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.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

I know their meds and know their history, so if there is a physiological reason, I have the evidence. Failing that, I assume it is usually due to more calories in than out. Why that is is up to the patient to determine. I have about 8 minutes a patient. I don't have time for psychotherapy.

[One1, BSN, RN]

[Zookeeper3]

As a smoker, anyone is comfortable coming up to me and saying "you should quit, it isn't good for you".

Dare I say "you should put the fork down" and all kinds of hell will reign upon me.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10748[/ATTACH]

Where did you get that.....

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

The thing that gets me the most is that as nurses, we need to try a bit more empathy. You have a patient that comes in and is obese. You have an obligation to educate them on obesity, not lecture them--cause guess what? They are probably already aware of the fact that they are obese. Do we lecture diabetics on the fact that perhaps if they "lost a little weight" they may have a better blood sugar? Hogwash, as diabetics come in all shapes and sizes. Smokers with COPD ALREADY have COPD, and guess what? Damage is already done. It is the lecture vs. educate debate, with lecturing being tinged with judgement. Obese nurses know that they are, I am sure. To say that "the fattys need to all go in a hole and die" or some other such nonesense is just downright ignorant. I was so scary skinny my whole life that people assumed I was anorexic, but I ate a whole lot. It was the genes.....until I hit 40. I had my share of being mildly overweight, but as soon as I figured out that I could not longer eat everything in sight like I had my whole life, I am boringingly average in size. People are overweight and obese for a variety of reasons......it is not someone's size, lifestyle, or smoking habits, it is the content of their character.

[merlee]

I grew up very skinny. I developed asthma, and took prednisone; gained 60 lbs in one year. Just couldn't get it off.

Had 2 kids, never was able to lose much of the weight. Developed PCOS - but didn't know it as the weight and depression got worse.

Now 100 lbs overweight. Diabetic. Did you know how hard it is to lose weight on insulin?? And I have heart disease, now, with 4 stents, and chronic SOB. Unable to exercise. Not able to work.

Ashamed of being so overweight, and unable to lose weight, even when I eat nothing but salad and yogurt.

I can still take care of my ADL's. Don't hate me.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Got no issues with people that have copd, diabetes or are "fatties". What bothers me is the one that still smokes 2 packs a day, eats a box of Oreos a day, or doesn't try to fix their diet. Self destructive people that know better **** me off.

[StJohnRiver]

I am a student, and after being in clinical for two months, I developed two warnings that I pass on: Don't fall when you are over the age of 70, and don't become obese at any age.

That is because most of the bad scenarios I came across were directly related to either of those underlying factors. Old people who fall are at risk of breaking an imporant bone, and when they do, the downward spiral kicks in. Hips, femurs, you all know what I am talking about.

Obesity creates a whole host of problems, all preventable.

Don't make excuses. Lose weight. Especially if you are a nurse and responsible for advising patients on what how to stay healthy and avoid ending up in the hospital.

Calories in, calories out. It ain't rocket science, but it is critical to your health and to avoid bad things happening that burden not just you and your family, but the health care system.

Willpower and discipline is required. Simple as that.

[Andy Droid]

When I was a kid.... a bit before my 13th birthday... I was visiting my Dad for the weekend. I was sitting IN THE LIVING ROOM of a ground floor apartment, it was getting late and I was watching a movie. some drunken idiot drove through the wall (mainly patio door) and hit me. (broken arm, cracked ribs, some scrapes & cuts... nowhere near as bad as it could have been)

But yeah, I basically got ran over while sitting on a couch in a living room..... it made me realise I could die at any given moment, and it really was beyond my control.

because of that near death experience, I sorta developed the attitude / philosophy of "**** it".

Basically, I do what I feel like, when I feel like. After all, why not? I could get hit by a bus crossing the road, a plane could crash on my house while I sleep... any number of things at any given time, so do what you enjoy while you can.

So... between eating what tastes good, eating until I've had my fill, and working a job on cumputers that requires 12+ hours of sitting on my orifice, yeah, I'm fat.

Know what else? aside from trips to the emergency room for stitches a few times, I haven't been to the hospital pretty much since I was hit by that car.

So take that "drain of resources" crap and take a wild guess where you can shove that argument. you chose to enter a career that revolves around helping people... if you don't want to do that anymore, I'm sure McDonalds could use another burger flipper.

Cripes some folks like to complain that they "have to" do the job they chose to get into... makes about as much sense as mechanics complaining that people don't know how to fix their own cars.....

[Andy Droid]

I am a student

Obesity creates a whole host of problems, all preventable.

Don't make excuses. Lose weight.

Willpower and discipline is required. Simple as that.

Ever hear of hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome ?

Don't get me wrong... I'm fat because I don't care..... but the attitude expressed in your post is incredibly distrubing considering you're likely going to spew it as fact to PT's.

How many PTs do you figure you'll lecture over the course of your career because you assume they're just lacking in will power and discipline?

[TrueAngelofMercy]

Personsonally God made each of us the way we are. He also wrote us this letter called A Bible ! I pray that u find Peace within HIm And His words he wrote us. The sick Icu Nurse needs help and Prayer. She may miss the boat as she is judgi:heartbeat:nono:ng

others :

[Teacher Sue]

I am a student, and after being in clinical for two months, I developed two warnings that I pass on: Don't fall when you are over the age of 70, and don't become obese at any age.

That is because most of the bad scenarios I came across were directly related to either of those underlying factors. Old people who fall are at risk of breaking an imporant bone, and when they do, the downward spiral kicks in. Hips, femurs, you all know what I am talking about.

Obesity creates a whole host of problems, all preventable.

Don't make excuses. Lose weight. Especially if you are a nurse and responsible for advising patients on what how to stay healthy and avoid ending up in the hospital.

Calories in, calories out. It ain't rocket science, but it is critical to your health and to avoid bad things happening that burden not just you and your family, but the health care system.

Willpower and discipline is required. Simple as that.

Learned all that in two whole months, didja? I'll make sure to tell my 80 year old mother it's her fault if she falls, and my sister with hypothyroidism and Multiple Sclerosis to just get up and exercise. I'm so glad you were here to warn me about these dangers. You might just have saved my mother's and my sister's lives!