BMJ 2014;349:g7640 doi: 10.1136/bmj.g7640 (Published 16 December 2014)
Page 1 of 1
Letters
LETTERS FAT DOCTORS ARE PATIENTS TOO
Tackling obesity among the medical profession Simon Kenwright retired physician Ashford TN25 6BD, UK
McCartney confuses the issue—being fat is not related to being a “good” or “bad” doctor.1 I have known excellent doctors who were fat, smoked, or whose judgment could be trusted even when tipsy. Equally, being obese does not make advice on weight reduction more effective, and the obese doctor who has lost weight can be unduly self righteous.
The crux of the problem is whether doctors have a social responsibility that goes beyond simple professional competence. Slim fashion models may portray an unhealthy body image, but this does not detract from their professional competence. Constant exposure to obesity seems to have blurred our perception of what constitutes being fat, and much the same applies to alcohol consumption. A recent paper concluded that most obese adults in the UK do not identify themselves as either “obese” or “very overweight” and that “public health initiatives to tackle obesity are likely to be hampered by this lack of recognition of weight status.”2 A doctor who allows fear of upsetting a patient to trump tackling this aspect of health is neglecting a crucial area of care. The
growing obesity crisis means we need an “all options on the table” discussion. Those in charge of health policy should not be grossly overweight and should fight the cosy relationship with the food and drink industries. As doctors we need to look at our image and lifestyle choices. During my working lifetime our professional image has improved greatly with regard to smoking and alcohol. We need to tackle obesity as well, and that involves recognising it as a problem among colleagues and providing help (including preventive) as appropriate. Competing interests: None declared. Full response at: www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6464/rr/780114. 1 2
McCartney M. Fat doctors are patients too. BMJ 2014;349:g6464. (10 November.) Johnson F, Beeken RJ, Croker H, Wardle J. Do weight perceptions among obese adults in Great Britain match clinical definitions? Analysis of cross-sectional surveys from 2007 and 2012. BMJ Open 2014;4:e005561.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;349:g7640 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2014
[email protected] For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 1
Letters
LETTERS FAT DOCTORS ARE PATIENTS TOO
Tackling obesity among the medical profession Simon Kenwright retired physician Ashford TN25 6BD, UK
McCartney confuses the issue—being fat is not related to being a “good” or “bad” doctor.1 I have known excellent doctors who were fat, smoked, or whose judgment could be trusted even when tipsy. Equally, being obese does not make advice on weight reduction more effective, and the obese doctor who has lost weight can be unduly self righteous.
The crux of the problem is whether doctors have a social responsibility that goes beyond simple professional competence. Slim fashion models may portray an unhealthy body image, but this does not detract from their professional competence. Constant exposure to obesity seems to have blurred our perception of what constitutes being fat, and much the same applies to alcohol consumption. A recent paper concluded that most obese adults in the UK do not identify themselves as either “obese” or “very overweight” and that “public health initiatives to tackle obesity are likely to be hampered by this lack of recognition of weight status.”2 A doctor who allows fear of upsetting a patient to trump tackling this aspect of health is neglecting a crucial area of care. The
growing obesity crisis means we need an “all options on the table” discussion. Those in charge of health policy should not be grossly overweight and should fight the cosy relationship with the food and drink industries. As doctors we need to look at our image and lifestyle choices. During my working lifetime our professional image has improved greatly with regard to smoking and alcohol. We need to tackle obesity as well, and that involves recognising it as a problem among colleagues and providing help (including preventive) as appropriate. Competing interests: None declared. Full response at: www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6464/rr/780114. 1 2
McCartney M. Fat doctors are patients too. BMJ 2014;349:g6464. (10 November.) Johnson F, Beeken RJ, Croker H, Wardle J. Do weight perceptions among obese adults in Great Britain match clinical definitions? Analysis of cross-sectional surveys from 2007 and 2012. BMJ Open 2014;4:e005561.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;349:g7640 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2014
[email protected] For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
