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We recently relocated to the Clayton area and one of our first orders of business is to find a family doctor. My husband and I are larger in size, although we are both in the process of losing weight. We are looking for a medical practice that is size friendly - i.e. does not dwell on our weight when we visit for reasons such as sinus infections, etc. Yes, we know that we are fat...and we are working on it...but having a doctor spend 30 minutes telling us that we need to lose weight when I really need an antibiotic for strep doesn't help. But my husband is particularly sensitive about his weight and has avoided doctors in the past due to bad experiences. Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Tell your husband his sensitivity is killing him (literally). Perhaps some psychological therapy would help get him past that issue so that he can emerge from denial and start addressing the root of his other medical problems.
Being too sensitive to go to a doctor for fear they will tell you that the very subject you're sensitive about is the real problem is just like any other self-destructive behavior like substance abuse or similar addiction.
Or another possible approach just ask him, or yourself, which one is worse suffering with strep or whatever for a few days or suffering through 30 minutes of unwanted medical advice.
I think asking for a fat-friendly doctor is like asking for a smoking-friendly doctor or crack-addict friendly church.
The last thing in the world you need is a fat friendly enabler, erhhh, physician. I Can't imagine there exists a fat friendly doc. Fat is terrible. A real health hazard, and it drives up the cost of health care.
Now don't go seek solace from food since I disagreed with you!
If you have strep or a sinus infection I think you could just go to the minute clinic at CVS.
As far as fat friendly, a doctors job is to be your doctor not your friend so they are going to tell what they you need to hear to go with any diagnosis.
I can appreciate where the OP is coming from, if they're in the process of resolving the issue, they don't need to be lectured about it (particularly if it's not related to the issue, though I am aware weight can impact many medical conditions). I'd second the minute-clinic option (found out last week that Target now has one!). Or try a larger practice with multiple physicians, and ask the receptionist (directly) for someone who is sensitive to the fact that you're working on it. Good luck!!
My mom smoked for years and constantly got lectured at making her less likely to go to the MD. so I hear you.
so....otoh, I am a nurse and know that most clinicians will counsel on weight loss b/c of the health effects of obesity.
okay, lecture over.
I would think in today's healthcare environment, you might want to look for a smaller, or solo practice who is trying to stay alive and will just be practicing medicine regardless of the healthcare environment that is trying to meet quality metrics.
I think larger practices & university associated practices are going to be trying to meet those quality metrics, which includes needing to counsel patients who are obese because of many health reasons including diabetes and high blood pressure.
Oops, sorry, I said lecture over....
so as another poster said...if you go to a provider who DOES advise and counsel, then perhaps you can get your DH to a minute clinic to get urgent issues covered which is fine as long as he (and you) are seen yearly for physicals.
I can appreciate where the OP is coming from, if they're in the process of resolving the issue, they don't need to be lectured about it (particularly if it's not related to the issue, though I am aware weight can impact many medical conditions).
Well since antibiotics have been linked to risk of obesity, being fat and expecting to march into a doctor demanding an antibiotic for strep is not a given right that should be assumed by any patient. By engaging the doctors services you are asking for a professional job to be done, and if they believe the antibiotic should be proceeded by a weight lecture then it may be something the patient has to just deal with, otherwise stay at home and ride out the sore throat on chicken soup or whatever. Perhaps the drugs the patients thinks they need are dangerous or ineffective at a given level of obesity? That's what the doctor is there for, not to serve pharmaceuticals off a menu.
I'm generally not a fan of doctors. I think the health care system is broken and that a for-profit health care system is fundamentally flawed because there's no money to be made in healthy people.
But in this case, particularly the idea of the husband being too sensitive to criticism about his weight to do anything about the problem we are talking about a seriously self-destructive behavior. Doctors are not there to judge you, you can pull your pants down in front of them without worrying about whether they think you're hot or not.
Well since antibiotics have been linked to risk of obesity, being fat and expecting to march into a doctor demanding an antibiotic for strep is not a given right that should be assumed by any patient. By engaging the doctors services you are asking for a professional job to be done, and if they believe the antibiotic should be proceeded by a weight lecture then it may be something the patient has to just deal with, otherwise stay at home and ride out the sore throat on chicken soup or whatever. Perhaps the drugs the patients thinks they need are dangerous or ineffective at a given level of obesity? That's what the doctor is there for, not to serve pharmaceuticals off a menu.
I'm generally not a fan of doctors. I think the health care system is broken and that a for-profit health care system is fundamentally flawed because there's no money to be made in healthy people.
But in this case, particularly the idea of the husband being too sensitive to criticism about his weight to do anything about the problem we are talking about a seriously self-destructive behavior. Doctors are not there to judge you, you can pull your pants down in front of them without worrying about whether they think you're hot or not.
Fair enough - though I think this may be an overly-in-depth analysis of a simple example in the OP's question. To each his/her own, I was just expressing my support that I can appreciate the sentiment, and trying to offer a general solution.
I have a friend in Johnson County that I will ask and send you a I.M. I understand what you mean by fat friendly. Your not in denial about your weight, you just want don't want a doctor that's like oh you have a headache it's because your fat. Makes sense to me.
MY friend's wife kept telling her doctor something was wrong and they just kept telling her to lose weight and she went to another MD and was diagnosed with MS.
I understand what you are saying!! Just because we are fat we don"t want to have to pay to listen to all that speech ! I go to Cleary at Sport Med in Cary ,She and her PA are wonderful Understanding ,Yes I know what I need to know etc But I am sick Help me!! Hope you find a caring Dr and nurse that will look at you as a normal person not just see a another fat person ! good luck!!!
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