overweight doctors?

[trixie123]

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?

Never mind being overweight, I was still expected to carry the crash bleep when 34 weeks pregnant...

I don't think him being overweight has any bearing on him carrying out his jobs.

I watched the episode this morning and during the first emergency didn't the narrator say he was the first doctor to arrive? Or one of the first? He also plays rugby and was shown running around the pitch a lot faster than I could (and I'm a size 12).

The real question is why was the doctor running to the arrest? I lead the arrest team when on call at my hospital and I do not run to arrests. Thje ward nurses are able to start resuscitation. The minute or so you save by running will not make a significant difference in the majority of situations. You are far more likely to fall over / down stairs / smack into another person if you are running.

flibberdyjibbert -running to arrest is more likely to cause you harm than benefit the patient!

good tv diablo

He seemed a really nice, competent doctor from what I saw on the programme. That's what I want from a hcp I don't give a toot about their BMI. I have a feeling most people when having a heart attack aren't going to say "Oi you, the fat one, eff off and find me a thin doctor to help me"

I always find these threads bizarre.

Do people think that hcp's signed up to some sort of religious order instead of entering a profession?

Why these huge expectations of slim, non smoking, tee total, never having a bad day, sterile robots instead of, well just real people

No wonder there's so much moaning about gp's, nurses etc on here.

It's a job for fuck sake, not a crusade.

I'm a doctor and (used to be) fairly slim (size 10) but smoked like a chimney. I'm sure people could look at me and think that I led a healthy life but in reality you never know,

We all deal with the stress of the job/unsocial hours differently. Some of my mates would bring crappy food into work midnight runs to McDonalds whereas I'd head out with the A&E docs and nurses for a smoke.

The best advice I got was from an acute medical consultant: "Never run to an arrest, walk confidently through the doors - use the time to think through what you're going to do next". I once stupidly decided to run up the stairs to an arrest, thought I was going to pass out at the top, not my finest hour.

YABU, I am a doctor, I'm overweight, I know very well the risks, I also know why I'm overweight. Being a doctor doesnt make me superhuman!

Another attack on fat people. Will people ever tire of pointing out the obvious to us.

Agree with macdoodle - I normally say something along the lines of - "I know just how hard it is to lose wieght, but we know that with your high blood pressure and diabetes you are putting yourself at an increased risk of heart problems. If you could try an lose some weight it would significantly help."

Just as doctors in the early 60s mostly gave up smoking when the health risks became clear it is likely they will make a bit more and a better effort than the rest of us to lose excess weight. That doesn't make it easy for them to eat healthy whole foods rather than junk but I am sure they do try. it must be pretty difficult as an obese doctor to sit in front of a fat patient telling him or her to lose weight if you're fat - the patients must find it hard to keep a straight face.

I bet the programme makers were rubbing there hands with glee at that money shot of the fat doctor running.

I'm a GP. One of my colleagues used to be obese; all the obese patients would go to him to talk about how hard they found it to lose weight and he would advise appropriately. Then he lost a lot of weight through a healthy diet and exercise regime. And all the obese patients stopped seeing him and started seeing different doctors!

Yes, as HCPs we should be trying to set an example, but IMO, many people prefer someone who is not perfect and to whom they can relate more.

People would moan no matter what it's either "what do they know they've never been through it" or "well if they can't do how can I be expected to?".

We are so so spoilt in this country when it comes to health care access.

I don't see it as much of an issue with a doctor being overweight, but the woman fire officer who I saw last week who was obese made me wonder how she would be able to do her job properly

I think some jobs have weight limits - police/soldiers?

No, they have entry criteria but once you are in you can gain weight

diablo82 I could waddle along pretty quick, don't think I ever ran...you learn pretty quickly as a PRHO never to be the first at an arrest as you'd be expected to do something. When preg made it my job at the start of my shift to go round all the wards & ask them to give plenty of notice of any impending crises .

But its not as if a doctor's only role is to advise weight loss

You don't need to be slim to carry out surgery effectively or to give CPR

I couldn't give a shit how much a doctor weighs when he/she is saving mine o my child's life

ridiculous

In fact the doctor that stitched me up after a third degree tear (and did a great job) was overweight. Do you think I care what her dress size was?

Yabu! This makes me really mad.

Nhs workers have enough to deal with without having to look perfect too.

Judgemental and shallow!

Am an ITU senio staff nurse, yes I am overweight, yes I do smoke. It makes no difference to how I carry out my job, and am still expected to carry the cardiac arrest bleep.

We all eat for a living so why wouldn't you want to eat well. Its not hard to eat properly; its about choices you make. You can either make yourself an egg salad sandwich and bring fruit, granola bar, or you can decide to go to a fast food outlet and eat energy draining, fatty food. It is your choice. You know you are unhealthy, whether you are visually overweight, obese or not, so stop making excuses. My cousin is an emergency room doctor and although she works incredible hours, she always brings packed food that sustains energy and brain power. The day I woke up and realized I needed to stop making excuses as to why I couldn't be bothered to eat better, proper food and exercise, I just made the changes where I knew exactly they needed to be changed; stop eating fast food, processed food, eat more fruit and veg and walk whenever/wherever I can/could. Its about being honest with yourself. You are only self-sabotaging if you use excuses as fat or thin medical professionals telling you as to why you can't take them seriously.

It has nothing to do with looking 'perfect', it has to do with overall healthiness. Being overweight is one thing; being obese and/or morbidly so is another. At some point, like myself, you have to honest with yourself and say, holy fuck, I'm fat and need to make appropriate changes now.