Dr. will not treat patients over 200 lbs.

[jcpolsky]

This doctor has stopped seeing patients over 200 pounds. Is this fair? Curious what other Cathletes think.

Hot Topic Tuesday: Too Heavy for Treatment? | The Fit Stop

[ElleJay]

Tell the doctor's staff to start doing Cathe - that will whip them in shape.

Seriously though, that's a tough one. I've seen some nurses that are 5' and 90 lbs, don't think that they should be expected to assist double their weight. My husband is 205 and 6'5, he only has a little belly, I guess we would have to find another doctor.

When I went to EMT school - before those cool gurneys that auto lift - they were always putting the heaviest person on the gurney as part of the final test . And we had to do the carry with the heavier ones, too.

So it it fair to the heavier folks? No - but it is the doctor's practice, and if he doesn't want to treat the heavier ones due to safety concerns, that is his/her call.

[sme702]

As a nurse in a hospital, I can personally say it IS very hard to help out overweight patients. The older and heavier they get, the less they move and depend on us to even turn them in bed (really). Its a daily struggle for us and there are times when it takes 2 of us to turn a pt. (btw, it took 6 rns to turn a 500+ lb pt to clean her)
Im not seeing, however, the struggles you would have in a doctors office. How much lifting would they have there to determine the doctor to not see pts in that setting? If the pt can walk (or wheelchair) into an office and sit in the waiting room -- then whats the problem?

[Cafelattee]

another nurse here and the size of patients is one of the reasons I started heavy weight lifting over a decade ago. I'm 42 now and have to stay in shape cause I lift 300 and 400 + folks. I have seen way to many nurse with back injury cause they don't know body mechanics and just don't have the upper body strength for a over weight population. I've had 250 lb muscle men fall on me and I was able to hold them up and slide them to the floor instead of them just hitting the floor. ALL nurses need weight lifting.

We now have lots of hydraulic lifts and stuff but in the E/R with don't have time for that stuff its 1,2, 3 everybody lift.

I also happen to be one of those nurse that practice what I preach. I seriously have issue with over weight medical folks. I don't expect everyone to be able to do a Cathe workout but they should at least keep a walking cardio routine and keep a low body fat -

as for the doctor refusing over 200lb that excludes a lot of very fit men but I can generally understand where they are coming from

I still remember my first morbid obsess patient in 1991. She weight 420 pounds at 5'4". She couldn't do anything on her own in a healthy state but after a abdominal surgery - where she had a 2 foot horizontal incision (lots of fat just to get to her organs - it just would not heal. It was left open where we manually cleaned out the would 4 times a day. Its just completely sad. I've seen way more since then.

[mrsprincess07]

As a person that believes in the freedom to make your own choices, especially in business, I support his choice. However as a patient, I am personally tired of the attack against overweight and obese people. It's enough and honestly, it's the only form of discrimination that isn't taken seriously. You couldn't object to seeing someone based on religion, race, gender, or age (ok a Peds Dr couldn't see an 80 yr old), why is it ok to say "sorry fatty, you're too huge or disgusting to take on".

To just put a blanket statement out there that all people over X weight are out is IMO, an oversight. Not everyone is globulous and weak and it's insulting to larger people around this country to assume that. Hell, many female olympians are over 200s. I saw a photo a few weeks ago of different athletes that range from 98 lbs to 400 lbs (all female). Don't label someone because of their weight or size and it's narrow-minded to do so.

But again, it's his business and he can define the parameters at which he operates. I do respect that.

[suethepooh]

From the horses' mouths:

http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.ht...by-doctor.wcvb

This woman isn't "a little overweight" as she says. She's obese. There is a facility nearby that she was referred to that would be more appropriate. Medical professionals should take action to avoid liability both from patients and workmans compensation claims.

[TRSTACIE]

I agree that it's the doctor's decision to not treat larger patients. I do however find it sad that she has made that decision. Some people who are obese may have a medical condition that has made them that way. In addition to this, it is very likely that an obese person (regardless of the reason for the obesisty) will require extra medical attention today or in the future. It seems that this policy will turn away the patients that may need her help the most.

[Jenniferlove]

Originally Posted by suethepooh

From the horses' mouths:

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

This woman isn't "a little overweight" as she says. She's obese. There is a facility nearby that she was referred to that would be more appropriate. Medical professionals should take action to avoid liability both from patients and workmans compensation claims.

Wow, everyone has really good points.
Suethepooh, right on; doctors and all business should stay within their means of qualifications and direct patients to a more suitable facility.
It might not have been a decision eagerly made, but one made with sad realization instead.

[CeciFifi]

There are a lot of healthy people who are 200 (or+) pounds that do not require the help of nurses or assistants to move or carry them while visiting their doctor. Personally, I know that neither of my children, my husband or myself have ever needed help being carried or moved while at a doctor's office, especially when we are typically there for such standard ailments as the common cold, the flu, a yearly check up, sinus infections, menopausal symptoms, allergies, standard exams etc... To refuse to fill a prescription for anti-biotics because you weigh 200 or more pounds makes no sense to me at all.


IMO, to refuse care of anyone who is 200 pounds or more is discrimination, pure and simple. She likely refuses to see individuals based on their body weight - because she can. If she was my doctor, based on the rules she has communicated, I would refuse to see her any further. Alternately, I would find myself a new doctor who values people for who they are - just because she should.

[Stebby]

Doesn't this eliminate a lot of very it or minimally overweight men from her practice?

Stebby