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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

overweight doctors?

168 replies

trixie123 · 01/03/2011 21:10

AIBU to think the junior dr on BBC3's fly on the wall programme would be more effective, especially on his placement as an emergency dr if he could move around at speed without huffing and puffing and dripping sweat everywhere? And no I don't know if he has a condition which causes him to be overweight but as a general point, should they perhaps be "modelling" good health a little more?

OP posts:
AtYourCervix · 01/03/2011 22:16

and even though my posture is pretty good (15 years of ballet) my disk is fucked (i may have mentioned it once or twice).

AtYourCervix · 01/03/2011 22:17

and i've shown 6 different doctors my mystery rash and none of them know what it is.

hmmm54 · 01/03/2011 22:19

Buzz - my ds has breast cancer (now in remission) and my df died last summer of stomach cancer - yes I agree practicing whilst ill would not be good but experience of how it feels to have a relative in this situation is good. Don't mean to make you feel bad - sorry if I'm upsetting you. I'll stop now.

VivaLeBeaver · 01/03/2011 22:20

I think its true about shift patterns. I eat lunch at 12:00 even if not hungry as I know I won't get chance again. Then I'm starving by 17:00 and have dinner and then snacking before bed.

Not to mention the shifts wher its too busy to eat so all you do is keep grabbing a couple of Quality Street as you zoom past the desk. Then eat dinner when your shift ends on top of all the chocs you've eaten. Its not good.

GreenEyesandHam · 01/03/2011 22:20

Well if I was waiting for heart surgery for example, I wouldn't demand that the surgeon performing the op was a size 10 or 34" waist.

I'd hope that their years of specialist medical training and experience would y'know, be enough..

Can't see why I would think any different for a GP, or Gynae.

skybluepearl · 01/03/2011 22:20

over weight yes but quite attractive too.

WhensBedtime · 01/03/2011 22:22

Aren't doctors notorious for leading unhealthy lives? Many have pretty stressful working conditions.

ledkr · 01/03/2011 22:22

at your cervix i did ballet and have a fucked up but very straight back,no rash tho as yet,why not post a pic of it on your profile for the doc to look at Grin or you could go to embarassing bodies roadshow.

fairtradefloozy · 01/03/2011 22:23

YABVU, sorry but I think its such a judgemental thing to say. You'd never say "ooh,look at that skinny doctor, I'm not sure she eats properly" or anything like that. Utter rubbish.

I wish I had an iota of his grace, charm and quick thinking under pressure btw.

VivaLeBeaver · 01/03/2011 22:24

I think he was a better Dr than the girl with the glasses who was wearing the black skirt. Though obviously we just saw snippets.

skybluepearl · 01/03/2011 22:25

I imagine he will make a cracking doctor - the weight wouldn't concern me.

GotArt · 01/03/2011 22:26

A few months ago at the dentist, I had an obese dental hygienist who had a lovely family photo on the wall with obese h and 2 fat little boys, (its sad to see man boobs on a 10 year old through his thick and ugly Xmas sweater) that could barely move around on the wheely chair and was straining to breath, having to constantly sit back to catch her breath, due to her weight rail me because I asked about Crest whitening strips to whiten my teeth. She said being pregnant I shouldn't use those products; she said she herself would never use them when pregnant nor should I have my nails painted. All I could think about was how can you say that when it is CLEAR you are not making even remotely good choices for you or your family. A little nail polish is not going to produce a freak show child.

I certainly wouldn't want a doctor sweating all over me, out of breath, barely able to speak to the nurses and moving slowly around me in emergency. Every second counts. I was a size 26 and now am a size 10 because I realized it was what was better for my health.

ledkr · 01/03/2011 22:26

when i was nursing we would all go out with the Drs on a sat and turn up for late shifts hungover,sometimes we would mainline fluids in the drs office-beats an alka seltzer anyday Grin

AtYourCervix · 01/03/2011 22:28

ballet+nursing+knackered back.

i shall write my thesis on it!!!!!!

ledkr · 01/03/2011 22:29

and a rash

A1980 · 01/03/2011 22:31

I see the point but for me it would depend on the advice being given by an overweight member of the medical profession.

For example I was diagnosed with PCOS last year and although I am only just a little over weight for my height, I was told it's far too heavy for my condition and I need to lose a stone. I was told, low GI diet, very little sugar and plenty of aerobic exercise. The advice came from a consultant who was of normal weight. If the doctor giving me the advice had been significantly I probably would have told them to heed their own advice nad practice what they preach re heatlhy eating and exercise!!

Also I remeber a documentary last year about the explosion of type 2 diabetes in young people. Dr Richard Savine at Mayday hospital was commenting on obese youngsters and blaming the parents for it. He said that these obese youngsters were probably fat at 5 and they got that way as they were fed badly as children and have continued that into their teens and early twenties. He was incredibly preachy about the matter notwithstanding the fact that he is clearly overweight himself, has a double chin, fat arms and his stomach is so fat it protrudes noticably over his belt. He also appeared in alarmist Daily Mail to report his findings enoguh said. See here

He could clearly benefit from following his own healthy lifestyle advice. He isn't that size from eating healthy food and regular exercise.

So in a nut shell I would have a problem with an overweight member of staff if they were dishing out advice telling me to lose weight.

But a nurse for me on a ward, etc wouldn't bother me if they were overweight.

GotArt · 01/03/2011 22:33

I wouldn't say, 'oh look at that skinny doctor' but have said 'good god, just eat a fucking hamburger.' Eating disorders are all the same, the end result is just different.

A1980 · 01/03/2011 22:33

^^ Sorry part of my above post should have said: "If the doctor giving me the advice had been significantly overweight I probably would have told them to heed their own advice and practice what they preach re heatlhy eating and exercise!!

VivaLeBeaver · 01/03/2011 22:37

"If the doctor giving me the advice had been significantly overweight I probably would have told them to heed their own advice and practice what they preach re heatlhy eating and exercise!!
"

Well that would be unbeliveably rude. Shock

You have a medical reason for needing to lose weight. In such a situation they probably wouldn't have PCOS and therefore not have the need that you do to lose weight.

FunnysInTheGarden · 01/03/2011 22:39

seriously? since when did being thin be a precursor to being able to do your job well?

gasman · 01/03/2011 22:42

I'm a 'junior' doctor.

I'm overweight. Part of this is because I eat too much and don't do enough exercise but part of that is because of my atrocious working hours which make it really really difficult to cook myself a healthy diet and get to the gym.

For example I have just finished a run of 4 12.5 hours days. In fact I didn't leave the hospital on time at the end of any of them (so was there from 08:00 - 21:00 minimum, on one night I didn't get away 'til 22:00). I also don't get reliable enough breaks to get away to the canteen so am reliant on the food that I provide myself.

Even if I get to the canteen the food choices aren't that great. Last night was the first time I have managed to the canteen during my time in this particular hospital - the options were sandwiches, fried fish, haddock mornay (swimming in cheese sauce) or a vegetable crumble which looked a bit dried up).

In addition when not at work in our early years of training we have loads of exams. Trying to study for big, important and expensive exams and do a full time job, do a full compliment of 'audit' and tart your CV so that you get the next job on the ladder is really difficult. In addition because of the rotational nature of our training lots of us commute really long distances (my current commute is 1hr 20 minutes. That makes my days really really long. Quite frankly maintaining a healthy diet sometimes just doesn't seem that important.

So yes, on the surface I probably don't present an amazingly healthy image but actually my job makes losing weight really difficult.

splashyy · 01/03/2011 22:45

On the first day of my course I was told 'nobody wants a fat doctor who smokes'

And fwiw gloves are for protecting the doctor, not the patient. If a needlestick injury occurs they reduce the risk of transmission of blood born viruses.

A1980 · 01/03/2011 22:45

^^ I'm 5ft 4ins and 10st 5lbs and a size 12 dress size. Hell I'm even a size 10 in tops sometimes. My BMI comes up at about 25 which is on the line and BMI is a shite way of measuring if you're overweight as it doesn't take muscle into account. I thought it was overkill to tell me I was overweight given that I'm a size 10-12 and so did my GP. I certainly don't look overweight. But on thir advice I'm hungry all the fucking time and working out at the gym 4 times a week. I do as I'm told.

The whole England rugby team would have obese BMI results but it's pure muscle.

Techincally everyone who is overweight has a medical need to lose weight as it isn't healthy for anyone to be overweight.

I said probably but it easy for me to say that here. I doubt I'd have the nerve to actually give lip back to a doctor in RL but I'd certainly feel that way if they were overweight themselves.

AtYourCervix · 01/03/2011 22:45

but can you diagnose my rash gasman?

gasman · 01/03/2011 22:47

No 'cos I"m a gasman...... but I can give you a mean labour epidural!