to think this GP is a total idiot!!!

[ButterflEi]

hello

so i went to see one of the GPs in my practice today as i am wanting to take control of my weight issues and was looking for advice.

the GP asked me general questions about lifestyle etc and what i eat on an average day which i answered thinking to myself that finally i was going to get somewhere (i have struggled with my weight since i was about 15, im now 27). he said he would refer me to a dietician but that could take a matter of months for that referral to materialise.

the conversation went as follows:

me: so can you help with what i should do in the meantime??
idiot GP: i would sggest restricting your diet as much as possible
me: ok...meaning what??
GP: dont eat
me: huh? you mean eat less??
GP: no dont eat
me: dont eat??
GP: yes dont eat. excercise and dont eat.
me: is that not called ANOREXIA??
GP: no it is a medically sanctioned diet plan
me: no it is called anorexia...thanks for nowt.

i then stormed out in a bit of a huff and went home. i have since called the surgery and made another appointment with a different (nice lady) doctor for later today!!

i just wondered if IABU to think that doctor is a complete incompetent arse or is my fat addling my brain??

The way I see it - he has referred you to a dietician, therefore done what you wanted.
Yes there are lots of means for a GP to help with weightloss (mine simple said 'join WW', that was no help either) but this GP felt he had done his bit and was probably not willing to give advice which may conflict with what the dietician would give.

And I still think 'don't eat' was a misguided attempt at humour.

And as someone who has consulted a variety of people in the past 20 years about weightloss, I have to say all it takes is to eat less.
There is no magic cure - or else the world would not be full of obese people.

Just because they work hard or studied hard means they shouldn't be called an idiot? If the boot fits, I'm afraid....

OK idiot may have been harsh, clearly they're not idiots. Perhaps it would be truer to say that occasionally they can be idiotic? Like most human beings probably .

But the boot did not fit. He did the sensible thing and referred to a dietician. He is a general practicioner, not an expert in all fields.
He referred OP to a dietician so probably decided there was no point doing anything else in the meantime. (which I agree with as whatever he recommended may not be what the dietician would have done and then it gets messy)

If he had not referred to the dietician and tried this particular brand of sarcasm then yes, it would have been an error on his part.

But he did refer her, so he is dealing with OP's request.

YANBU

Even if the GP was joking or having a bad day it's not an appropriate thing to say.

My mum is a retired GP, obviously not a trained dietician etc, but given your perfectly reasonable question of advice in the meantime, she would suggest small changes (ie 20mins extra exercise, increased intake of water, simple things like that if appropriate to you).

And as Giraffes said, anorexia itself is not eating (it is a possible symptom of flu for example, as you may not have an appetite). Anorexia nervosa is the ongoing eating disorder.

oh yey !!!
I love these threads - bash the GP and the fatties all in one thread !!
Thats me done for then

No, the boot fits very snugly. He referred - tick. He did not - provide any further sources of information; did not direct her to reputable websites; did not provide her with details of any weight management classes; did not offer sensible advice.

A GP's role is much more than simply a referral machine.

i agree that alot of GPs are hard working, well trained and most give top notch advice, however THIS particular GP seems to me to be a shade idiotic. there was absolutely NO humour in how he was saying DONT EAT, he was NOT being in any way sarcastic, it was the first time meeting this GP and forgive me if i have this wrong but is it not poor 'bedside manner' to use sarcasm to mock the patient who is honestly looking for advice and support.
i definitely heard and understood him correctly
i know it will be a case of better diet and more excercise but as a person who has tried ALOT of things, on a long term basis, i have yet to find something that works for me. this is what i said to the GP and he suggested cutting all food out of my diet.

snurk at macdoodle

I am bowing out too.

you had a consultation,a history was taken,he listened to your concerns and made a referral to dietitcian

so far so good

maybe all channel that indignation and humpy faces and crossing out into something more productive

like losing weight

bearing in mind she'd come to see him about a weight problem which is often linked to self esteem issues, I find it odd that he'd think it appropriate to treat her like an idiot by stating the bleeding obvious (if that's what we're assuming he was doing). So much for treating the patient as a whole!
PLus, I went for a pill checkup and as part of that, was given advice on losing weight - nothing major, just what sort of meals do you usually eat and let's see what changes you can make.
Amazed he couldn't do something similar, or tell her to see the practice nurse later that day.

Actually - (yes I know, I had gone) he initially suggested you 'restrict' your diet and only became 'idiotic' when you asked him to clarify.

Did it really need clarification? And as for suggesting websites - how does he know which the 'good' ones are? And surely it does not take much to research 'weightloss' at home on google?

However - if you really feel you are getting nowhere with your GP, then go see your practice nurse. Mine has been great.

If no-one needed clarification about food issues then all dietitians would be redundant, surely?

thanks for the responses (on both sides of the tracks)

paolosgirl thanks for the support i agree that a GP is not just there to refer.

i wasnt asking for a referral TBH i wanted some practical advice on how to better my health by losing the weight. he was basically saying he wanted nothing to do with supporting me. he is part of the community support that the area's PCT provides which includes weightloss programmes, support for drink and drug abusers, stop smoking schemes and many more. does that mean that if a drug addict attended his GP the GP would say 'oh well cold turkey from now until your referral comes through. thanks goodbye'?? no i dont believe they would. i know that is on the extreme end of the scale but ALOT of overweight people are addicted to FOOD so shall i go cold turkey then?? unless i am expected to stay alive and not put my heart under undue stress and induce a heart attack then i will probably not take that little nugget of advice.

i do have some self esteem issues and they are most definitely connected to my weight and it is an insult for someone who is supposed to be there for support to say basically go away and stop eating.

GPs attitude was definately bad!! Even if done with humour it was uncalled for.

I struggled with my weight for years and being told to stop eating does not help! Yes we all know that to lose weight you need to eat less and exercise more but its not always that easy!

I finally got my head in the right place and found an eating plan that worked FOR ME and managed to lose 7 stone in 6 months. With all the "fad" diets floating around it can be difficult to know which advice to follow and I expect that is why the op was asking him to clarify when he suggested "cuting down" after all did he mean food in general, carbs, fat, sugar etc.

Being overweight isnt always just down to over eating,most the time it comes with emotional problems which need addressing too.

Good on you EI for taking the step to sort things out and I hope the gp hasnt put you off seeking further advice

thanks RFN2&3 that was exactly why i asked him to clarify. i am obviously doing something wrong by way of my diet and i -perhaps mistakenly- thought he ay be able to help.
hope you and the babies are ok

You were probably the 28th person he had seen that day who thought he had a magic wand tucked up his jumper.

The amount of people that GPs see who come in and say "so what are you going to do about it doctor?" is unbelievable. Far too many people take no responsibility for their health and wellbeing and seem to think it's somebody else's (ie the GPs) problem.

I'm not saying that's what the OP was like but when you've had it all day long it gets pretty wearing to be spelling it out for patients.

I'm sure it does but I would imagine they can handle that with a modicum of professionalism.

My friend went to see her GP about losing weight, she was referred to a dietician and in the meantime given a diet sheet, and a referral to gym sessions at the local health centre.It is not unreasonable to except support and advice from a GP in this respect, particularly if they are part of a community team

It is ridiculous that people are implying the OP is wasting time and resources when, if left unmanaged, her weight problem and associated health issues could cost the NHS significantly more!

i am definitely NOT under the impression that the GP could 'wave a magic wand' and 'fix' my problem. i was asking what I can do to better MY health. he just gave me a load of bad advice and passed the buck!!

i know my weight is MY fault and i dont put the responsibility onto others i was looking for his support, not to be told to starve myself for 4 weeks or until the referral comes through which could be a matterof months.

i have cancelled my other GP appointment as it may be a waste of her time and mine for her to basically say he has referred you so i cant help anyway. this was actually made while i was rather angry at the other GP ut you lot have brought me to my senses
xx ei xx

But to be fair Sidge that is the gps job and it doesnt matter if the op was patient 1001 of the day asking the exact same question!

Surely by asking for advice the op is taking responsibility for their health?

The babies are good thanks EI and if they dont make a move by wednesday they are inducing me

just remember the experience if/when you get a patient satisfaction survey!

Trust me Butts, from the sounds of things there is absolutely no danger of you suffering from anorexia of either persuasion. Regardless of the recklessly ironic comments made by your doctor!

Well, if she was the 28th person to see him about a weight issue, you'd have thought by now he would know what to recommend then, wouldn't you? Would have got the leaflets out, would have sourced good information, would know where the weight loss classes were, would know from other patients reactions that "stop eating" was not at all productive.

I'm genuinely at some of the attitudes on this thread - and I'm speaking as an 8 stone person who's never had to diet in all her 40 years. There is so much conflicting, and downright stupid, advice surrounding food, diet and weight loss that it's not surprising that people are completely confused about how to approach it properly. What we don't need is a GP saying "stop eating".

pikelit im not sure i see what you mean my point isnt about whether i will or will not be anorexic it is that the GP is actively advising young women to starve themselves. (and can you see me?? how did you know i have buttS in the plural im more of the belly)