Overweight Healthcare Workers

allnurses Guide · Dec 2, 2016

I am amazed at all the rude comments. As one poster said.......ageism at its finest.. Although I would not call it anyone's finest.
The OP is older and has more experience than you think. All of you were younger once upon a time.....and new to the site. Would you appreciate this type of posting directed at you??? I think not.
No one is forcing you to look at the video.......or to post. If you do not care for this or other videos, I suggest you bypass them without making comments.
Further comments posted in this vein will be removed.

I went back and watched the video again and re-read what she wrote before the video link. The woman in the video is NOT criticizing overweight health care workers nor is what she wrote criticism. In fact, she is countering the idea that health care workers must be skinny, healthy, beautiful, etc.

Honestly, I do not understand criticizing the OP. At all. :blackeye:

Imagine a weigh in as part of your employment applicationâ€¦ followed by a reassessment throughout the year. Could this be a reality in the future? Since hospitals stopped hiring smokers - it does bring up the question: How far could employment requirements go?
Whilst hospital staff should be shining examples of health and happiness, the reality is, we are really just normal people; Some mothers and fathers, many of us struggling to manage long shifts combined with our other responsibilities.
Nurses work long hours, and throughout the day must put their needs aside for their patients, making it especially hard to stay healthy. I do believe it is possible to stay healthy and fit on the job. However, it does take a tremendous amount of planning, focus and discipline.
Some argue that patients will not accept our advice or education when they think we do not care for our own bodies as they think we should. In this situation, stick to the research and facts. Regardless of your own health issues, it does not have any effect on your patients.

Lizzly · Dec 2, 2016

Imagine a weigh in as part of your employment applicationâ€¦ followed by a reassessment throughout the year. Could this be a reality in the future?

Years back, I remember a discussion about Police Officers were required to be a certain weight etc before they could be hired as a law enforcement officer. They wanted to do the same thing to truck drivers. Truck drivers can't drive a truck if they have health problem. Someone with health problems could have a stroke or heart attack while driving a truck and kill another person, then the truck company gets sued by the family. The health field is not the only people dealing with this issue.

Oleacronon, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2016

I must say that when it comes to smoking, it's really annoying. If a smoker can have 12 smoke breaks a shift, then so should I... to run to Burger King for fresh fries;). And so if we were all smokers, how much work would get done? This occurs frequently and is not fair to the residents/clients/patients or the rest of the team.

Hahaha:roflmao:

nurseburst, ASN, BSN · Dec 2, 2016

I watch a lot of EmpoweRN's videos including what she takes and eats at work... and some of it wasn't tasteful to me but she looks amazing and I am sure feels amazing! But I didn't watch this one, sorry.

I like what was said about we are human. While ideally, I'd love to be fit and be the perfect example of health I am not. I have my own health issues including being fat since I was a child, having an unhealthy relationship with food, and other illnesses that have developed along the way mostly because of my family hx.

Nursing has helped me lose some weight though. I've lost 13 lbs in two months.... but if they want to see a scarier nurse shortage lol please, make us all be fit and a perfect example of health... it's not like we don't have enough expectations on our plates.

EDRockstar · Dec 2, 2016

I agree with many of my nursing counterparts. Body shaming at its finest... This also does not account for medical conditions where patients and staff are very healthy, but look overweight. Take PCOS, for example. In patients with PCOS, they can be very active, eat healthy and still appear overweight. The scale/BMI does not reflect the condition of the organs, only the fat layer that lies underneath the skin. I know people with PCOS who bicycle long distances (think across states and >80 miles per ride), run marathons, participate in all kinds of outdoor activities and have been advised by cardiologists and pulmonologists and other specialists, that they are as healthy as their younger counterparts.

Emergent, RN · Dec 2, 2016

Some comments here towards thinner people are uncalled for. I had no idea that there was this type of resentment!

If heavier folk want acceptance, please pay the same favor to your slender colleagues. And, those of us who are a bit over the hill sound jealous and bitter if we slam someone for being young and pretty.

I thought the video was nice and well presented. I don't get the vitriol.

dishes, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2016

The OP's appearance and attention grabbing title has made some assume the content of the video perpetuates myths about obesity, if you listen to video, the content is dispelling myths and explaining that appearance doesn't equal health.

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 2, 2016

I think the argument in general is too simplistic. Nurses are human and there are many factors playing into health and body weight. Here's a scenario: a young 23 year old healthy female nurse who runs 3x a week, eats like a bird and likes to snowboard, cycle and hike on her days off. She's the picture of health. Awesome for her. Take that same nurse, add 20 years, 2 divorces, a sick child, a bout of ill health due to menopause/endometriosis/PCOS (take your pick), the weight starts to pile on because she's having hormonal issues, she's stressed, she has no time to eat healthy at work because the management keep giving her more and more patients. Life happens. It's easy to think you'll be just as energetic and slim as you are now, but trust me....pre-menopause/menopause is a *****. Facilities are guilty of contributing to this mess because the job gets more and more stressful so nurses do what everyone else in the population does...they eat to comfort, they drink to unwind, and before you know it...*poof* 30lbs has crept on. You can make great choices all you want, but life is hard and things happen. People should be supported not penalized. How about we make work a more amenable environment?
Also, I don't smoke but I do vape. I use the lowest nicotine possible. I still run, weight train and cycle. I don't need to leave my area to smoke. I don't have breathing or health issues. Should I be penalized? I would probably fail a cotinine test. I don't think it's anyone's business what I do outside of work and I don't think my health is any worse than anyone else's. Where do we draw the line?

ALL OF THIS. Thank you. Easy to think in your 20s and 30s you got this. I remember, I did. Til you hit peri-menopause, have your kids hit their teens, work stressors, life stressors, and everything in between and your metabolism just bottom out and bam, you are not the cute perky skinny little thing you once were. And you see young skinny perky people telling you how to be fit and it makes your head want to explode cause you were there once and are fighting to get back. Inside you is that person, but outside you is the overweight person "they" see and discriminate against.

By the numbers, however, I am in good shape. My lipid panels rock. My BPs are low 100s over 60s. Not even close to prediabetic. Get all my screenings right on schedule. I go to the gym. I don't smoke. I try to eat reasonably, but yes, I could definitely improve there. Still, I am quite overweight. When stressed or upset, food has always been my drug. But you look at me and you will see "a fat chick" and judge me. Cause that is what people do.

It's not just about the scale y'all.

Emergent, RN · Dec 2, 2016

I never see young, perky people telling others how to be fit. Actually, these days, there aren't many skinny people left in any age bracket.

We live in the land of abundance. North American young people of all social classes are brought up on fast food, giant sodas, snack foods. A lot of people don't know how to cook anymore, unless it's prepared ingredients. The younger generation is a lot fatter than they were in my day.

Our reliance on the car is also part of the problem, as well as laborsaving devices, period. I'll see people with merely a large lawn have riding mowers. People don't like to walk anymore.

If I ate all the snacks that are offered at work, I'd be heavy too. But, people's bodies have been programmed from a young age to crave these foods. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for my health-conscious Mom!

I don't think encouraging the public to change their habits should be viewed as body-shaming. The next generation is headed toward disaster with the way we are going now. My generation is having enough problems with chronic illnesses, it's only going to get worse.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Dec 2, 2016

You know, you can be overweight, and healthy. Just sayin.

Signed,

An overweight girl, who probably has a better sugar, cholesterol, BP, and HR, than most thin people.

P.S. Thin, does not, equal healthy. I think this whole post is skewed.

Career Columnist / Author · Dec 2, 2016

This is actually already happening. At my old place of employment you have health screenings annually - BMI, BP, labs (sugars, cholesterols) - and you were given a rating. And depending on the rating, you had to do certain things - follow up with the nutritionist, doctor, etc. - throughout the year. It doesn't mean you were required to be healthy, but as an incentive (or punishment, depending on how you look at it), your insurance rate was higher or lower based on your rating. For example if you are a smoker, you naturally got a higher score on the rating scale, and your premium was higher than someone who wasn't a smoker. You can reduce your premium by doing their cessation program.

Thanks for the video and your point that you do not support judging nurses by their appearance!

However, insurance companies are changing and passing the risk on to employers, who are passing it on to employees. Exactly what this poster is saying. Health insurance companies and employers are risk-stratifying patients and increasing premiums and co-pays for those people who do not manage their weight, blood pressure, etc.

In my insurance plan, in order to remain on the "preferred (cheaper)" plan, I have to earn "healthy points" by exercising, getting vaccinated, and other documented means. This trend is not going to reverse. They will only become stricter.

Am short of some fitness points for end of year insurance purposes. Going out to log a walk on my Fitbit. Ciao

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 2, 2016

I never see young, perky people telling others how to be fit. Actually, these days, there aren't many skinny people left in any age bracket.
We live in the land of abundance. North American young people of all social classes are brought up on fast food, giant sodas, snack foods. A lot of people don't know how to cook anymore, unless it's prepared ingredients. The younger generation is a lot fatter than they were in my day.
Our reliance on the car is also part of the problem, as well as laborsaving devices, period. I'll see people with merely a large lawn have riding mowers. People don't like to walk anymore.
If I ate all the snacks that are offered at work, I'd be heavy too. But, people's bodies have been programmed from a young age to crave these foods. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for my health-conscious Mom!
I don't think encouraging the public to change their habits should be viewed as body-shaming. The next generation is headed toward disaster with the way we are going now. My generation is having enough problems with chronic illnesses, it's only going to get worse.

Agree with much of this post! Honestly, though, I would love to hear more from someone who actually came to be fit after the struggle of being overweight and then getting fit and healthy, especially someone who is say, over 35 or 40. It was much easier when I was in my 30s than it has been at my age now. I am working out, reducing calories but it's been a hell of a struggle. My daughter is eating the same way I am and has lost 35 pounds. Yes, I am teaching my kids how to make better choices and it's sticking. It's just hard for me to take advice from someone who has not likely walked my walk yet and has not hit the challenges that peri-menopause brings. The video is very well-meaning and I get the message and yes, we can do better and should. But again, I would like to see someone who has already made changes and succeeded, and came back from overweight struggles, show us how they did it.

But that may just be me.