G.P's should tackle obesity in practice staff.

[cherrypie]

Being overweight when you are a patient can be upsetting as GP's and staff tend to put every ailment down to your weight. Friends tell me how demoralising this can be especially when they are trying hard to lose weight.


We have all heard of a member of the practice staff who condemns people for their weight but have issues themselves.

Equally if you are underweight it can be disheartening when you are lectured by an overweight Nurse about the need to put weight on. This often happens to me and I want to retaliate by suggesting that they also have a weight issue. Try as I might, I cannot put weight on and have given up trying.

This article suggests that G.P's should help staff to obtain a healthy weight.

Comments need to be read as when the tables are turned there are excuses such as working a 12hr. day. I am sure that patients work long hours too.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/practic...-practice-staff/20000901.article#.UKfk9o7-Tdk

 

[Dizzydi]

You would have thought that gps would address such issues as a matter of course?

I know exactly what you mean, when I was first diagnosed one of the team looking after me, the dietician was responsible for weighing me,and also responsible for advising I needed to lose a bit more weight. They themselves were actually about 3 stone heavier than me 😱

Think they would be surprised to see me now 3 & 1/2 stone lighter

 

[Vicsetter]

To be fair, unless you know someone's medical/health circumstances you have no right to criticise them for being overweight or underweight. This is a very old fashioned attitude, you are overweight because you eat too much - I don't think so.

 

[Caroline]

when one of the receptionists had the cheek to connemt on my weight I said have you looked in the mirror or got on the scales recently and emanded the nurse weigh her as well as me. She was heavier than me by two stone. She didn't tell anyone else about their weight after that because she was encouraged to leave by other patients...

 

[Dizzydi]

To be fair, unless you know someone's medical/health circumstances you have no right to criticise them for being overweight or underweight. This is a very old fashioned attitude, you are overweight because you eat too much - I don't think so.

Surely this is why gps should help/encourage staff who are over weight or underweight regardless of if it is due to medical issues or not. All work places have a duty of care for staff.

 

[Copepod]

An anecdote that might hint at action that could be taken by staff in GP surgeries to reduce their weight or at least slow increase.

Many years ago, my Mum demonstrated leg ulcer dressings and tubular bandages to mainly groups of practice nurses. She provided sandwiches, as they didn't need cutlery. She bought a selection from supermarkets, including various fillings, but mainly brown / granary bread. After one event, the organiser asked her to bring more white bread and no brown / granary sandwiches in future, as the nurses preferred less healthy food at work, as they tried to set good examples to their family members 🙄 OK, not a huge calorie difference, but granary bread has lower GI than white, so does help a bit in weight control.

In another example, the only time I have ever made a complaint / suggestion about a GP surgery, the one I used when first diagnosed, it was about the total absence of anywhere to lock a bike securely, despite a large car park - not the way to promote healthy / environmentally sustainable transport for patients or staff. I found a fence a fair distance from the surgery to which to lock my bike. Perhaps staf took their bikes inside?

 

[ch1ps]

When I moved to the GP I am with now (pre-diagnosis), they said I needed to lose weight. I think at the time I was 65 kilos. However, they didn't offer any advice as to how I should lose weight. It was like if they tell me then they have covered it. 🙄

 

[trophywench]

What Vicsetter said.

We had an exceptionally overweight 'vampire' at ours and what a lovely lady she was , always full of fun and good at her job. She seemed to get heavier every time I saw her - bearing in mind it can be 6 or 12 months in between times. Never looked a mess though. You just remembered her face, very pretty and lovely hair.

After not seeing her even in a corridor for about 12 months I asked the other one what had happened to her, I liked her - always had a smile on her face - had she moved, changed her job?

Nope, she'd had terminal cancer for a good many years and it had got her in the end. She left a husband and two school age children.

I was gutted.

 

[Caroline]

What Vicsetter said.

We had an exceptionally overweight 'vampire' at ours and what a lovely lady she was , always full of fun and good at her job. She seemed to get heavier every time I saw her - bearing in mind it can be 6 or 12 months in between times. Never looked a mess though. You just remembered her face, very pretty and lovely hair.

After not seeing her even in a corridor for about 12 months I asked the other one what had happened to her, I liked her - always had a smile on her face - had she moved, changed her job?

Nope, she'd had terminal cancer for a good many years and it had got her in the end. She left a husband and two school age children.

I was gutted.

WHich goes to show you should never judge a person by their size, you never know the underlying cause.