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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Fat people

New Zealand's Health and Disability Commissioner said the conduct was insulting and unprofessional and he has recommended the surgeon attend a communication skills course.




The one thing Biggest Loser has done is show time and again how much misery and pain is underneath all that fat. Overweight people seem to cover their pain with eating. A rule for any doctor should be  - First do no harm. I accept he may feel frustrated with someone who will not reduce their food intake and call a diet a diet. The woman needs a lifestyle overhaul and at the very least he should be looking at why she keeps putting food into her mouth. It is killing her  to be overweight so she does need to rethink herself and her lifestyle and gastric bands won't fix the reasons for over eating in the first place. Doctors who can't deal with certain conditions need to have a way of creating a pathway for the client so they see someone who will get them moving forwards. Doctors are human and will be as imperfect as anyone else...but they must do no harm and so their prejudices need to be channelled through protocol and options. Value judgments are not appropriate and I know one man who had a heart attack and who was given no treatment and sent home ...to die...but he managed to get himself back into he hospital and they treated him. He is now one of their best success stories because he was massively overweight and miserable...but his new life has turned him around and he has a reason to lose all that weight. Abuse will achieve nothing. Overweight people need to be treated for their condition...depression most likely!


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