Doctor Reprimanded for Calling Patient Fat

A couple of years ago, Ann Landers (or was it Abby) printed a letter from someone that had been overweight, with diabetes and high blood pressure. She changed doctors and the new MD told her that she was overweight, and that her old MD "never" told her that she might be able to get off of the DM and BP meds, if she lost weight. Abby/Ann said that MDs should tell the patients these things.

She got swamped by MDs that said patients quit them, yelled at them, and got mad at them when they were told the dangers of obesity.

I was appalled at the naivete of the writer. How can you possibly live long enough to get overweight and not have read an article, watched TV, listened to the radio in the civilized world and not know about these issues?

These are the people that need the warnings posted on blow dryers, "Do not use while asleep or in the shower, as it could be dangerous".

I personally think that people, in the words of the song, "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

I think that the WAY you say something to an individual in any relationship carries more weight ( yes, pun intended) than What you say. The woman who sued surely has issues and has been getting negative signals all her life from everyone from the postman to the grocer. I have never heard the physicians manner of communication, but I agree it likely played a huge role in why this woman took such drastic action. She finally found someone to go after, even though she has "heard" this information all her life. Everyone else is just more subtle about it.. ie, not hiring her in places where image is important, seeing her as an insurance risk, avoiding her friendship perhaps, family being covertly or overtly ashamed of her, leaving her out of fun activities beyond her physical abilities, little social attention from the opposite sex. Sounds like she doesnt take accountability for her problem, assuming it is not metabolic, so someone has to be blamed for how bad her life may be and how badly she feels.

I agree w/Marie. A person taking offense at this is probably in deep denial and easy to offend anyhow. Just the sort of nightmare we deal with on a frequent basis in nursing and medicine.

Goodness, this thread is giving me flashbacks of a patient I once took care that I refused to transfer without at least 2 other people. He screamed at me, "what's wrong with you all, you act as if I'm fat, I'm not, I'm just having problems." Well I said, "I'm sorry sir, but I'm just wanting to make sure noone gets hurt." He was 5'5", and weighed 475. He was on a 1800 cal diet, and his church would have members bring him in fastfood for every meal, he'd eat that and his tray. They threw a fit when told that the mini fridge that someone brought in for him would have to be checked out by biomed before being plugged in and that they would have to sign a waiver stating that the hospital could not be held responsible to any damage to fridge, and or responsible for care and upkeep. Also that he was on a strict diet, and that the MD may order the fridge to be removed as it's presence was contrary to his care plan.

I guess this is my roundabout way of saying that sometimes the entire support system a patient has can also be in extreme denial, and can add fuel to the fire.

Hi All,
Had to comment on this issue.
I am overweight myself and believe me, I get that message all the time.
As another poster stated, sometimes it comes overtly (like not being hired for a certain job), sometimes covertly (looks/comments from passers-by).
Anyway, I'm sure this woman had built up an immunity to it, but was still sensitive (hence the refusal to have herself weighed at the doctor's office, as noted by a previous poster).
I think the doctor had every right, in fact a responsibility to discuss her obesity with her and to outline the impact it will have on her health.
However, he crossed the line when he started commenting on the social aspect of her weight. First, by quoting statistics that her husband would likely die before her (probably due to his own obesity). Second by noting that, statistically speaking, she would have difficulty finding another mate after her husbands death due to her increased age (whatever it is) and her weight.

STOP right there!
First, even with statistical evidence, there is NO WAY that this doctor should have discussed her husband's eventual demise. It was her appt., not the husbands! Did he talk about adequate life insurance coverage for her & her husband? living wills? power of attorney? a health care proxy? funeral arrangements etc.?
IF these things were discussed as well, I might think that his talk was really about caring for her.

Second, he has no right to assume that this woman would even want to date or marry again after her husband's death. It's one thing to talk about these issues, maybe 6 months or so AFTER he's passed away, but not while he's currently with her! Geez! I find that callous and crude.

Fact based, straight talk from your doctor is necessary. Spouting statistics and speculating on her social future is just plain insensitive.

Wow. If he told her bluntly she needs to lose weight or she risks...blah blah blah...then he was correct and guilty only of lack of tact.

To make the comment about needing a second hubby in time so better think on that RT the weight...was out of line. Personally I would probably have laughed at him; I wouldn't have been as offended as this lady was. Just irritated.

Proof that our world has gone officially MAD. Ugh.

Second, he has no right to assume that this woman would even want to date or marry again after her husband's death. It's one thing to talk about these issues, maybe 6 months or so AFTER he's passed away, but not while he's currently with her! Geez! I find that callous and crude.

Fact based, straight talk from your doctor is necessary. Spouting statistics and speculating on her social future is just plain insensitive.[/quote]


WOW- Thank you for the rest of that story! As many items in papers etc that I have read about this case, I didnt know he had crossed the line in this way. It had intially been reported that he simply addressed the health risks associated with obesity.

[quote=elthia]Goodness, this thread is giving me flashbacks of a patient I once took care that I refused to transfer without at least 2 other people. He screamed at me, "what's wrong with you all, you act as if I'm fat, I'm not, I'm just having problems." Well I said, "I'm sorry sir, but I'm just wanting to make sure noone gets hurt." He was 5'5", and weighed 475.

Many years ago, I had a similar pt. We always had a minimum of 4 people to turn the pt. The pt got upset and said we hurt her feelings, because so many people had to come into the room to move her.

I had to tell her that that she had had enough recent hospitalizations to understand that staff was not going to injury themselves,by having one tiny nurse like me try to turn her. I told her that if haviing several nurses or aids come in to help move her hurt her feelings, I was sorry. But, it was not going to change the fact that several people would be coming into her room, each time she needed to be moved.

I am a nurse and I am FAT. There I said the dirty little word. I can't tell you how frustrated I get when "my people" (other overweights like myself) misbehave. When these patient's eat and eat with no regard for all the work we put into helping them it bugs me. It is irritating to see just how much work, money, time and resources get thrown out the window because my patients just have to have another cheeseburger, side of fries, and a shake. Come on! We don't bring liquor into detox do we??? Why is it so wrong to look at a fat (I am fat by the way and don't feel like using politically correct words at the moment) patient and say "While you are here to heal we need you to also comply with some diet restrictions to better promote your healing and over all health". I find it annoying that these patients act offended and surprised that their weight is brought up as a concern in their healing process. Oh "boohoo" he called me fat. Get over it. Do you want to live or not. With the overwhelming nursing shortage out there, I sometimes really feel like saying "OK, eat the damn cheeseburger I'll go help my other patients that WANT to live". I really do care about my patients. I just took this moment to vent a little.
deedee