not able to follow it themselves, does not make what they are saying wrong! Why should they assume that someone else would not be able to successfully lose weight, just because they have failed to?

This comment says more about you than whatever the GP was like.

A fat nurse wouldn’t bother me. Even if they’re giving advice I’d trust they are giving the right nutrition advice! There could be all sorts of reasons they’re not following it themselves. Doesn’t make the advice wrong.

I get push back from patients when discussing weight because they have said that I have obviously never struggled with my weight so can’t understand how hard it is to eat well and exercise. I understand their point.

There are many reasons why someone can be overweight.

As you have mentioned OP that could include health conditions, side effect from medication or just having had a child, so basically I would not judge.

My GP and the practice nurse who last did a health check (which including checking my weight and exercise routine) are overweight, but so what. They also do a highly stressful job with long hours so I am not going to criticise them.

My GP practice is really good so I am just happy to have them!

You don't trust a skinny chef??? Yikes - clearly you haven't actually worked in a professional kitchen. The great chefs work extremely hard more than 6 days a week and are on their feet all day - it's incredibly difficult to do that job if you aren't in decent shape/are fat.
All the three Michelin star chefs I know are fit and not at all what one would describe as overweight/obese. Indeed on of the best chefs in that group - Clare Smyth (Core) - is very svelt. One I went to school with is in superb shape - he's got two michelin stars. It's miserable working in a kitchen if you are fat.

Having spent a fair amount of time in a professional kitchen when I was a student (good way to earn money during holidays): you inevitably lost weight because you were working during meal times, often working split shifts/double shifts, and were working extremely hard doing physical work - the amount of calories you burn during a service is enormous.

Look- it's not the fact that someone is overweight that people are objecting to- I couldnt give flying toss what anyone eats or doesnt eat, it's literally none of my business. What I DO object to is being lectured or told what to do about my own health by someone who from all appearances, isnt looking after their own. It just makes it hard to take it seriously is all.

It's not just weight either- if a doctor was lecturing me about smoking but had nicotine stained fingers and reeked of cigarettes I would instantly put his advice in the bin in my mind. They may well be talking perfect sense but the disconnect between their words and their actions is deeply offputting to me.