yer fat! i'll sue!

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:42pm

too much fun this country of ours...
obesity and the lawyers who love it

[xxnewgirlxx]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 1:55pm

This story pisses me off!

I thank GOD my doctor told me I was fat 2 years ago. I needed to hear it. I joined Weight Watchers 3 days later and lost over 50 lbs.

This woman knows the doctor is right, just too...embarrassed, proud, or stupid to admit it.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 2:08pm

Did patients sue their doctors for telling them to quit smoking, too? Geez.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 2:10pm

It's stuff like this that drives up the cost of health insurance.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 2:19pm

Actually, the primary drivers of health care costs are technological advances in treatment and drug therapy. Malpractice suits represent a very small portion of health care's total costs.

Posted: 8/25/05 at 2:25pm

Doctors are well known for not always being the most sensitive creatures on this earth. Not all, just a few. When you run into one that lacks compassion (as you see it) than just thank him for his services, take your medical records and seek another physician. A bad bed side manner is not a reason to lose your license.


Updated On: 8/26/05 at 02:25 PM

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 2:50pm

First of all I think this lawsuit is ridiculous and like chita said she should just switch doctors, but what she is objecting to is that he said this:

"He said he tells obese women they most likely will outlive an obese spouse and will have a difficult time establishing a new relationship because studies show most males are completely negative to obese women."

He's probably right and I'm sure he was just trying whatever he could do to get her to listen to him, but is it really okay for him to tell her she's going to die alone if she doesn't lose weight?
Lawsuit Article

[Broadwayboobs]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 2:55pm

This is so stupid !!! She's probably in love with the doctor, but because of her weight he wants nothing to do with her. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 2:59pm

So, if a doctor says to me, "You have cancer." I can sue them?

How do these cases make it to court in the first place?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 3:08pm

Kind of reminds me of the stupid lawsuit brought about by the woman who attempted to sue the guy who played "Rum Tum Tugger" in Cats because he wanted to dance with her during his number and she was "traumitized". I believe the judge threw out that suit and rightfully so. Hope this one gets thrown out as well.

*Edited for misspellings"

Updated On: 8/25/05 at 03:08 PM

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 3:08pm

That is insane.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 5:27pm

"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.

I believe Mr. Costin is right. Not all patients respond well to paternalistic reprimands. Maybe a couple of good lawsuits will wake up the brusque physicians who are used to being considered god-like creatures who will not be questioned by mere mortals and it will motivate them to figure out to work WITH patients and meet them where they are at and together find ways to move through James Prochaska's "Stages of Change Model."

More people do better working collaboratively on their wellness with care givers than taking orders from Dr. Daddy.

For those who care, here's an overview on the stages of change model, from the URI website:

"Five stages of change have been conceptualized for a variety of problem behaviors. The five stages of change are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.

Precontemplation is the stage at which there is no intention to change behavior in the foreseeable future. Many individuals in this stage are unaware or underaware of their problems.

Contemplation is the stage in which people are aware that a problem exists and are seriously thinking about overcoming it but have not yet made a commitment to take action.

Preparation is a stage that combines intention and behavioral criteria. Individuals in this stage are intending to take action in the next month and have unsuccessfully taken action in the past year.

Action is the stage in which individuals modify their behavior, experiences, or environment in order to overcome their problems. Action involves the most overt behavioral changes and requires considerable commitment of time and energy.

Maintenance is the stage in which people work to prevent relapse and consolidate the gains attained during action. For addictive behaviors this stage extends from six months to an indeterminate period past the initial action."

This theoretical model has worked very well in smoking and alcohol cessation programs and seems to apply to other behavior changes as well.

And on a side note, what kind of ridiculous sexist nonsense is it to tell a woman that if she outlives her obese husband she'll NEVER get another man if she's overweight. For Christ's sake. I'm reminded of Gilda Radner as Rhonda Weiss in "Goodbye Saccharin":

Statistics prove that guys prefer skinny girls WITH cancer over healthy girls with flabby thighs.

[The Grovers Corners Yenta]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 5:46pm

As an obese woman who has heard ans seen everything when it comes to dealing with doctors when it comes to dealing with weight issues, I feel I must speak my mind. There is an apporopriate manner in which to deal with a patient. I once went to to a doctor asking tohave my tubes tied. He said, " What would you need your tubes tied for? You are obese and probably aren't sexually active." I walked out immediately. I am very lucky to have doctors today who treat obesity as should be.....a disease that requires treatment rather than a behavioral flaw. Encouraging a patient to eat healthly, excersise and seek surgical intervention if needed is the way to go. On the otherhand, this woman is suing her doctor which is does not help the situation at all. It just gives the doctor more power to keep on doing this.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 5:56pm

Okay, what percentage of readers just thought the following initials: TMI?

I'm not sure I follow how you arrived at your conclusion, Grovers.

[Orpheum]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 5:59pm

I don't think it helps to class obesity as a disease. Sure, it may a by-product of some diseases, but disease in itself? No. Get off your asses, folks, instead of whinging about your "disease".
Updated On: 8/25/05 at 05:59 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:02pm

It's more satisfying to whing about your spelling, anyway.

Shaming people isn't an effective wellness motivation strategy, Orpheum.

[Orpheum]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:04pm

Well, I believe it's more helpful than indulging the notion that obesity is a disease.

And 'whinging' is spelled correctly, I think you shall find.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:08pm

While some people are more inclined to become obese with lower metabolisms and whatnot, I highly doubt that, except for a very small percentage of people, it can be clasified as a disease.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:09pm

Ah, sorry, "chiefly British," it says in my dictionary. I hope that doesn't colour your opinion of me.

"Well, I believe it's more helpful than indulging the notion that obesity is a disease."

Shaming somebody is the exact opposite thing to do if you actually care about helping them make consistent, sustainable health behavior-related, sorry, behaviour-related changes in order to help them improve the quality of their lives right now, as well as their future potential.

On the other hand, if making yourself feel superior to them is a goal to make YOU feel better, it will most definitely work.

Updated On: 8/25/05 at 06:09 PM

[The Grovers Corners Yenta]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:12pm

I arrived at my conclusion Namo from my own personal experiences dealing with the medical profession. It reminds me a bit of Tom Cruise saying that post partum depression needs diet , excersise ans scientology.

[Orpheum]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:14pm

Well, that's me told, FindingNamo. I don't declare myself to be any sort of psychologist - but if you say so, it must be true!
Updated On: 8/25/05 at 06:14 PM

[Thenardier]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:16pm

Shame is, sadly, someitmes the only way.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:20pm

The only way to what? Shame people? There is ample evidence that there are two strategies that absolutely do not encourage people to make long-term sustainable health-related behavior changes and they are shame and/or fear. They simply DO NOT WORK.

So how does one arrive at "shame is sometimes the only way?" The only way to get your frustration out at the person you are allegedly trying to "help?"

And Grovers, I meant how did you arrive at your conclusion that the lawsuit would give this doctor MORE power to continue being unhelpful.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:23pm

To get people to take action.

You can't say, "you're fat. If you do not lose weight you may as well die."

You tell them all the things they may miss out on being overweight.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/25/05 at 6:29pm

Hi. Are you reading any of this or just going on what "sounds right" in your mind? Have you actually tested out any of these theories and found that they work in the long-term? Because there is scads of documented evidence that says shaming does nothing but make people feel horrible about themselves and generally increase the health-negative behaviors they got caught up in to make themselves better in the first place.