The War On Fat

[Crazed]

To make a long story short I am a student and I write quite a bit about the experience of becoming a nurse.

So with that being said I have decided due to some recent developments that I am going to write about the cultural war on fat focused on nursing.

I am acquainted with a woman who is a critical care nurse. I have to tolerate her toxic presence in my life due to her association with my dude's friend. Now, I would like to mention I am no small girl and have gained and lost, and gained again 100lbs. I have finally gotten to the point where I am not beating myself up about it and see efforts now as a matter of love for my body rather than hate. Recently she said this (to me of all people), "I hate fat people so much. They smell, they are hard to move around, and I think they should all die in a hole somewhere."

A member of my clinical group said, "You know these doctors will get upset at the COPD patient who is smoking like three cigarettes a day but say nothing to these fatties who don't follow their diets." I stood up, looked very serious for a moment and said, "HEY! I am one of those fatties that don't follow their diet." Then we went a few rounds with her saying she wasn't talking about me because I am "an attractive fatty."

What does my face have to do with my extra 100lbs? Seriously?

In any case I'd like an open dialog about the war on fat in nursing.

Do you see it in your practice? Are you militant anti-fat? If so why?

I've noticed that a good deal of the arguments that I've heard is fat is unhealthy, yet no one seems to see fat as being a symptom and not the disease.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Easier said than done. In this economy people's biases and prejudices are coming out, and are indeed being used to base hiring decisions on. Of course , employers use the economy as an excuse for firing and/or not hiring people they don't like because they are different in any small way.[/quote']

And would one be happier working for that employer? Would it be a good job?

I've been there before, working that job, and don't intend on doing it again.

They accept as I am. If they are that wrapped up in appearances, they will merely make me miserable working there.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

We used to have one - but I haven't seen it lately. If you look around enough, maybe you'll find it.

It's gone with the smacking forehead and couch....

[rubato, ASN, RN]

But this one's still around.

[alkali2003]

But this one's still around.

Domo oregato, Mr. Rubato

[rubato, ASN, RN]

Domo oregato, Mr. Rubato

You're welcome!

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

i take very high doses steroids for a rare neuro-muscular disease and i have a very cushingoid appearance.....which is code for i have gained a ton of weight around the middle and have the roundest moon face i have ever seen. i cannot lift my arms over my head and brush my hair. i don't look in the mirror anymore.

as a "normal" person in a steroid body i can tell you that by personal experience i am treated differently as a fat person than i was as a non fat patient.

esme12, you can surely aim straight to the heart, you got me teary eye with your comment, for which i can relate to the other side of the coin, when people see me coming the first impression in their thoughts is "muscle airhead" without giving me a chance to introduce myself :uhoh21:

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I counseled a CHF patient on weight loss and I explained to him, "You do not need to fight this battle alone, and I know it's hard because I've done it more than once."

I had a fabulous PA that was replaced by an equally fabulous NP. Both are a little heavy, but neither were into plus sized clothes. They've counselled me and my wonderful GYN (with a perfect body who I love and when she retires, I will never see another one) has counselled me. The GYN said all the properly therapeutic things. But the PA and NP are the ones that got me really determined. They know how hard it is.

It's one thing hearing, "You just have to diet and exercise" from someone that knows that from the experience of losing 5-10 pounds. When you're getting into the big clunks on the scale, it's a completely different ballgame.

I have heard major complaints from my friends who are nurses because when a patient is morbidly obese, they are HEAVY!

It is hard. The only time I've ever said anything to the patient (or complained about the patient) was the couple that refused to help as much as they COULD help (and I have that same complaint of anyone over 20 pounds) or complained when we insisted on getting a safe number of people to do the lifting (and I have the same complaint of anyone over 20 pounds there too.)

[Ev1987]

Hate and Discrimination does exist towards overweight people. I am not surprised that a woman would say such a thing (even though she was wrong and extremely rude for saying so aloud). Unconsciously, the media is brainwashing both men and women on what the standars of beauty is suppose to look like. Not every woman is going to look like Barbie or a Victoria Secret model, and not every man is going to look like a fitness guru who lives at the gym day-in and day-out. In today's society, those people are the exception of the norm. This woman needs to learn to bite her tongue and learn when and where is the right time and place to freely speak such hate. Comments like that can come back to haunt her. Besides, there may have been patients in the residence that were thin and sknny before they suffered whatever injuy or illness they have encountered. Some medication side effects include weight gain. If a person is bed-ridden and/or has limited mobility, more likely than not, that individual risks gaining weight. Overweight people deserve the same amount of care and respect than the thin. Patients of color deserve the same amount of care and respect than that of caucasians. Patients of diverse reigious beliefs deserve the same amount of care and respect than that of Christians and Catholics.

[PetsToPeople]

"Recently, I went to NYC. I pretty much doubled or tripled my calorie intake. And yet I lost weight (despite prednisone). Why? I walked up stairs, downstairs, stood on the bus, the subway, ran to catch my ride and did alot of walking tours and was on the go."

This is basically impossible, especially with prednisone. Any good personal trainer will tell you that you can't out train a bad diet, so there is no way you tripled your calorie intake and then walked it off. The only way this could even be possible is if you increased only very healthy calories. Losing weight is 80% diet and 20% excercise.

And someone always comes back to that lame excuse that a person who is overweight cannot give a pt diet advice....so I can't educate a male pt on prostate health as I am a woman? I can't educate a woman on how to care for a c-section incision as I have never had one? How can a male nurse possibly work in OB if he doesn't have a lady parts?

[PetsToPeople]

I am as anti-fat as I am anti-anorexia/bulimia, anti-smoking and anti-riding a donorcycle without a helmut, anti-unprotected sex, anti-failing to wash your hands, etc. I counsel all my patients that smoke, I counsel all my patients that have high BP, high cholesterol, and too high or too low BMI, etc. It is my professional responsibility to discuss the risks associated with unhealthy behaviors. I have probably lost patients over it. I don't care. They don't get tacit approval for ignoring risk factors just because they are embarrassed about it.

People need to separate the emotional component from the facts. As BMI increases over 25, risks go up. As pack years smoking history increases, risk increase. I have a cardiologist friend who will not treat smokers. You either quit, or find a new cardio. He sees them as just wasting his time. I think that's extreme, but I do get frustrated hearing "my knees hurt, gimme medicine" from people with BMIs over 35. "I smoke 2 packs a day and I'm SOB, gimme medicine, FIX IT!" It gets tiresome.

That's terrific and all for you, that you can sit on your high horse and say you "educate" you pt's but spewing facts all over them...but do you actually take the time to find out why they are overweight, what factors in their lives are affecting their weight and potential wt loss, what do they know about healthy eating, healthy cooking, how to find an excercise that is fun for them, etc? This can take a while and repeated visits which a doc or np or nurse may not have time for, that's why I believe people need to be able to speak with someone who can combine the psychology, personal training, healthcare, etc aspects of weight loss together and work with them, otherwise it will never work.

[PetsToPeople]

"There is a difference in pulling something up 5 years or older with no more recent posts"

No actually there is not, I have found a lot of very helpful information on old posts that have info that new posts do not. So why repost all that info when someone can just continue with the same thread. Makes no sense not to use what is already there.

[aileenve, ASN, RN]

I always ask my patients who may be: over weight, smokers, alcoholics or drug addicts, "are you interested in quitting? or receiving help for this problem? This works much better than childish and hostile name calling which makes the nurse look worse than the patient!