To expect fat nurses to have some insight?.

[Vikingess]

Just had a routine health check today at my GP surgery. Two nurses - both considerably overweight - dispensing advice on diet. I
am not overweight -AIBU to expect health professionals to demonstrate the the standards they recommended or at least admit to falling short.

Then talk to the ICB/NHS authorities who had down the dictats about what you have to cover in a session or not. A few years ago it was all about smoking. Now it is weight. In a few years it will be something else.

These comments make me want to leave nursing. No respect or kindness shown to us. We are verbal and physical punch bags in real life. We get the brunt of the worst parts of NHS. This shows what people really think of us

'I know how to eat healthy, exercise etc and just because I havent been able to follow it because of some medical issues, mental health, work stress etc that doesn't mean I should withhold the info from my patients.'

'Haven't been able to'. Why though, what work stress would mean you would eat crap rather than something healthy? You're a prime example of exactly what I've been referring to, people blaming everything else rather than admit 'I eat too much of the wrong stuff and I really need to change'. I guarantee you'll be able to do more cpr for longer if you lost weight.

Of course you do a brilliant job and nurses shouldn't be judged on their size but it's a fact if you advise others on healthy eating you really should practise what you preach.

Oh stop being nasty. When nurses routinely work lots of overtime, have no time to get something healthy for lunch/only have access to vending machines or fast food while they eat at their desks, have not got home on time for weeks or get calls on time time off because of staff shortages - if someone cant see how that affects someones behaviour, they are either not smart enough to tie their own shoes, or willfully goady.

@Donewithallthis I know how to eat healthy, exercise etc and just because I havent been able to follow it because of some medical issues, mental health, work stress etc that doesn't mean I should withhold the info from my patients. Actually I empathise with my patients who struggle with lifestyle changes because I know how hard it can be.

With all due respect - you could follow it if you really wanted to, you’ve chosen not to, and that’s completely fine but just own it. I have medical issues, work and life stress + caring for elderly parents - but I still eat healthily and maintain a healthy weight. In fact I’d say the greater your health issues and more stress issues in your life - the more important eating healthily is.

I do appreciate that you can be more empathic to your patients due to your own experience, but if you can’t do what you’re advising them to do, it doesn’t really inspire them to believe they can do it? It’s a do as I say but not as I do scenario.

I suppose the conclusion is that the NHS needs to think beyond healthy eating info - to actually addressing the general and widespread tendency to say “I can’t because xyz” as well as the emotional roots of overeating.

'When nurses routinely work lots of overtime, have no time to get something healthy for lunch/only have access to vending machines or fast food while they eat at their desks,'

You take a packed lunch. Sandwich, fruit and a smoothie it's very easy. All staff rooms have fridges and microwaves. There is no need to live on fast food or eat at desks. I worked shifts for years when younger never lived on fast food or vending machines.

Hmm… professional..

I’m currently spending a lot of time in hospital atm as alas my father is dying. Every single vending machine has a healthy option with nuts and nut bars, fruit juice. The cafés have healthy options, fruit juice, smoothies, porridge, salads, wraps etc.

I'm another fat doctor. Oncologist here. I know that overweight and obesity accounts for 20% of preventable cancers and if I ever had the time and the headspace and the motivation I would like to do something to reduce my risk. But until the government fixes the NHS (pause for hysterical laughter) so my colleagues and I (and we have nurses, doctors, HCAs, AHPs, admin and management of all shapes and sizes) can have a shorter and less stressful day where we don't have to tell patients that if their cancer had been diagnosed earlier then we could save their lives but as it is they are stage IV and have a few months. If we had proper break times so we could walk over to the canteen and have a healthy nutritious meal instead of heading to the nearest vending machine for crisps and chocolate. Then we would all be healthier.
Interestingly none of my patients seem to care that the doctor in charge of their chemotherapy is overweight.

It would be good if people understood that being overweight is complicated. That it is a mixture of genetics, lifestyle, environment and age (most of us are in our 40's and 50's). That fat bashing doesn't actually motivate people to lose weight but instead makes people feel like shit. That actually we do deserve to be taken seriously as intelligent and educated people. That we deserve nice clothes and nice partners. But no, we are the scourge of the earth and we deserve being patronised and are just targets for rudeness.

YANBU. It reminds me of when Therese Coffey was briefly Health secretary. You couldn't make it up.

'I'm another fat doctor. Oncologist here. I know that overweight and obesity accounts for 20% of preventable cancers and if I ever had the time and the headspace and the motivation I would like to do something to reduce my risk. But until the government fixes the NHS (pause for hysterical laughter) so my colleagues and I (and we have nurses, doctors, HCAs, AHPs, admin and management of all shapes and sizes) can have a shorter and less stressful day where we don't have to tell patients that if their cancer had been diagnosed earlier then we could save their lives but as it is they are stage IV and have a few months. If we had proper break times so we could walk over to the canteen and have a healthy nutritious meal instead of heading to the nearest vending machine for crisps and chocolate. Then we would all be healthier.'

'Until the government fixes the nhs'. Seriously you couldn't make this up. Take some responsibility and take a healthy packed lunch! stop blaming the government, the job etc etc and if you must use vending machines choose the healthy options.

At 3am? Seriously the moral high grounding here is fucking outrageous

If we had proper break times so we could walk over to the canteen and have a healthy nutritious meal instead of heading to the nearest vending machine for crisps and chocolate. Then we would all be healthier.

Why can’t you take in healthy food from home?

@daliesque It would be good if people understood that being overweight is complicated. That it is a mixture of genetics, lifestyle, environment and age (most of us are in our 40's and 50's). That fat bashing doesn't actually motivate people to lose weight but instead makes people feel like shit. That actually we do deserve to be taken seriously as intelligent and educated people. That we deserve nice clothes and nice partners. But no, we are the scourge of the earth and we deserve being patronised and are just targets for rudeness.

No-one has said anyone is the scourge of the earth. I have sympathy with weight issues particularly for EDs as they effect a lot of young people. But I am also concerned about a major public health problem. If we don’t find effective strategies to tackle it at a societal level the population will get ever fatter and die ever younger. The link between obesity and genetics not strong - monogenic obesity is rare and the general consensus is that obesity is multi factoral - ie results from complex interaction between multiple genes, diet, lifestyle, environment.

Nothing to do with high ground, just facts about what is actually available. As you ask I don’t eat junk food any time of day.

Well I can tell you now the hospitals around here don't have snacks that are healthy, plus like @BurnoutGP says you'll take whatever you can get on a 5minute break(if you are lucky) at stupid o'clock in the morning!

I have worked in the nhs. You take in packed lunches and don't live off crisps from the vending machine. Why do you need telling this?!

I don't despise fat hcps but it isn't the government's fault or work stresses fault it's theirs for not planning ahead and taking in healthy options.

Those things are full of sugar and likely UPF, they wouldn't really help anyone lose weight.

Better than crisps and chocolate which is apparently all every other nhs vending machine is full of 🙄

That's part of the obesity issue, even things that are often the "best" option in places like hospitals (and airports, etc) are still unhealthy.

I notice I end up eating a lot of crap at 3am (never struggled with weight though, I would bet my right arm that I'm skinnier than you).

Plus I've never seen a hospital overflowing with fruit and nut vending machines, and I live in an area with objectively the best/biggest hospitals in the country. Crisp and snack vending machines are more likely.

If my doctors or nurses need the nearest available carb/sugar rush to take care of my dying father and lots of other patients on a busy understaffed ward at 3am on night shift (plus I don't know what magic midnight cafe you think is open past 9pm or even 5pm), I don't begrudge them that.

(Not saying nothing should change structurally, but realistically being a dr or nurse on ugly hour call/shift is a bit different from sitting around as a daytime visitor.)

Well i still think a smoothie is better than a Mars bar. So hcps, get a packed lunch bag/tupperware and some cool packs and get stocked up. It isn't hard really. People have been taking healthy options to work with them for decades. It isn't a new thing.

Lol at the idea of being able to go sit down with a nice packed meal while on call. If I'm on-site on call, I'll put my bag in an office or locker room and not get back to it for about 8-10 hours, and probably won't have sat down in that time except to speak with patients.