Compassion or reality for obese patients?

PetiteOpRN · Mar 5, 2011

this is no atempt at dark humor here. this was an attempt to try to bring to light mistreatment and discrimination by the very medical field i belong to does to the obese and the desparing treatment given to that population........bring to light the fact that everyone else deserves to be treated with compassion and understanding except that fat, lazy, uneducated, slob over there in the corner who doesn't deserve the time of day becasue they are too fat, lazy, and too stupid to be helped!!!!
the arguement that the obese cost society too much money therefore we need to be treated like scum i find offensive. does the anorexic, drug addict or alcoholic cost that much less that the obese should be treated with disrespect, crulety and distain.? that becasue the obese should be ignored or better yet be euthanized because they are too expensive?
i am talking about the lack of respect, kindness and empathy afforded to other patient populations but not afforded to obese patients. it seems to me that the medical community ignores the fact that obese people do have disordered eating behaviors and most try very hard and fail to control their disordered eating. i also believe that the obese patient has genetic issues beyond eating food. i truly believe that they metabolize calories and store calories different making it more difficult to shed those excess fat cells and stores fat differently leading to easy accumilation of fat. the only reason more money isn't spent on investigating and curing obesity is becasue the private sector multibillion diet rip off miracle cures, pills,teas, and yes certain gym equiptment all promising the desperate miracle cures. the obese person wants to be accepted and treated with respect as much as anybody else if not more so eager to be liked.........and are easy pray for these marketing vultures who do nothing more than fill their pockets.
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where and when have we lost our humanity? when did we stop having compassion for others? when did we stop empathizing with our fellow man? when did we start believing that one patient population is more or less deserving that another. it is no less discriminatory than treating someone different because of the color of their skin, hair, or eyes. it makes me very sad...........

if you think that anorectics are treated with anything resembling respect, spend a shift on an inpatient eating disorder unit. they are dehumanized just as, if not moreso than, the obese.

if anything, use the discussion to point out how neither population is treated with dignity, but both should be. please do not assume that people on the other end of the eating disorder spectrum somehow have it better off in terms of how they are treated.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Also I am 5 foot 5 and I weigh 200 pounds and I hate it when my doc says I'm obese. Looking at me you'd think I'm 160. I am very muscular and big boned, I swim an awful lot was taught by an olympian swimmer, I do yoga, and I do a lot of walking. Yeah I have about 20 pounds to loose (I've lost 14) then I'll be down to 180. But all my bloodwork is perfect, so much so my doctor was really really surprised.
Michelle

You may not like it, but you do realize your provider has a professional responsibility to address adverse health conditions, right?

CuriousMe · Mar 5, 2011

You may not like it, but you do realize your provider has a professional responsibility to address adverse health conditions, right?

I think her point was that she didn't feel it was an "adverse health condition" based on all of her blood work, and level of activity. BMI alone is a poor indicator of whether someone is obese or not....I think people forget that it's a screening tool and not a diagnostic test.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

I think her point was that she didn't feel it was an "adverse health condition" based on all of her blood work, and level of activity. BMI alone is a poor indicator of whether someone is obese or not....I think people forget that it's a screening tool and not a diagnostic test.

Oh, well then she's just wrong. :lol2: I don't think there is any data to support the hypothesis that obesity can a healthy status. Eventually, there will be consequences, even if they are not evident in the otherwise healthy young person.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. So you can't go by weight alone either. If she is active with swimming and yoga, then that changes things a bit.

CuriousMe · Mar 5, 2011

Oh, well then she's just wrong. I don't think there is any data to support the hypothesis that obesity can a healthy status. Eventually, there will be consequences, even if they are not evident in the otherwise healthy young person.

That would depend on whether "obesity" was determined by BMI alone (that screening vs diagnostic test thing again). Additionally, per her profile she's 40. While this is younger than I she's of an age where lab work could start to be impacted if she wasn't fit.

I'll have to dig it up (can't right now...I'm actually in the midst/supposed to be writing a paper on another topic right now:rolleyes:), but actually I have seen research that supported healthy lab values and being active as greater indicators of health than BMI.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Oh, I misunderstood completely. You are saying that the BMI statistic alone is not an infallible indicator, right? I interpreted the original post differently, sorry. I agree that BMI is an imperfect measurement. I think until doing complete VO2, spirometry and metabolic testing is feasible for everyone, BMI remains the best tool we have at present.

CuriousMe · Mar 5, 2011

Oh, I misunderstood completely. You are saying that the BMI statistic alone is not an infallible indicator, right? I interpreted the original post differently, sorry. I agree that BMI is an imperfect measurement. I think until doing complete VO2, spirometry and metabolic testing is feasible for everyone, BMI remains the best tool we have at present.

Yes, exactly! I agree that it's a convenient and inexpensive screening tool, for sure....but a high BMI is often treated as a diagnostic test for obesity, instead of an indicator that someone may be obese.

So, vital signs in normal ranges, self-reported activity level and normal lab values should be taken in to consideration.

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Mar 5, 2011

Well then we are in agreement, IF we are talking about a BMI less than 30. Once it is greater than that, there really is no question that weight has become a detrimental factor. I have a dear friend who's BMI is well over 40; mine is 22, but her LDL is better than mine. However, I don't think anyone would really argue that she is going to experience fewer lifelong health complications, all other things being equal.

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2011

...
the arguement that the obese cost society too much money therefore we need to be treated like scum i find offensive. does the anorexic, drug addict or alcoholic cost that much less that the obese should be treated with disrespect, crulety and distain.? that becasue the obese should be ignored or better yet be euthanized because they are too expensive?
i am talking about the lack of respect, kindness and empathy afforded to other patient populations but not afforded to obese patients. it seems to me that the medical community ignores the fact that obese people do have disordered eating behaviors and most try very hard and fail to control their disordered eating. i also believe that the obese patient has genetic issues beyond eating food. i truly believe that they metabolize calories and store calories different making it more difficult to shed those excess fat cells and stores fat differently leading to easy accumilation of fat. the only reason more money isn't spent on investigating and curing obesity is becasue the private sector multibillion diet rip off miracle cures, pills,teas, and yes certain gym equiptment all promising the desperate miracle cures. the obese person wants to be accepted and treated with respect as much as anybody else if not more so eager to be liked.........and are easy pray for these marketing vultures who do nothing more than fill their pockets.
i have actually wanted to say to nurses, lab techs, rad techs, transport personnel....you know i was normal sized once and i was actually pretty! this thread has confirmed my fears. i was hopung that it was just a few bad apples and not a blight on the whole crop.
where and when have we lost our humanity? when did we stop having compassion for others? when did we stop empathizing with our fellow man? when did we start believing that one patient population is more or less deserving that another. it is no less discriminatory than treating someone different because of the color of their skin, hair, or eyes. it makes me very sad...........

i think this is an interesting viewpoint. anorexics have been used as an example of the difference in treatment so i propose this. as soon as the obese person developed comorbidity they could be taken to a locked unit against their will and only eat what they were given. they would be weighed and measured everyday but not told what their numbers are. if they found a way to sneak extra food and not lose weight they would be moved to a non food area on this unit and given tpn as their sole nutrtion. if they don't cooperate the medical staff can get together with the family and have them declared incompetent by a judge. sounds ridiculous right? this is done to anorexics alot. if you even suggested that someone step in and tell an obese person what they have to eat everyone would look at you like you were crazy. in actuality the penalties for anorexics and the obese are more similar than the "i am being victimized" would like to admit.

i think it boils down to the same hyper-pc environment we have created. everyone wants to do whatever they want and have everyone not notice. better yet they want to tell people what to think. if you are five feet tall and weigh 50 lbs people will stare. same if you weigh 300. if you are average looking people won't look at you and see a supermodel and treat you accordingly. that's life. you think a hot 20 year old who goes to victoria's secret is treated the same as a 40 yo mother of three trying to feel good about herself? try it sometime and get back to me. thats why that second bolded sentence is in your post. you know you were treated differently then. you don't want people to treat you fairly, you want them to treat you like you are still pretty. and for those screaming "it should bee 100% equal in medical care" have never worked in a facility where the medical directors wife or kid have been admitted. or perhaps a celebrity. i have and that is america. we worship money, fame, good looks, and talent and people are treated accordingly. get over it, move, or change.

juzme · Mar 5, 2011

Here is my other 2 cents(I made a comment on someone's post earlier:-)No matter what ANY circumstances are....I have never and will never treat ANY of my patients with anything other than a professional caring attitude. I do not care what my own personal opinions on ANY subject is...I will give my patients the best care that I can provide for them..whether or not they are 2 lbs or over 200 lbs. I want the best for my patients, even if they are cranky or or nice or whatever and no, I am not naive...I have worked in a hospital, mh/mr, ltc, currently private duty and I believe everyone is entitled to the best care that I can provide. I do also believe, education is the key and then people need to make their own choices.

lilhelper · Mar 5, 2011

(Nursing student here.)

It is my belief that, in a professional environment, it is important to have ethical communication techniques. Guilt and other forms of manipulation are not okay. And I don't think they would work. Often times, people respond to guilt with defiance, even if they don't quite get that they've been given a guilt trip (or some other type of mind game). And defiance certainly does not lead to compliance.

If they do get that they are being manipulated, and I think most people are smart enough to catch on, they will be angry with the deceptive communication and trust will be lost.

Either way, the results are negative.

Nurses should have ethical and professional behavior.

Just wondering...when did the health care field become an opportunity for us to cast judgment on those that come to us in their time of need?