The War On Fat

[Crazed]

To make a long story short I am a student and I write quite a bit about the experience of becoming a nurse.

So with that being said I have decided due to some recent developments that I am going to write about the cultural war on fat focused on nursing.

I am acquainted with a woman who is a critical care nurse. I have to tolerate her toxic presence in my life due to her association with my dude's friend. Now, I would like to mention I am no small girl and have gained and lost, and gained again 100lbs. I have finally gotten to the point where I am not beating myself up about it and see efforts now as a matter of love for my body rather than hate. Recently she said this (to me of all people), "I hate fat people so much. They smell, they are hard to move around, and I think they should all die in a hole somewhere."

A member of my clinical group said, "You know these doctors will get upset at the COPD patient who is smoking like three cigarettes a day but say nothing to these fatties who don't follow their diets." I stood up, looked very serious for a moment and said, "HEY! I am one of those fatties that don't follow their diet." Then we went a few rounds with her saying she wasn't talking about me because I am "an attractive fatty."

What does my face have to do with my extra 100lbs? Seriously?

In any case I'd like an open dialog about the war on fat in nursing.

Do you see it in your practice? Are you militant anti-fat? If so why?

I've noticed that a good deal of the arguments that I've heard is fat is unhealthy, yet no one seems to see fat as being a symptom and not the disease.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Well glad I have long arms then.

I suppose the thread can be closed?

No the thread can stay open......people will post I was just preparing you for what may follow. A a girl with curves myself hear whaere you are comming from.

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

I have heard major complaints from my friends who are nurses because when a patient is morbidly obese, they are HEAVY! Nurses are throwing their backs out trying to help them, but I haven't heard any of this name calling.

I agree with your friends. I don't like taking care of obese people because transferring and repositioning these patients is dangerous.

[Crazed]

Also important to note that the facility being spoken of does hire candidates with BMI's over 35, however they have them commit to loosing the weight the same as anti smoking facilities offer support through smoking cessation.

In short I didn't post this thread for personal sympathy because I said it doesn't bother me. I like to believe what other people think of me is none of my business.

What I'd like to know is how we go from nursing curriculum telling us to be empathetic and understanding to suggesting an entire portion of the population shouldn't be allowed to exist.

On average obese women make 6700 a year less than their non-obese counterparts with the same skill sets and qualifications.

[myelin]

It's not all bad advice. There is a way to eat and exercise that is not only good for weight loss, but also healthy.

You are correct though that there's a lot of fad stupidity out there that is just adding to the problem. Atkins, Southbeach, cleanses, and such. I blame these "quick fixes" more than anything else for what has happened to this country.

Sorry, I was trying to quote myelin, but it didn't work.

Hey rubato,

You're absolutely right that exercise is great for health. I would never discount that. In fact, I think everyone should be physically active. However, is it good for weight loss? Well, in the article it states that following:

"When the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine jointly published physical-activity guidelines back in 2007, they described the evidence that exercise can even prevent us from growing fatter as “not particularly compelling,” which was a kind way to put it."

Exercise is problematic for two reasons. First of all, you have to work really, really hard to burn a pretty modest amount of calories. Running three miles burns about 1 candy bar's worth of calories. Furthermore, exercise increases hunger, which can cause people to eventually eat more (when they get tired of starving themselves on the low calorie/high exercise eating plan).

Also, when it comes to dietary advice, we probably won't agree. In the past 30 years, meat and animal fat consumption has gone way down. The extra calories we are eating come from sugars and grains, and soy-based fats (yikes). Anyway, if you're interested in helping people and curious about paradigm shifts in this field, I recommend checking out anything by Gary Taubes (he has written several books) or even just watching one of his medical school lectures on youtube.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

It is also wasteful for older patients to use resources in general. We prolong the moment of death in many cases, not the actual event. Should we then just toss all people over the age of say 75 into a hole as well? I mean it takes effort to care for them, and it's hard work.

No but our food has change dramatically. We have farmed things like CLA out of meat.

I walk 2.5 miles, 5 days a week with my dog. I eat a low carbohydrate/calorie restricted diet. I keep a strict food journal. I have been tested for just about every endocrine disorder under the sun. I have a physical every year.

Keep in mind, I am not arguing with you but rather seek to understand why this attitude is so prevalent in a profession built on empathy.

The difference is that elderly patients often are often trying to stay healthy, exercise, comply with medical advice. You will find many HCWers just as aggravated with the noncompliant elderly, as they are the smokers that refuse to quit, the repeat detox patients, the bipolar pt that refuses to stay on their meds, and the overweight. And many HCWers get as aggravated with futile care, regardless of whether it is an elderly person, or a young person.

There is nothing to stop you from going organic with your diet.

Have you tried running instead of walking? What other exercise do you do? Do you walk or bike to school? To work? Do you walk upstairs and downstairs at work or school if given the opportunity?

How did you lose the weight originally, and what has changed in your life when you started to regain it?

And why do you fret on this "attitude"? I am chubby. I really don't care that much what others think of me in regards to my size. People will hire me if they want or not. People are biased against others because of age, color, gender, complexion, religion, clothing that they wear, hairstyles, tattoos, piercings.....if you let what others think rule your life, you will forever be disappointed. Be what you are, and stop worrying about it unless it is important TO YOU to be thinner.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

If you pull up an old but interesting thread and comment on it there is always someone to say "why are you on this thread it's old!" But then you start your own thread and someone has to say there are other threads out there...who cares!?

Also, if a hospital doesn't want to hire me then screw them, nurses can go on and get there NP degrees and go into business with fellow docs, PA'ssNP CCNA's etc. Amazing thing about being a nurse is all the opportunity!

Pets that is my quote."There are numerous threads on this topic. You may wish to research them, as the topic gets beaten to the ground around here." I was suggesting if she was interested that she could see past posts. I meant no disrespect.

I take very high doses steroids for a rare neuro-muscular disease and I have a very cushingoid appearance.....which is code for I have gained a ton of weight around the middle and have the roundest moon face I have ever seen. I cannot lift my arms over my head and brush my hair. I don't look in the mirror anymore.

As a "normal" person in a steroid body I can tell you that by personal experience I am treated differently as a fat person than I was as a non fat patient.

Yet suprisingly enough I am still the same person inside........I think all nurses need to recognize that shunning a particular population isn't productive and assumptions are not the way to care for the patients. When the alcoholc hasn't had a drink in 12 weeks they get a standing ovation.....when a fat person loses 12 pounds they get a pat on the back and told they have a lot more work to do.

Hummmm.....

[Crazed]

There is nothing to stop you from going organic with your diet.

True. Other than the poverty of being a full time nursing student and providing for two children as well.

Have you tried running instead of walking? What other exercise do you do? Do you walk or bike to school? To work? Do you walk upstairs and downstairs at work or school if given the opportunity?

Strength training, boot camp programs, interval cardio, I take stairs, park at the far end of parking lots. Name it and I've done it.

How did you lose the weight originally, and what has changed in your life when you started to regain it?

Metformin 2g daily. The thing that changed was honestly Adderall. I gained weight, massively after being put on Adderall and no one knows why. I am off it now but the damage is done.

And why do you fret on this "attitude"? I am chubby.

It's not about me personally it is about the change from nursing school to practice and why and how this attitude takes hold. 42% of the population is obese and it is obvious if there is a war we aren't winning it.

[alkali2003]

We need an emoticon for beating a dead horse.

Didn't we literally just have a thread up about this like two weeks ago? Is it a means of gaining notoriety by starting hot button topics? There's no harm in discussing things, but they start to give me the feeling I get seeing tabloid magazines at the check-out with their redundancy.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

We need an emoticon for beating a dead horse.

Didn't we literally just have a thread up about this like two weeks ago? Is it a means of gaining notoriety by starting hot button topics? There's no harm in discussing things, but they start to give me the feeling I get seeing tabloid magazines at the check-out with their redundancy.

Yep!!!!!!!!!

Thus the original comment of doing research before reposting the same things over and over, when there is already timely threads available.

[llg, PhD, RN]

When the alcoholc hasn't had a drink in 12 weeks they get a standing ovation.....when a fat person loses 12 pounds they get a pat on the back and told they have a lot more work to do.

Hummmm.....

Great line.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

And why do you fret on this "attitude"? I am chubby. I really don't care that much what others think of me in regards to my size. People will hire me if they want or not. People are biased against others because of age, color, gender, complexion, religion, clothing that they wear, hairstyles, tattoos, piercings.....if you let what others think rule your life, you will forever be disappointed. Be what you are, and stop worrying about it unless it is important TO YOU to be thinner.

Easier said than done. In this economy, people's biases and prejudices are coming out, and are indeed being used to base hiring decisions on. Of course , employers use the economy as an excuse for firing and/or not hiring people they don't like because they are different in any small way.

[llg, PhD, RN]

We need an emoticon for beating a dead horse.

.

We used to have one - but I haven't seen it lately. If you look around enough, maybe you'll find it.