Recently, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that several area ob-gyn doctors are refusing to accept overweight women who are otherwise healthy as their patients. In defending their decision, the doctors cite concerns about potential complications in care, risk of malpractice suits and medical equipment that is not designed to deal with excess weight. Wow. More than 60 percent of American women are considered overweight. That's a lot of people to exclude from medical treatment.
Let's take a moment to think about the absurdity of this situation -- and the headlines we might read if other specialty health care providers followed suit:
"Oncologist Declines to Treat Woman's Breast Cancer Due to Excess Weight"
"Cardiologists Determine Obese Men are Beyond Help, Decline to Perform Surgeries or Prescribe High Blood Pressure Medications"
Of course, it's highly unlikely that these scenarios would ever come to pass. And it's not because breast cancer or cardiology patients are not at high risk. They are. But medical professionals don't turn away cancer and cardiac patients because of their high-risk disease; it's precisely why they treat them.
Across the country, we have many specialists who handle complex conditions and high-risk patients but we have few specialists who are trained to manage obesity -- and even fewer general physicians who are trained to help their overweight or obese patients improve their health.
In recent surveys, we found that nearly 90 percent of those with obesity have tried to lose weight and more than 50 percent are currently involved in a weight loss effort. At the same time, almost three-quarters of primary care physicians -- 72 percent -- say that neither they nor anyone else in their office has received training regarding weight issues.
It seems to us that those who are overweight or obese know they have a problem. Many are seeking help and they continue to seek help -- even when they are discouraged by previous efforts. The irony is that what would seem to be a key resource for help -- a primary care doctor -- really has no relevant expertise.
Add to this another study, which found that more than half of primary care physicians view those with obesity as awkward, unattractive, ugly and non-compliant. Apparently those South Florida ob-gyns are in good company.
We cannot think of any other health condition where there are so many affected and trying to improve, while large components of our health care delivery system seem completely unable, or unwilling, to help.
There are many laudable independent efforts underway at both the state and federal level to address issues in our environment that are contributing to this epidemic, but as a nation we have yet to think how we can comprehensively approach this issue. Some have suggested that screening and education efforts are necessary. The more important question, however, is, "What happens next?!"
Our health care system is already facing the impact of the obesity epidemic -- costs are increasing exponentially and lives are being lost. We need to stop and face the reality that we are doing very little in our health care system to help until other serious conditions -- like diabetes, heart disease and cancer -- kick in. It's time to change.
Christine C. Ferguson, J.D. is a professor at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services as well as the Director of STOP Obesity Alliance. Scott Kahan, M.D., M.P.H. is a Clinical Advisor for STOP Obesity Alliance.
Follow Christine Ferguson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/stopobesity
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The body is a miracle. When it is given what it needs it will heal itself. The reason why some people fail to understand that herbal medication work is because they are depending on the pharmacutical (which by the way means pharmekia. Phamekia in greek means potions and sorcery). But I digress,
most of us are depending on man made medication to fix our health problems.
I you give the body the right dosages of natural medication - guess what? It will work. For example, you may need to take 4000 mg of goji juice (I currently use 100% pure premium goji juice from www.gojijuicekit.com and it has some awesome benefits) to help reverse heart problems, liver failure, or sleepling issues just to name a few. But if given the right dosage and some time, everything goes back to its natural state. I just wish I had more time to disuccs the phenomenon. But people - please reasearch this for yourself.
There is nothing that heals the body... the body heals itself. It is regenative. If it is given the right things on the cellular level. I guess I may need to right a book to get all this information out of my head :)
It is either pumped with pesticides or hormones. These toxins is also a reason why we never feel satified when we eat. Causing us to overeat. But don't take my word for it. I encourage everyone to do some research on the effects of toxins in food and out products.
The people who've ended up really having it together on diet and nutrition are the sports nutrition guys (some of whom are dietitians, some are MD' but their authority comes from what they do, not their degree).
It is the LOVE of money that is stopping these insurance companies and these healthcare professionals from doing their job - healing.
To Sister Bluebird, it sounds like you may require a team approach: you (a motivated and informed patient), a nutritionist, an OB, and an endocrinologist....not to toot my specialty but your story is sadly far from uncommon.
Research estrogen dominance and check the symptom list.
I did the 60 mile 3 day cancer walk. Trained for 3 mos, dieted, walked 60 miles in one weekend and after all that I had lost a grand total of 9 lbs. :P
I wish it had been as easy as those first few drs tried to make it.
So, they are hardly lazy, they are simply not willing to take on excessive risk. It is that simple.
But I suppose then the doctors would have to research and ask tough questions of some of our food producers to explain the explosion of obesity since corn syrup went into everything.
Besides, isn't it just easier to isolate and make seem worthless another part of the society? Notice the study published today, skinny women make more money!
I guess someone's trying to direct policy thru the media again.
Honestly, some skinny woman are pretty unhealthy, some large women are healthier than others, and this whole notion that one body type is 'more valuable' is such a WASTE of time.
How sad, and how sad doctors are a part of the game. Gross.
Still, it was a report about Drs 'perception' of overweight people, and the Drs willingness to treat the person. That isn't about congress. That's about Drs. looking at patients in need, knowing the complexity and instead taking the simple path of isolating and not treating the patient. Lovely. What can Congress do about that?
That's not entirely the case. Someone with advanced metastatic cancer would not be offered heart surgery, and someone with severe cardiac disease would not be offered cancer surgery. If your body cannot tolerate an operation or would not benefit from it, you won't be offered that option. If someone were 900 pounds and developed colon cancer, I can all but guarantee that no one would operate on them.
I believe they came home and with their families ate homemade food that cost quite a big proportion of the family budget, and didn't spend the rest of the evening watching the idiot box or typing comments in to online newspapers.......Well, those were the days of the stay at home mothers and homemakers. Bless their hearts. They cleaned, cooked, sewed for the daughters, did laundry and heaps of ironing, raised the children, enforced church attendance, volunteered in the neighbourhood and guarded the family against bad influences - and were treated like second class citizens. But they prevented so much of the rotten stuff that goes on today, because that was their day's work.
Not a lot of money left over for junk food and empty calories.