In the original blog, Musings of a Distractible Mind, the writer (Dr. Rob) contemplates whether obese people really need to be told that they need to lose weight. The blog in general is great, this MD is very mindful of his practice, his patients, and of the woes of U.S. Health Care. He's witty about it too, which helps to lighten up some heavy topics.
The specific post mentioned in the Times, entitled Shame, is really entriquing. I'm sure that it's frustrating for doctors to see patients who they feel are not following their recommendations when it comes to health, but shaming someone for not taking your medical advice is not a tactic that will make people change their behaviors. I doubt that if a doctor routinely told me that I need to stop drinking soda, I would. When I feel more shameful about it, I struggle even more with stopping.
But the idea that their personal worth lies on their BMI is extremely damaging. There are a lot of screwed-up skinny people out there; just look at super-models...Our culture of accusation and shame simply makes obese people hate themselves. If you hate yourself, why should you want to take care of your body?
An interesting concept brought up to me by a friend who has for many years reclaimed the fat chick label, was that after losing a bit of weight she felt like she was betraying herself. She had spent so many years accepting herself at the weight she was that she had to change her image of herself and tell herself it was okay to lose the weight. We need medical providers and a society that accepts us at all weights, and allows us to be what we are. Kudos to Dr. Rob for his post!
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