First off, I am fully aware that there are lots of things wrong with our health care system in America. I worked for a nonprofit breast center for years and saw first hand just how corrupt things are in terms of it.
Talking about health care and popular (yet unnecessary) medical practices in America today gets me hot headed. I can talk on top of a soap box all day long, but I promise for the sake of reading something you enjoy and something that you can get back to your life, I won’t do that today.
I will however bring light to what I truly think.. one of the greatest issues right now with our health care system is our doctors. (Gasp… this coming from a girl who had planned on med school!).
Don’t worry, I know there are lots of amazing doctors out there too. I worked for one that I respected a lot and my personal doctor is amazing. This is not directed to the wonderful docs out there that truly do want nothing but a better life for their patients.
Why Doctors Are To Blame For Poor Health Care
They’re Pill Fairies
I consider myself a pretty holistic person. I don’t take medications unless 100% necessary, I don’t eat processed foods, I eat a diet 99.9% plant based (since I am vegan), and yes I exercise a lot. All of which goes against about 90% of Americans thanks to our Doctors.
Have a headache? Here’s a pill. Have the stomach ache? Here’s a pill. Annoyed by your husbands snoring? Here’s a pill for both of you.
It seems like no matter the issue, there is some prescription that can solve it.
But in reality what most pills do is mask the real issue at hand.
Did you know that 1 in 3 Americans are obese? And another 36% are overweight?
With all the weight building up that means more diabetes, more cancer, more heart disease, more depression, more sleep apnea, more migraines, more fertility issues, more gastrological issues… well you get the idea.
Instead of treating the underlining cause here, which is obesity, doctors are treating the above symptoms with a pill.
A New Direction
However that is all about to change because we’re so lucky they are looking out for us. Doctors have finally realized the importance of weight management for overall health, so they have been pressuring the FDA to approve a weight loss pill! Yay!! Oh… wait. A pill?
You betcha, doctors have been lobbying for the approval of a new weight loss pill, you may have heard about this, it’s called Belviq.
And what Belviq can do is help you drop around 5% of weight (or an average of 12 pounds over one year). Along with give you constipation, depression, migraines, and memory lapses. Oh yea, and rats that were tested with this pill had an increase risk of cancer.
Winner!?
Thanks Doc.
Poor examples.
We all want to trust our doctors. We go to them when we want advice on how to be healthier and how to have a better life. Right? They tell you that it’s best to take this pill or that pill and you do it.
Why?
Because they went to school for a really long time and we trust them.
If they told you that your ailments could be healed with some exercise and tweaks to your diet, would you listen? Chances are that you might.
But what about if they’re fat and clearly unhealthy themselves?
True: 53% of doctors are fat.
That means there are more overweight doctors than there are healthy weight doctors. If Dr. Smith is 100 pounds overweight, how is he/she going to be able to motivate any patients to get in shape?
There’s more to the story.
Overweight doctors are less likely to discuss weight issues with patients than healthy doctors. It’s not that they are necessarily avoiding the issue, but a study showed that overweight doctors don’t think that their overweight patients are actually “overweight”.
Loving My Doctor
I am not putting the blame on all doctors, after all they are doing what they were taught in Medical School. I am however a big believer that their curriculum needs to updated to match the issues of our time.
They should have more than a single lecture on exercise and discussing weight loss with patients.
Nutrition and fitness should be a huge component of their educational journey. After all 90% of poor health comes back to diet and fitness, so it only makes sense for those things to be emphasized.
Again to clarify, I don’t think that all doctors are behind the issues in our system. I love my doctor very much and she understands my life and my ideals. This makes it perfect when we talk about issues going on and how best to manage them.
I have a lot of clients who feel their doctors pass over them too quickly, instead of getting to the real issues they look at a chart and blood results and hand over a piece of paper with a prescription and dose written out.
I understand that we also have insurance issues and government issues, yet the ones that influence us the most are the ones that are closest to us: our doctors.
Questions:
- What are your thoughts?
- Do you agree that this new weight loss drug should come out?
Sources:
- FDA Clears First New Weight Loss Pill In 13 Years
- Fat Doctors Are less Likely To Help Patients Lose Weight
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely agree with you. My doctor never takes the time to look into my issues. I’ve always felt theres something off with my doctors, and I don’t go to them for advice anymore. Instead I’ve made an effort to look at my lifestyle and change things to get to the root of the problem instead of all these worthless quick fixes. I’m glad someone has the same viewpoint on this as me.
Sarah, right back at you! Glad to know someone shares the same thoughts. Thanks
My dr had me on Zoloft after I had Bradley but I haven’t taken it since I started bootcamp…it’s strange how exercise can have such an effect on your mood.
Heather, I know you know Legally Blonde… Exercise gives people endorphins and endorphins make people happy!
100% AGREE and i have been preaching the same thing for years!!! They now know that over 75% of the entire cost of our healthcare ystem is directly related to OBESITY! But almost no doctor will say this to their patients. There is NO MONEY in prescribing good health!
I live on fruits, veges and green tea. I do not drink soda and any type of fruits drink. I do not eat or drink any dairy products. I am also on wheat and gluten free diet. I eat as much organic as I possibly can. I work out everyday. I believe that med doctors are the worst people you can go to for weight problem and nutrition advice. I’ve heard that Medical school does not teach anything about nutrition. All they know is synthetic medicine. Doctors also receive some kind of compensation from pharmaceutical companies if they sell so much of their products. I believe that we can cure most of our illness ourselves. Do Yoga and meditate!
As to diet pills, they do not work! Don’t people know that by now? If diet pills actually work, all gyms would be out of business! Just eat healthy and exercise! I love working out! It feels so good to sweat! I do intense interval training at home and I am hooked! My body does not like the way it feels when I miss workout.
Great points! I am also dairy free and close to wheat free. I feel great!
Thanks for posting!