It amazes me to see medical prof's with serious weight problems, especially heart surgeons-how can this be?

Question

I saw a world-renowed heart surgeon on tv that was at least 50 pds overweight. With all the damage weight does to a body and seeing it first-hand, it boggles my mind that anyone in the medical world can be any amount overweight, yet I see it quite often. Plus, I'm not sure I would completely trust a Dr. that was so overweight.

Answer 1

My wife is a nurse (RN), and is constantly being taunted at work for her weight. The unusual thing is, she is taunted because she is so thin. A number of her coworkers are overweight and smoke. This causes her some consternation. It is one thing to be overweight, I can understand not having the time to exercise often (job, kids, spouse, etc.), but just eating better would help a lot. My wife is always telling me about the kinds of things her coworker bring to the unit for snacks and meals. It is disgusting. I had never actually seen anyone eat pork rinds until I visited my wife at work one day and one of her coworkers was eating pork rinds dipped in queso dip. I think it is professionally irresponsible for health professionals to portray such an unhealthy image. I am a military officer. If I got that out of shape, I could be involuntary separated from the service for failing to comply with dress and appearance standards. I don't understand why more health care workers don't want to eat better and take better care of themselves. I understand their jobs are stressful, but come on ... my job is stressful too, but I don't use food to deal with it. This is a good question. It disturbs me too.

Answer 2

i'm a medical student, and it kills me when I see doctors talk about health and being healthy. And the next second, light a cigarette on their way to burger king across the street. its not the fact that their advice is any less accurate than a relatively healthier person, but they present such a hypocritical stance when they lecture individuals on smoking and heart disease. If I were a patient with the problem, I would probably be thinking, "well if my doctor can be overweight and smoke, its probably ok for me to do it too since he is the one that knows what is healthy and not." A doctor being sick is something that is forgivable because it happens, but when one, in such an authoritative position, is unhealthy by choice (assuming no hormonal problems contributing to the obesity), they have no right to tell others to be different if they are, themselves, unwilling to change.
in my opinion, dont listen to a fat doctor lecture you on being overweight, and dont listen to a skinny cook lecture you on how to fix a meal.

Answer 3

I hear ya...I went to a Dr. one time because I was feeling out of shape, tired and anxiety because I had gained 15 lbs in a short ime(I weighed about 125 lbs at that time but I am only 5' tall) I was going to ask the Dr. to set me up with a dietician and to check me out for thyroid etc......I was shocked when I walked in and I recognized the woman as being someone that I had served at the restraunt I worked at; I remembered her well because we were all amazed that this woman, her apparent sister and her mother had all sat down and at the table and when this indiviual aat down the legs under the chair buckled and colapsed sending her to the floor, all women at the table were atleast 400lbs each and all ordered double meals, 2 milk shakes each and then for dessert had chocolate cherry cheese cake and then asked for a whole sheese cake to go. Here I was standing in front of this woman about to ask her to help me with my weight problem but stood there my words frozen in my mind. I kept thinking how could this woman possibly sit there and tell me that I needed to get healthy if she couldn't even follow her own advice. I did ask her to check my thyroid because I had been so tired and had other symptoms..she was very nice and obliged me ...I left thinking I really hope she can get a handle on her problem...the last I heard she and her sister both had gastric bypass surgery ...I sure wish them luck!

Answer 4

I guess they live by the old adage : do as I say and not as I do ?

Or perhaps they too have a medical problem : physician heal thyself ?

The fat they carry has nothing to do with the knowledge they acquired in their brains. LOL

Answer 5

Long working hours, irregular diet , Job pressure etc.. If this will not kill you than certainly make you out of shape..

I personally know few cardiologists and surgeons who seriously suffer from heart disease..

Answer 6

Are health professionals not human or something?