FAT DOCTORS ARE PATIENTS TOO - Tackling obesity among doctors

摘要

McCartney confuses the issue—being fat is not related to being a "good" or "bad" doctor.1 have known excellent doctors who were fat, smoked, orwhose judgement 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 whetherdoctors 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."