I actually do think that people can benefit from people being blunt with them. So many people want doctors to walk on eggshells around them and try to "nicely" and without saying fat or obese tell them that they need to lose weight.
I know this isn't the exact same situation, but my dog has gained about 5 pounds in the past year for some reason. I'm assuming it's the handouts from the table that everyone gives her, but I wasn't really worried about it. I took my dog to get shots a couple weeks ago and the vet told me "you are going to kill your dog if you don't put her on a diet. She's fat and needs to lose about 8 pounds" (which is alot for a dog!). He basically was a complete ass and I was annoyed after the fact because I felt he could have said it in a nicer way. But, it prompted me to put her on a strict diet and monitor anything she eats...including milkbones-she only gets one in the morning now instead of one whenever she wants one...
She has lost 3 pounds and is looking very trim...
So the point is, I think that sometimes bluntness can be annoying and (especially if it's about YOU and not your dog) offensive, but sometimes people need an asshole doctor to make them get the picture about the effects of their lifestyle.