These guys can cure cancer and win the war on obesity. If we let them.
The power of the white coat can’t be underestimated. Even though we don’t see our doctors as much as other influencers in our lives, their words can spur us into action.
A recent study found that 65% of patients will try to slim down after their doctor tells them they should. On the other hand only 39% of people attempt to diet if their doctor doesn’t suggest any action.
It’s estimated that obesity accounts for $90 billion in direct health care costs annually in the US and 300,000 premature deaths (2004 numbers). Take a second and think about that … the impact on our Medicaid/Medicare systems, the impact in our communities and families, the number of people around us that we lose over simply overeating.
Yet, if a doctor says, “you’ve gotta lose weight,” spurs 26% more individuals to do something about their weight isn’t it worth it? Shouldn’t we encourage doctors to tell everyone with a BMI over 25 (the threshold for being overweight) to shed a few pounds? Afterall it’s a lot easier to lose it when there’s only a few pounds than 30, or 50, or more.
I made a comment on a panel at FitBloggin this past weekend that Obama could solve the financial crisis in the US if he just came and talked to me. The response was laughter but I was serious! If primary care physicians were better trained on counseling patients about obesity, if we gave them printed material that they could pass onto their patients, AND if we went to a dramatic but simple step of putting medically trained personal trainers into doctor’s offices image how far we could go against the war on obesity.
It really is that simple. Yet right now, only 61% of doctors talk to their patients about losing weight because they’re “too busy.”
Makes you shake your head doesn’t it?
So what do you think about your doctor influencing your waistline? Would a doc urging you to drop a few pounds get you to at least try? Would it work better than your spouse nagging you? What do you think?
Cheers,
Lisa
