Why are so many of us over weight?

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
I was called ALL those names in school growing up cuz I had a ridiculously hard time gaining wt and have always been underweight...I had to gain ten pounds to meet army admission standards!!! I was teased about looking like a little boy (no curves) and an ethiopian (i would never wear a bathing suit in public)

I remember people actually coming up to me and asking if i were anorexic.

Which if they knew anything about the condition, chances are i'd deny being anorexic. :rolleyes:

Some people really don't think before they speak.

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:o Oh yeah... Trust me, when you are 5'8" and soaking wet 110lbs you get called everything right to your face and there is an automatic association with one of the disease processes. What I find very interesting is when I started working at my current occupation I weighed 125lbs and felt good because that is the biggest I have ever been. THEN, I started working at my current job. I lost over 20 lbs in short weeks and as most would imagine I was sick as a dog! I even had nurses at work that laughed at me because when I ask about "lunch" they said :stone "well it does not look like you eat a whole lot anyway..looks like you have missed many meals.. why is this one bothering you?":stone

Anyway, Because the loss was nearing 15% of my total weight I went to a MD and he had the nerve to say... "well you are a skinny girl with no meat... go eat Burger King or a steak." He overlooked the massive UTI and case of Pyelo. that I had.... of course the temporary renal shut down was just extra information that he did not want to be bothered with. Needless to say.. I got a second opinion, a long course of antibiotics and I will spend the next year trying desperately to put the weight back on.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Pediatrics, Geriatrics.

onconurseRT,

your story just proves that weight stereotypes are not only mean and offensive but dangerous

so sorry for your experience

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Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

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

You are giving it longer than I would.

By the way P_RN thanks for the change in title. I just cringed when I saw that earlier today.

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.

This can be summed up in one word: STRESS.

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
:o Oh yeah... Trust me, when you are 5'8" and soaking wet 110lbs you get called everything right to your face and there is an automatic association with one of the disease processes. What I find very interesting is when I started working at my current occupation I weighed 125lbs and felt good because that is the biggest I have ever been. THEN, I started working at my current job. I lost over 20 lbs in short weeks and as most would imagine I was sick as a dog! I even had nurses at work that laughed at me because when I ask about "lunch" they said :stone "well it does not look like you eat a whole lot anyway..looks like you have missed many meals.. why is this one bothering you?":stone

Ya know...these people that you're working with really disturb me. I've been following a lot of your posts and I think that these people have been so cruel to you. Seems like you can't make anyone happy anymore...either you're too fat, too skinny, stupid, too hyper, too slow, too young, too old...sheesh...When will it ever stop? I wish I could just turn off my REACTOR BUTTON, but everytime someone gets snotty with me, we end up fighting over it. I'll have to post that issue on another thread. I'm really getting discouraged about the nursing field. Hoping my new move will make a difference. I just don't understand it all....it's so sickening.

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This can be summed up in one word: STRESS.

That is the biggest cop-out I've ever seen.

Stress is very subjective, everything from the definition and how you deal with it. Keeping that in mind, there are negative and positive ways of dealing with stress. Eating bad foods, or large portions to "soothe" your stress is a bad bad idea and habit to get into.

Now, I've got stress. I'm a single mom, LPN student living 300 miles away from any friends, family or support, my daughters dad is a flippin deadbeat happy to see her but once every couple months, The program I'm in is proven one of the most challenging and inclusive, and highest pass rate for Licensure and employability. My saving grace, man-hunk, just graduated from the RCMP and is posted to the rectum of the universe, basically a flyout remote posting in northern Manitoba.

So, I'm a little stressed...

Back in the day, I turned to food and I felt better (marginally, for a short period of time), but the new me turns to fitness and healthy food as a stress outlet. It's a very positive feeling knowing that you have control over what you put in your mouth and how you choose to fuel your body. Even though I have about 5 hours per night of homework, a demanding 2 year old, and all the other mom stuff that needs to be done, I am 100 percent OKAY with taking one hour to run on the treadmill or lift some weights. It's a beautiful thing what exersise can do for your perspective and overall mood.

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
That is the biggest cop-out I've ever seen.

Stress is very subjective, everything from the definition and how you deal with it. Keeping that in mind, there are negative and positive ways of dealing with stress. Eating bad foods, or large portions to "soothe" your stress is a bad bad idea and habit to get into.

Now, I've got stress. I'm a single mom, LPN student living 300 miles away from any friends, family or support, my daughters dad is a flippin deadbeat happy to see her but once every couple months, The program I'm in is proven one of the most challenging and inclusive, and highest pass rate for Licensure and employability. My saving grace, man-hunk, just graduated from the RCMP and is posted to the rectum of the universe, basically a flyout remote posting in northern Manitoba.

So, I'm a little stressed...

Back in the day, I turned to food and I felt better (marginally, for a short period of time), but the new me turns to fitness and healthy food as a stress outlet. It's a very positive feeling knowing that you have control over what you put in your mouth and how you choose to fuel your body. Even though I have about 5 hours per night of homework, a demanding 2 year old, and all the other mom stuff that needs to be done, I am 100 percent OKAY with taking one hour to run on the treadmill or lift some weights. It's a beautiful thing what exersise can do for your perspective and overall mood.

Ya know. First of all, you don't know me. Second of all, I was talking about me. I'm overweight and have a very stressful life. I used to be anorexic when I was a kid. As I got older, for some odd reason, I converted to being overweight. I have a lot of issues and I don't feel like explaining them to you. All of us have our own issues. I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me and I don't want your pity. I have more stress than I know what to do with. And don't insult me and then give me advice. Are you a DOCTOR?

I don't need anymore critism...I've had way too much in the past 24 hours. You're just rude.

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
That is the biggest cop-out I've ever seen.

Stress is very subjective, everything from the definition and how you deal with it. Keeping that in mind, there are negative and positive ways of dealing with stress. Eating bad foods, or large portions to "soothe" your stress is a bad bad idea and habit to get into.

Now, I've got stress. I'm a single mom, LPN student living 300 miles away from any friends, family or support, my daughters dad is a flippin deadbeat happy to see her but once every couple months, The program I'm in is proven one of the most challenging and inclusive, and highest pass rate for Licensure and employability. My saving grace, man-hunk, just graduated from the RCMP and is posted to the rectum of the universe, basically a flyout remote posting in northern Manitoba.

So, I'm a little stressed...

Back in the day, I turned to food and I felt better (marginally, for a short period of time), but the new me turns to fitness and healthy food as a stress outlet. It's a very positive feeling knowing that you have control over what you put in your mouth and how you choose to fuel your body. Even though I have about 5 hours per night of homework, a demanding 2 year old, and all the other mom stuff that needs to be done, I am 100 percent OKAY with taking one hour to run on the treadmill or lift some weights. It's a beautiful thing what exersise can do for your perspective and overall mood.

Omgosh....you're a nursing student. You have no idea how stressful nursing really is. Hope you can keep your positive attitude.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

The phrase "Fat Nurses" (with exclaimation points) says more to offend than a question of why are so many nurses overweight.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

Every time we have this conversation, I refine my thinking on the subject. My current thinking includes:

It may be that some of the same emotional background that drives us to choose a caring profession also drives some of else to overeat

It may be that some of us internalize the stress of our jobs by overeating

It may be that some of us are deeply disillusioned and embittered that the profession for which they trained turned out not to be the profession in which they are able to practice, thanks to changes in the way health care is funded and delivered. Just could be, mind you, not like I'd know anything about that...

We do work odd hours, and some of us probably tend to eat more during these odd shifts than we might during non-traditional hours

It is very difficult for some to exercise after a long shift of a physically demanding job

We are people, subject to the same temptations as everyone else

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.
Elevated Cortisol levels due to stress can cause weight gain as can hormonal imbalances due to rotating shifts, and poor nutritional choices due to " grabbing food on the fly and not being able to take a break and chose the salad bar.

EXACTLY. And since the nursing STUDENT that eagerly shot me down for saying that stress was a cop out for being fat, here ya go. Guess the RN behind my name really does mean that I got an education. Everyone responds to stress differently. Cortisol is a bad thing and can cause havoc on your body. I eat better than most, but still manage to keep the fat on. I'm not huge, but I'm not skinny either. Six feet tall weighing in at 218 pounds. While in nursing school, working full time, volunteering, exercising, and taking care of my husband, I WAS HEAVIER....I weighed in at nearly 250 pounds! STRESS! Poor eating habits too, I'm sure. Okay...I'm sure I'm gonna get an exclamation point by my name now....So, I'm not going to respond anymore. This thread needs to be deleted or something. :angryfire

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