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.
:thankya:God loves you Merlee. Never be ashamed of what he made. I don't know if there is a maximized living program near u or not. But I thought it was a bunch off crap til I learned . It is an awesome program . My boyfriend came off his blod pressue medications. aspirin and his cholesterol meds by changing his eating habits and exercising. And getting adjusted at the Chioropractor. And I have seen and witnessed his labs as well as the look on his Cardiologist face who wasnt happy that he no longer needs statins. We are very spiritual and he was also prayed over. So I will say it was a combo of these things.
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
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.
Spot on, my Blue Devil friend! I work with an orthopaedic surgeon who refuses to do knee replacements on smokers. I work with a vascular surgeon who will not perform elective surgeries on patients who continue to smoke (such as vein stripping). Plastic surgeons flat out refuse to do flaps on smokers because the risk of the flap failing is so great due to decreased circulation. I feel for the trauma surgeons who must take on the pts who continue to do nothing to advance their own wellness, such as attending PT sessions, adjusting their diets to increase a successful balance of vitamins, minerals, blood sugars, proteins, cholesterol, etc. Even the most basic care, such as pre-op visits for baseline labs, post surgical follow up visits and wound care are largely missed in this population. It is saddening, but it is a daily occurrence.
Unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles are the challenges that we must educate our patients about. It is our responsibility to inform them of the risks of these behaviors, no matter the 'addiction'. We have a short time to educate our patients, and we must do so without judgment, but with earnestness and age appropriate tools. The rest is out of our hands.
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.
That's the thing, you can't always look at an overweight or obese person and know whether they fit into the 'overeater' or 'diabetes' & 'copd' category. People blindly judge all obese people as being lazy, over eating slackers.
Oh I know. Typically I could care less. It's when I know their history and see them come through the ED over and over for personal choice consequences.
trueangel - - thank you for your words of support. I am very SOB at times, and have little reserve. But i will look into any program that might help me.
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.
Thank god as a student you learned all that. I should have thought of that when I was on Paxil and gained 50 lbs in 2 months on it. But you know, was able to actually get out of bed and shower and function. Thinness should be above my ability to function as a human being and not be depressed and suicidal!
BTW I'm doing my third half marathon in a year in September. Just because I'm a fattie doesn't mean that I'm not in shape. I have trouble controlling what I eat. People who are depressed sometimes do that and they learn to comfort themselves that way. Have you taken psych yet? I'm trying to learn to boost my emotions through exercise instead of intake but hearing someone be harsh to me about my weight makes me want to give up. Kind words and encouragement go a lot farther than humiliation and tearing someone down.
I'm basically with the argument that being overweight or obese is unhealthy. If someone is like this, they most likely aren't giving their body the proper foods and nutrition it needs. I advocate for a completely plant based diet that focuses on whole foods. Raw, unprocessed foods are the best. When people stop eating animal products they start eating things the body actually needs (veggies, fruits, plant proteins, etc). And exercise is a must. These changes combined, I don't see how most people couldn't get down to a healthy state of being.
It seems many nurses are overweight or obese. It is a fact that caring for obese patients is a difficult and dangerous job and many healthcare workers have been injured while caring for them and suffer with daily pain because of having to move them! That is a fact! I'm at greater risk of being injured or disabled by one of them than anyone else, even the equally difficult dementia/psych patients that can be violent! We need lift equipment to allow us to safely care for them!
It's unfortunate that your coworker said such a hurtful thing, but I don't think it was directed at you as simply a response to the frustration and pain/fear of injury caring for them creates! What was said was wrong, cruel and totally unacceptable! That person needs some anger management and stress management and needs their consciense to be waken up!
I would never say such a horrible thing about anyone, but I understand the frustration because I've been injured before and it was in moving a 400 pound patient, and when I'm turning obese patients I usually am left with back pain for the rest of the day! The truth is I'm not the same person since the injury and it was mild as I can still work, but it has injured my back and the pain recurs when I'm forced to move obese patients! Still I fear getting seriously injured! We just had a 300 pound patient that fell and one of the staff was injured getting them up. I'm too well aware that easily could have been me! I'm not a martyr and don't want to end up in chronic pain! I cared for that same patient who would act totally helpless, get my legs in, pull me over, pull me more! Yet miraculously after I told her she how did she intend to go back home if she couldn't do these things for herself she all of a sudden had no problem getting in and out of bed and moving herself in bed! It is very frustrating, especially when they play helpless and don't care if they are causing you pain. I was left with back pain from the day before when she was playing "helpless"!
The answer is always get a non patient care job and I wish I could! But those jobs are few and far between especially with the bad economy and the health care reform that is going to crimp the insurance companies profits. I expect more layoffs to come in the aftermath of healthcare reform. So I go on, struggling to do my job and trying to stay safe in a dangerous, unsafe environment! I'm sure there are thousands of wounded healthcare "warriors" just like me and in even worse straits of pain and disability! We can't make people lose weight and we can't stop the obesity epidemic in America and it is an epidemic! I have no doubt part of it is the chemicals and artificial ingredients from the food industry! It seems for most people gastric bypass surgery is the only way to lose weight and keep it off and even that isn't always successful! So we need safe lift equipment (ceiling lifts) and sit to stands to allow us to safely do our job!
Management needs to open their eyes and have some compassion for their workers and not think of them as disposable! Spend the money on lift equipment! Don't shortchange your workers on the front line of this obesity epidemic!!!
I have heard major complaints from my friends who are nurses because when a patient is morbidly obese, they are HEAVY! Nurses are throwing their backs out trying to help them, but I haven't heard any of this name calling.
To the OP, I'm sorry that you have had to hear these comments. Totally uncalled for.
This is the main problem, too many of us are being injured and something needs to be done! We need and deserve and must demand safe working conditions that include ceiling lifts and sit to stands! We should not have to be victims of a cheap hospital that treats us a disposable widgets to be cast off after we are left injured! It is the manager and hospital's responsibility to protect us and arm us with the tools we need to safely do the job! They must open their eyes and recognize the dangers we face in this obesity epidemic and do something to help us, not ignore us and shortchange us to save money for the budget!!!
I'm basically with the argument that being overweight or obese is unhealthy. If someone is like this, they most likely aren't giving their body the proper foods and nutrition it needs. I advocate for a completely plant based diet that focuses on whole foods. Raw, unprocessed foods are the best. When people stop eating animal products they start eating things the body actually needs (veggies, fruits, plant proteins, etc). And exercise is a must. These changes combined, I don't see how most people couldn't get down to a healthy state of being.
There are plenty of fat vegetarians out there, and veganism seems to cause extreme self-righteousness.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Thank god as a student you learned all that. I should have thought of that when I was on Paxil and gained 50 lbs in 2 months on it. But you know, was able to actually get out of bed and shower and function. Thinness should be above my ability to function as a human being and not be depressed and suicidal!
BTW I'm doing my third half marathon in a year in September. Just because I'm a fattie doesn't mean that I'm not in shape. I have trouble controlling what I eat. People who are depressed sometimes do that and they learn to comfort themselves that way. Have you taken psych yet? I'm trying to learn to boost my emotions through exercise instead of intake but hearing someone be harsh to me about my weight makes me want to give up. Kind words and encouragement go a lot farther than humiliation and tearing someone down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I've struggled with my weight since my early 20s when I started having babies, and it's a battle I know I'm losing, even though I refuse to give up entirely. It's just so disheartening to go on psych meds and gain 20 lbs in two months when I was already 300 lbs. to begin with!
Let's see what my choices are here: do I want to be fat and live like a normal human being, or do I want to be a little less fat and street-rat crazy? Hmmmmm.......
There are plenty of fat vegetarians out there, and veganism seems to cause extreme self-righteousness.
Yes, it is true, there are fat everyone. I'd say there is a good chance many vegetarians are overweight, since they do seem to eat more dairy than the average meat eater. As for your comment on veganism, I have to say I take some offense. Yes, there are plenty self righteous vegans, just as there are self righteous carnivores, omnivores, pescataraians, what have you. That does not mean someone who chooses to eat a plant based diet is stuck up, that would be making an assumption (an untrue one at that). Perhaps you take caring for all living creatures and their health and well being, as well as the environment, as someone who is stuck up (I don't). Also, I'm curious as to what you think of the health benefits of adopting a plant based diet, such as reversal of heart disease, weight loss, improved diabetes management. :)
Kind words and encouragement go a lot farther than humiliation and tearing someone down.
Hmmmmm.......
TrueAngelofMercy
5 Posts
:thankya:God loves you Merlee. Never be ashamed of what he made. I don't know if there is a maximized living program near u or not. But I thought it was a bunch off crap til I learned . It is an awesome program . My boyfriend came off his blod pressue medications. aspirin and his cholesterol meds by changing his eating habits and exercising. And getting adjusted at the Chioropractor. And I have seen and witnessed his labs as well as the look on his Cardiologist face who wasnt happy that he no longer needs statins. We are very spiritual and he was also prayed over. So I will say it was a combo of these things.