[MereMere21]

One night I was in a patients room and her husband was by her bed. His wife was intubated and unresposive in a diabetes induced coma. I took her blood sugar and it was about 450 or so. He asked what I was doing and I explained that I was checking to see if she needed insulin. He then starts to tell me that they didn't do that (check their sugar) even though their ENTIRE family - even the 300 lb. 15 year old - was diabetic. OH DEAR GOD!That was a case where genetics was working against them.

thats just one story - I also can't tell you how many morbidly obese patients we have that are frequent flyers. It takes 4 or more nurses just to move them, let alone care for them. Then there is the added issue of decubitis. One night in my unit would convince anyone to take care of themselves!

I get on my soap box about these things because just like smoking=lung cancer, these things are easily prevented. Behavior modification truly is the way to successful weight loss. Until then you will be a slave to many more Fen Phen like semantics. Atkins, South Beach, all the rest of the 'fad' diets, give people what they want - an "easy" way out of their obesity. There is nothing easy about weight loss.