Weight Advice – A Touchy Subject!
It’s not uncommon to notice that people – especially women – either get upset or feel awkward about unsolicited advice coming from friends and family about being overweight or underweight.
Many physicians are realising that such frequent advice coming from them can also upset their patients. For example, you visit a gynaecologist but be told to reduce your body weight otherwise ‘your knees will give way’ when you are older. You’d wonder, what has that to do with my reproductive health? Or, every time you go to a doctor and the same speech is given to you about eating right and exercising. All this, without any further guidance is not helpful or respectful – really, it leaves the patient helpless and distressed!
You see, your body weight can be a touchy subject. This being the case, some doctors are now trying to avoid making their patients feel uncomfortable by harping on weight management at every appointment, albeit some patients would like to discuss this delicate issue with their physicians but don’t know how to go about doing it.
However, despite the understandable hesitation, it should be realised that weight discussions are an important part of overall wellness. It’s how one encourages the patients to start the conversation, which is important. For example, physicians can subtly prompt their patients to discuss weight concerns on the patients’ own terms, making them feel more comfortable talking about it.
In fact, the physicians should subtly take it up a notch by encouraging their patients to sign up for a ‘personalised’ training program that would provide them with a complete toolkit that includes:
- Education on necessary weight loss interventions
- Suggestions for required lifestyle modifications
- Fit-for purpose regulated physical training best suited for individual needs.
Beware of new treatments that are available for excess weight. Big names like Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Amgen etc are eager for patients to ’ask their doctor’ about treatments they want to sell.
To cut a long story short: lecturing on weight management issues is unlikely to do any good. You need to actually get physical and eat right to bring about improvements and see the changes.
Zareer Patell – Black Belt, Personal / Online Fitness Trainer and Wellness Columnist (since 1972)
Good evening Manik.
There are no ‘set rules’ as such.
However, It’s all about the ‘tone’ in which you speak to your patients. And, I don’t think YOU will face a problem doing that.
Examples:
‘May be you’d like to do some walking to free your body so you start feeling better?’
‘Have you thought about cutting down on sugar a bit to reduce inflammation and therefore even weight loss?’
‘I am sure you must have thought about hiring a ‘personal trainer’ at some point who could assist you to fulfill your goals?’
Well using phrases like these may not make them feel uncomfortanle.
And if someone is freely willing to talk, then you could go all out and warn them that ‘such a life style’ will only reduce the quality of life – if not longevity.
Beware of such drugs. They may seem to work initially but long term side effects are not yet tested – and even if they are, they will be shoved under the carpet by the big boys.
Also, they will work as long as you take them. And then? What happens when you stop taking them?
That said, such drugs also dissuade people from changing their life styles which is the root of the problem.
‘Band aid’ treatment will not work as a permanent solution.
Yes, may be they can be put on such treatment but with a warning that once they lose some weight they will have to seriously apply their might towards style changes!
