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When is obese not obese?
written by Steve Barrett, 1 mth ago
I hear in the news that some people are being offended by Dr's who call them obese rather than saying they are 'a bit fat'.
Poor old doctors can't win can they, obesity isn't 'caught' like a virus it's the result of over eating and lack of exercise so it must be really hard for them to sit there with people with worn out joints, diabetes and heart problems who are focused on these conditions but don't see the connection with their weight - so lets be clear, doctors only use terms like obese because they have real meanings rather than being vague. If you BMI is 30 then they will class you as obese unless they can see that you are 'all muscle' rather than fat but it doesn't end at BMI 30 there are more terms that apply for even heavier people these a set by the W.H.O.
BMI 30 to 34 is just classed as obese then you get into specific groups
* Any BMI 35 or 40 is severe obese
* A BMI of 40–44.9 or 49.9 is morbid obese
* A BMI of 45 or 50 is super obese
So the doctor is only following the guidelines not pointing their finger at you so if you do find your self in this situation talk to them and really listen to what they have to say. Small changes to lifestyle can make huge changes to your weight but only if you can establish the real reason for you getting to this weight - and as a PT of 20 years I'm yet to meet a person who actually has BIG BONES so sorry I doubt that's the reason!
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| Sent 1 mth ago I dont have an issue with how the doctor might call me, nobody should feel offended by medical terms. My concern is if he can really make a coherent medical history assessement, then analyse it and help me with a personalised weight loss plan. | ![]() |
