Why are so many of us over weight?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Nov 14, 2005

if we are supposed to be good role models when it comes to health, why is it that so many of us are overweight? i'm just a student, so i don't know much, but i want to know what everyone else thinks about this!! is it because there is no time to exercise with 12 hours shifts, and no time to find healthy food because there are such short lunch breaks? these are what i am guessing, but i want to know from real nurses why all of y'all think so many of your co-workers are overweight. (i don't mean to offend anyone with this post!!) just curious!! thanks for any opinions you have.

if you didn't really mean to offend anyone with this post, why did you entitle it "fat nurses!" there are many less inflammatory ways to phrase that, but you chose none of them. how come?

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Nov 14, 2005

"Fat nursees" grabs attention. Heck, right now there are 21 people viewing this thread, it's working, and we're on page 3.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Nov 14, 2005

i just want to explain my posting a little bit better. i never meant it to be offensive (hence why i said that i did not want to offend anyone in the first place), and was just curious to know what i have to look forward to as a nurse as far as time to eat and exercise go. i also mentioned that i am just a student and was just curious, and my post had nothing to do with judging others for being overweight. this is a topic that one of our professors (who is, in fact, a nurse) had mentioned in class, and had told us to research. how do any of you know that i am not overweight myself? i hate to think that nurses are so quick to jump on someone's simple, honest question without first reading into the fact that i said that i was merely curious as to what everyone thought caused weight gain in nursing. to all of you who actually sent kind messages, you are the kind of nurses i want taking care of me, not all of these mean ones who tried to put me and my question down and accused me of judging the competency of a nurse who has gained weight. wow!

your "explanation" is no less offensive than your original post. (which still, by the way, carries the title of "fat nurses!!" if your post had nothing to do with judging others for being overweight, there are myriad other ways you could have phrased it. and your title. this is no "simple, honest question" to express your "mere curiousity" about weight gain in nursing. if it were, you could have entitled it "weight gain in nursing" or "causes of weight gain among nurses?" i am not sure whether you deliberately set out to be offensive or whether you are merely clueless. either way, you have a helluva a nerve complaining about all of us "mean ones who tried to put you and your question down and accused you of judging."

ruby (who hopes you grow up some before you graduate)

truern · Nov 14, 2005

Personally, I've always found posts that begin, "I don't mean to offend anybody", usually do just that.

SS0355 · Nov 14, 2005

Ruby, you said what I meant to say. You go girl

Ruby Vee, BSN · Nov 14, 2005

i have to admit, i missed the "i'm not being offensive" caveat. the thing is, i find the offensive people always forget to mention "btw, i'm being offensive here." it muddies the waters tremendously. perhaps if you bold it next time - especially in cases when the reality of the situation directly contradicts your assertion.
perhaps a tip on therapeutic communication might be: if you are curious if you are going to have enough time to exercise and make healthy meals, you should ask "will i have time to exercise and make healthy meals?" -- rather than asking "why are you so fat?".
p.s. in case you're wondering, fat people don't mind being called fat - after all, doesn't everyone enjoy having their weaknesses being pointed out to them? but they are enraged by the use of double exclamation marks (this fear of punctuation is a side effect of excess donut consumption). double exclamation marks make fat people "mean" - as you've discovered.
p.p.s. i do not want to offend anyone.

great post. gaijingal -- but i'm afraid it's going to fly right over little miss "i don't want to be offensive's" head.

ruby

pannie · Nov 15, 2005

I was "fluffy" and in no way "over-ate" and was faithful to my exercise routine. HOWEVER, I would go for very long periods of time without eating. My doctor said "I'll have you eating and losing weight." It happened! It was very difficult for me to face that bowl of cereal in the morning, but now I'm able to enjoy it. It used to be 5 to 6 pm before I'd have a bite of food. It isn't always over-eating. I am much more aware of getting the proper food at the proper time.

angel_in_sneakers · Nov 15, 2005

well, i would have to agree with others that this post came across with some offense intended. someone doesn't seem to think very highly of fluffy people. [/url] i however, can't really take offense myself. unfortunately i have no excuse for my fluffiness.

i like food and hate to exercise

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rogramjet · Nov 15, 2005

I am an RN, I am a type 2 diabetic, and I'm FAT. It is someting I have struggled with my entire life. I work out at the gym everyday faithfully. I was told by another nurse that I would never be a diabetes educator, because I was too fat. She had gastric bypass to lose her weight. Well, I AM a diabetes educator now. And my patients relate to me, because I am a diabetic, and I struggle with the same issues that they do, including the weight issues. I am slowly losing the weight, but it is a long slow process. But my patients don't seem to mind, because they know that I understand what they are going through.

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Nov 15, 2005

i work 40 hours a week. sometimes--no, a lot of times--more.

i have chronic pain. but i keep working.

i have had a couple of killer illnesses and survived. and i keep working.

i regard myself as victorious.

because i'm alive.

and i can still go to work and help others stay alive.

and i guarantee you that the patient that i did chest compressions on last week won't remember what i looked like, or the other members of the code team.

but i remember quite clearly when the doc told us to stop compressions because we had a pulse.

nobody kicked me out of that room for being fat. no one complained that my clothes were wrinkled, my hair wasn't perfect, or that i didn't have designer underwear on, a made-up face and fake nails.

role model? you bet i am. in all the stuff that really counts in life.

here...here!!! truer words have never been spoken ~

cheers!

moe

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Nov 15, 2005

i give it a day before this thread gets the padlock.

:rotfl: lol marie....i'm sorry but this comment just got to me...omg

.

o.k. folks...commense with the flaming & i'm sure this thread will indeed get that *padlock!* it deserves :chuckle

cheers!

moe

:uhoh21 hope this post doesn't cost me yet another "warning" :imbar :...you never know around here any more... :rolleyes: lol!

cindyRN 2006 · Nov 15, 2005

Can't we all just get along?