Doctors telling people they're fat

[OtterXO]

Woman Offended by Doc's Obesity Advice 1 hour, 23 minutes ago



As doctors warn more patients that they should lose weight, the advice has backfired on one doctor with a woman filing a complaint with the state saying he was hurtful, not helpful.

Dr. Terry Bennett says he tells obese patients their weight is bad for their health and their love lives, but the lecture drove one patient to complain to the state.

"I told a fat woman she was obese," Bennett says. "I tried to get her attention. I told her, 'You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that is going to kill you.' "

He says he wrote a letter of apology to the woman when he found out she was offended.

Her complaint, filed about a year ago, was initially investigated by a panel of the New Hampshire Board of Medicine, which recommended that Bennett be sent a confidential letter of concern. The board rejected the suggestion in December and asked the attorney general's office to investigate.

Bennett rejected that office's proposal that he attend a medical education course and acknowledge that he made a mistake.

Bruce Friedman, chairman of the board of medicine, said he could not discuss specific complaints. Assistant Attorney General Catherine Bernhard, who conducted the investigation, also would not comment, citing state law that complaints are confidential until the board takes disciplinary action.

The board's Web site says disciplinary sanctions may range from a reprimand to the revocation of all rights to practice in the state.

"Physicians have to be professional with patients and remember everyone is an individual. You should not be inflammatory or degrading to anyone," said board member Kevin Costin.

Other overweight patients have come to Bennett's defense.

"What really makes me angry is he told the truth," Mindy Haney told WMUR-TV on Tuesday. "How can you punish somebody for that?"

Haney said Bennett has helped her lose more than 150 pounds, but acknowledged that the initially didn't want to listen.

"I have been in this lady's shoes. I've been angry and left his practice. I mean, in-my-car-taking-off angry," Haney said. "But once you think about it, you're angry at yourself, not Doctor Bennett. He's the messenger. He's telling you what you already know."




I can't decide how I feel about this. I think some people need a push, but if you're a doctor and offending people then that may be going a little too far. What do you guys think?

[OrigamiTulip]

Sounds like she's just looking for a quick buck.

[PM_Mama00]

"I told a fat woman she was obese," Bennett says. "I tried to get her attention. I told her, 'You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that is going to kill you.' "

My doctor has been very stern with me about losing weight to the point that I was in tears. But he (and she, I have two general docs) would NEVER use unkind words like this.

Instead of using the word "fat", they'd use "overweight" or "obesely overweight"

Instead of saying "You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that is going to kill you", they'd say "You need to look into different weight programs such as ABC, XYZ, DEF, etc. It's very helpful to get involved with people going through the same problems you are. Losing the weight could prevent -insert diseases and illnesses- which could have fatal results."

I've been to a few different doctors and this is something like what they would say. Criticism and help is different than constructive criticism and help...... obviously the constructive is going to help motivate someone alot more than insulting them even more than they already get in their life.

BTW... Beta Rose... could you show me where in the article it said that she's trying to get money?

[OtterXO]

I actually saw the doctor on the Today show this morning a little bit ago. Evidently the woman in question is 5'7" and 250 pounds. I don't think anyone can say that her weight is not extremely high for her height. I'm 5'7" also and she weighs over a hundred pounds more than me.

The doctor said he had seen the woman multiple times and each time addressed the weight issue. Each time she did not make any efforts to lose weight. I can see how a doctor would get frustrated when all these health problems keep popping up and they can all be attributed to excess weight. However, he also apparently told her that she would be in the group of single overweight women when she gets older. Basically appealing (as Matt Lauer said) to her vanity more than her health. I can see how some people would find that offensive, but if telling someone that they are going to have health problems doesn't make an impact, I would hope a doctor would use other tactics!

[TristanDSP]

As HYPOCRITCAL as I'm about to sound....


Maybe she should just lose the frickin weight?

[KSigkid]

I really don't see what's wrong with what he said - she needed to lose weight, and as her doctor he advised her as such. In addition, he wrote an apology when he didn't need to.

If she was so upset, she should find a new doctor.

[valkyrie]

I agree that doctors should be tactful, but WTF.

Next thing you know somebody will be diagnosed with cancer and will be offended.

[OrigamiTulip]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00

BTW... Beta Rose... could you show me where in the article it said that she's trying to get money?

It doesn't. But people these days who get offended when someone offfends them or does something they don't like generally sue.

[wrigley]

I could only imagine what would happen to the doctor if he didn't persist to make suggestions to address her problem. If the patient later develops an illness because she didn't take off the weight. She could later say "Well I didn't think it was that much of a problem because the doctor didn't make it an issue".

[KSig RC]

He didn't use the word "fat" - he told her to "lose the weight that's going to kill her."

Guess what?

The weight IS going to kill her.

[OtterXO]

Originally posted by wrigley
I could only imagine what would happen to the doctor if he didn't persist to make suggestions to address her problem. If the patient later develops an illness because she didn't take off the weight. She could later say "Well I didn't think it was that much of a problem because the doctor didn't make it an issue".

I know...I was thinking that too. I think the root of this issue is that people only WANT to hear good things from a doctor but they SAY they want a doctor to tell them the truth. If you're overweight you know it. It may be embarrassing to hear that others (like your doctor) notice it too, but maybe thats the kick in the pants someone needs.

[Lady Pi Phi]

Obviously this doctor has a poor bedside manner. But last I checked it wasn't illegal to be tactless, nor is it cause for dismissal from employment.

I have to agree with Stan on this one, she should just lose the weight.

[KSigkid]

Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi
Obviously this doctor has a poor bedside manner. But last I checked it wasn't illegal to be tactless, nor is it cause for dismissal from employment.

I have to agree with Stan on this one, she should just lose the weight.

I'm sorry, I don't even see where this is poor bedside manner. He didn't call her "fat," he didn't ridicule her, he told her that for her health she needs to lose weight.

It's his job to tell the patient that she's at a dangerous weight, and from what it sounds like, that's exactly what he did.

[AchtungBaby80]

Sure, he was tactless, but he apparently was being honest. Wouldn't we have more of an issue with a doctor who wasn't honest?

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by AchtungBaby80
Sure, he was tactless, but he apparently was being honest. Wouldn't we have more of an issue with a doctor who wasn't honest?

I'm agreeing with KSigKid here. I don't see any tactlessness. He says he told her that she was obese -- a standard medical term.