Can you trust a doctor who is overweight? Many people experience cognitive dissonance over seeing a healthcare professional who looks physically unfit because this professional is supposed to be an "example for the patients". I contend that this is not often a fully fleshed out critique of healthcare workers. Nurses Announcements Archive Article
I think people who propose "Healthcare workers should be fit otherwise they can't be trusted." or "I can't trust a fat doctor." have not properly thought out the situation. The statements are front doors to a complex situation of lifestyle that is similar for those working in health promotion and those that are not. Being a health professional should not place automatically place us on a pedestal with unrealistic standards.
First, the truth is the truth no matter the source - whether it's coming from a fit doctor or one who's 50 pounds overweight. Objective information spread from a physician successfully crosses lines of culture, language, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and so on.
Second, it's perfectly plausible that the health professional is spending more time caring for others than caring for themselves. We all have 24 hours in a day. So if that nurse worked 36 hours of the past 72 hours at the hospital, then in the remaining 36 hours went home and took care of the kids, then went to sleep, then cooked dinner (again and again for 3 days), then they couldn't have been at the gym. I've yet to meet someone who's mastered being in two places at the same time...
Third, consider the environment for being healthy. It's more than what your professional title is. Gym compliance goes down if you live farther from the gym. Imagine living 30 minutes away from it. You get dressed. Drive 30 minutes there. Work out for 1.5 hours. Shower. Drive 30 minutes -back- home. Eat/unwind at home and the total process took about 3.5 - 4 hours. That's 40 minutes more of a commitment than if the doctor could walk 10 minutes to/from the gym. This affects compliance with workouts.
How about beliefs about food? Imagine coming from a culture where food is a means of celebrating and showing affection. Do you think that deep seeded lifelong influence the nurse grew up in just vanishes the moment they get their nursing degree? No, it doesn't. Food is often a part of the celebration for a new college graduate. It's also a mainstay of funerals, birthdays, anniversaries, weekends, vacations, and so on.
Imagine growing up in a household where it was acceptable to eat McDonald's regularly. In the U.S. one typically gets a Bachelor's of Nursing at 21 years old. So for 21 years, this McDonald's food belief has been embedded in that person and again, they don't just go away the moment a nursing degree is conferred on the graduate. Over 2 decades of thinking McDonald's is acceptable won't just vanish with a college degree.
Remember growing up in this household and now add the social support system that's important in maintaining health. Your support system probably has similar food beliefs as you and that makes it hard to think differently. For example, the parent/caretaker tends to set eating and cooking habits for the entire family and they are often around for life - possibly being passed down to your children and circle of influence. Our social groups can be formed along common food beliefs as a means of likeness and a barrier towards cognitive dissonance. If you don't want to feel guilty for overeating or being non-compliant with a diet, then you will tend to eat with the like minded and avoid those who diet successfully.
If a person makes such a claim as described above without acknowledging the whole conversation and factors I've listed: food beliefs, time management, elements of consistency, and divorcing the truth from it's source, then I believe you're talking to an unenlightened person who so readily makes foolish claims.