I overheard a disturbing conversation of nurses who were saying that overweight people should not be working in healthcare. They were basically saying that patients do not respect health advice or treatment from a worker who is unhealthy themselves. I am posting this topic because I wonder if this is a shared sentiment among the medical field? Or from patients? Or has anyone experienced anything related to this? Like getting fired, or discriminated by either pateints or a facility and such? Are there ever clauses in facility contracts that employees must maintain optimal heath to represent the industry's interest? (I am in Vegas & yes casinos do enforce waitresses/dealers with a +/- 5 lbs. original hiring weight monitoring weekly). I hope this is not what nursing school meant by "take care of ourselves before we can take care of others." Honestly, I dont think like this but wonder if others in healthcare do? Is this really a "thing?"
BTW, they were referencing a theme of nurses who gained weight from emotional overeating. They were not referencing a physiological underlying condition. ~ Thank You ~
Why Are So Many Nurses and Healthcare Workers Overweight and Unhealthy?
I agree no one should be shamed for their weight, however, as healthcare professionals, we should try to incorporate healthy habits into our lives. I remember reading before about how even running 10 minutes several days a week can be beneficial cardiovascular wise. Saying u don't have 10 minutes to spare is pure bull. And you don't get to be 5 feet, 250 lbs because u have a thyroid issue. That is bull too. Most people have food addictions. Google some of the blogs or pages of triathletes and runners who work full time and have a family. They still get it done.
I think part of the problem is judgement of others re weight, this is common both in our society and especially by the young and the thin who have never had a weight problem so they have no clue what it is like. The sad truth is they are in the minority and the majority of the population is overweight and obese! They are active and thin so why isn't everybody else just like them. Some people do lose weight when they exercise but others remain overweight, some even remain obese even exercising an hour plus a day. Sure they will have more tone and fit but exercise doesn't automatically equal weight loss at least not to normal weight. Even the Extreme Loser's have had problem keeping the weight off and studies now show their metabolism has been permanently damaged by their weight loss. The real reason they talk about losing 10% of your body weight as a goal is because most people can't lose much more and if they do they regain it back. The most successful weight loss is gastric bypass and even that doesn't always work permanently.
As to running, for an obese person to run they will be damaging their joints and may end up needing early joint replacement. Walking or swim aerobics and weight lifting is more appropriate. Sad to say I took care of a 50 something person who was going on their third knee replacement who was overweight but not obese and had a habit of running that wrecked said knee and then problems with the knee replacement malfunctioning this in a span of maybe 5 years. The patient was told if the third knee replacement didn't work they might lose the leg. Now around that time the news was mentioning a high premature failure rate of certain brands of knee replacements, was that the real culprit? Who knows, plus who has control over what brand of joint replacement is given to you?
Sorry, I did not see this before I posted. There is a difference between someone who has failed in the past and is now successful and someone who has never done well and only has excuses. How can you really trust their advice?
Your comments are stupid because how would you know the person's health history just by looking at them. You would only know if they were thin or fat or somewhere in between. Nurses are working in a hospital over medical or surgical problems not a fat farm or diet camp. We are not where you go to lose weight like weight watches or nutri system. We are where patients go when they are having a serious health crisis and need a medical tune up, usually with meds and surgical procedures. Weight is the least of their problems at the moment and harping on patients about their weight won't fix their immediate life threatening problems they face. I work on stabilizing patients not offering weight loss advice. I will leave that to the dieticians!
Getting a little tired of this topic. So lets do this. We will not allow anyone without children to treat children in the ER, Peds, ICU, Outpatient, ect. No one will EVER be able to tell post partum mothers how to start breast feeding without the proper breast size. That means men, you're out! How could you be expected to nurse a laboring patient without the proper parts.
The trucker who is working through his lunch break is most likely eating while he drives. Due to the nature of the work and not being allowed to eat at the nurses station, nurses who work through lunch are skipping meals altogether. When I worked 8 hours shifts, I would do this regularly. Not that I work 12's, I will pitch a fit to get a meal break because I don't function well going without food for that long. I am not overweight and I pay no attention to BMI, but I have found that my relationship to food has changed since I became a nurse. When I first began, I had to work to keep weight on and now that I'm post menopausal, I have to work to keep it off. I find that the stress of work and the hours make healthy eating a real challenge, which I'm sure is a concern for many occupations.
Skipping meals can be just as detrimental as someone who is sedentary and eats poorly. Either way, your metabolism and waistline suffers.
Furthermore, our environment contributes to this issue. Fast food, convenience food, and the "diet industry" is pervasive. Certainly, we are personally responsible for our own food choices, but there are various factors at play. Ask yourself why obesity has become an epidemic over the last 30 years. That's no coincidence.
Menopause is not a sudden nail in the coffin for weight gain. Muscle loss is, do your research.
Never said it was. I am still very active. My point is that pre-menopause and menopause makes a difference. No matter how much I exercise and eat well, my metabolism is not what is was even 10 years ago. My body likes to hold on to fat, and many women are in the same boat.
Added: I know what the research says, and I've been lifting weights off and on for 20 years. Thanks for your advice.
If you look at one of my previous posts, I did recommend people get help for food addictions. I gained 60 lbs during my first pregnancy and lost all of it. Gained it by eating unhealthy , lost it by eating right and exercising.
I think u are getting defensive because u are taking it as people attacking overweight people, and attacking them for the way they look. They're not (at least I'm not).
If being overweight had no illness associated with it, I wouldn't care. But it does. Lots of them. And countless people who have lost weight testify to how it has made them feel much better and improved or reversed their chronic disease. Think about it logically: why on earth would anyone want to do anything that harms their organs, shortens their lifespan, and makes adls harder? I had two serious health scares in my life and have two young kids. I want to be around, and healthy, to see them grow up. Sure, doing "everything right" doesn't definitely mean you won't have something happen, but it sure makes life more enjoyable. You can keep arguing why it's ok to do whatever you want to contribute to being overweight, but logically it doesnt make sense.
Best wishes and good luck.
You are successful apparently at fitness. Good job, it is a worthy accomplishment. If impact is your goal, then I challenge you now to drop the lecturing and pointing out what everyone already knows and learn how to reach your audience.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I AM offended. My size has no effect on my knowledge base. Patient teaching is informational not evangelical. My size is a result of the treatment for my own health issues. It is not my patients' business.
Exactly. My patient-teaching is always from the standpoint of best practices for one's particular situation and I acknowledge that new behaviours can be a challenge. Keeping it informational and encouraging instead of pontifical always goes down better. My own health status is not pertinent to the patient.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Everyone has a day off, no?
Depends what you call a day off. For some it only means a day you don't go to work. That's the day you deal with piles of laundry, shovel the mess out of your house, get caught up on the bills, keep necessary appointments, get the oil changed, cut the grass, get groceries. And catch a zumba class. Yeah, for sure on the zumba.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Are u SERIOUS??? GO SWIMMING! Plenty of people with joint issues exercise. Being sedentary is NOT healthy. And it's not being self righteous. The point is that playing the whole I'm too busy card doesn't cut it. You get ONE BODY. Take care of it.
Also, ever heard of paralympics? Again, people overcome a lot of obstacles to be active.
I'm pretty sure Paralympians are sponsored and don't hold regular jobs. Swimming is great. I swim with a lot of older people who go every day and are still very fat. I'm sure they are healthy so it wouldn't do to judge their health based on their appearance.
The reality is that some of us have a greater propensity for rapid weight gain than others, and the usual prescription of 'move more, eat less' does not help one bit. Complex problems cannot be solved with simple solutions...
brandy1017, ASN, RN
2,910 Posts
I think part of the problem is judgement of others re weight, this is common both in our society and especially by the young and the thin who have never had a weight problem so they have no clue what it is like. The sad truth is they are in the minority and the majority of the population is overweight and obese! They are active and thin so why isn't everybody else just like them. Some people do lose weight when they exercise but others remain overweight, some even remain obese even exercising an hour plus a day. Sure they will have more tone and fit but exercise doesn't automatically equal weight loss at least not to normal weight. Even the Extreme Loser's have had problem keeping the weight off and studies now show their metabolism has been permanently damaged by their weight loss. The real reason they talk about losing 10% of your body weight as a goal is because most people can't lose much more and if they do they regain it back. The most successful weight loss is gastric bypass and even that doesn't always work permanently.
As to running, for an obese person to run they will be damaging their joints and may end up needing early joint replacement. Walking or swim aerobics and weight lifting is more appropriate. Sad to say I took care of a 50 something person who was going on their third knee replacement who was overweight but not obese and had a habit of running that wrecked said knee and then problems with the knee replacement malfunctioning this in a span of maybe 5 years. The patient was told if the third knee replacement didn't work they might lose the leg. Now around that time the news was mentioning a high premature failure rate of certain brands of knee replacements, was that the real culprit? Who knows, plus who has control over what brand of joint replacement is given to you?