# Doctors



## Barrys (Feb 6, 2014)

Hi

I am just wanting to know what i can do about a doctor who is always asking me to loose weight,

Basically i live in Australia weigh about 314lbs, do exercise regularly. dont find myself short of breath when i do so either.

my doctor said last time i went and saw him "your weight has gone up again"

he then went on to say "if you can not get your weight down we are going to have to look at other options:

now in that consoltation when i mentioned blood pressure and blood glucose levels and other things i was worried about. he said that they are all excelent, and that i am one of the healthiest patients that he has. 

i confronted him about why then he is telling me i must loose weight and he basically said "being overweight just puts extra load on your body, you have a higher risk of getting some kinds of cancer, but for the most part it is just apperance, enevitably it is cancer is the most likely way to go anyway" 

i however have no issues with how big i am and am actually very comfortable and welcome it. 

how should i confront the doctor and tell him i am not interested in going on a diet?

basically my blood pressure blood glucose are perfect, HDL cholesterol is low but so is LDL cholesterol, all else is fine too.

has anyone else had to confront this before?

Regards

Barry


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## 1300 Class (Feb 6, 2014)

To a degree, but not to that extent. I just went to another doctor (in the same surgery) I was familiar with when I needed anything instead of putting up with it (I was in somewhat of a similar boat). 

If it really becomes an issue, then begin shopping around for other docs. If thats not really an option, then be polite and deflect when it comes up again and eventually he'll hopefully take the hint.


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## Tad (Feb 6, 2014)

Barrys said:


> i however have no issues with how big i am and am actually very comfortable and welcome it.
> 
> how should i confront the doctor and tell him i am not interested in going on a diet?



Basically I'd tell him as much. Make it clear that you WILL take steps to lead a healthy lifestyle in general, but that you are not at this time willing to make changes specifically to lose weight. That you know he has to tell you about the weight issues, but that if he wants to see you make any changes he needs to focus in other areas.

Now, if he is a total jerk, that won't help. But I think most will be willing to focus on what they can influence.


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## Barrys (Feb 6, 2014)

yeah it is almost like it is a obsession at any of the doctors over here but it is just when my gp said "we well have to look at other options" that made me feel like i dont have a choice and have to achieve the goal he has rather than i have.


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## tinamarie0427 (Feb 7, 2014)

tell him you will "have to look at other options" for a doctor if he keeps telling you that you are unhealthy even though the evidence suggests otherwise. Remind him that you like him as a doctor and it would be unfortunate if you have to stop seeing him because he can't get past your weight to fully acknowledge how healthy you are!


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## CastingPearls (Feb 7, 2014)

Barrys said:


> Hi
> 
> I am just wanting to know what i can do about a doctor who is always asking me to loose weight,
> 
> ...


Ask him to provide links, studies, or articles (which are NOT 20 years old or small group studies) to back up his claims that it leads to cancers (that's false) that are NOT funded by any company or organization which stands to make a profit from weight-loss.


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## Dr. Feelgood (Feb 7, 2014)

Tad said:


> Basically I'd tell him as much. Make it clear that you WILL take steps to lead a healthy lifestyle in general, but that you are not at this time willing to make changes specifically to lose weight.



This is what I did a couple of years back. I have a very good GP and have gone to him for years. We're friends. I do, however, have a BMI of 31, and since I weigh in every six months when I have my physical, he would comment on my weight: a pound down was good; a pound up was bad. Finally I just told him, "I don't intend to work myself into a tizzy about what I weigh. It may be the great American pastime, but it isn't mine. What I WILL do -- and am already doing -- is eat sensibly, following a regimen low in fats, sugar, and salt; exercise daily; and, insofar as I can, avoid stress." That was okay by him, and we've continued to get along fine.


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## QuadSeekers (Feb 21, 2014)

tinamarie0427 said:


> tell him you will "have to look at other options" for a doctor if he keeps telling you that you are unhealthy even though the evidence suggests otherwise. Remind him that you like him as a doctor and it would be unfortunate if you have to stop seeing him because he can't get past your weight to fully acknowledge how healthy you are!




Pardon me while I write this down to use in the future when a dumbass doctor talks smack...


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