Does your doctor comment about your weight?

I have recently been to the doctor and he/she never says anything about my weight.  I'm 22 years old and weigh 270 lbs, waaay overweight.  Don't they consider this a health risk.  No one even mentions that I need to lose weight, my health could be affected, etc.  Has anyone else experienced this?  I just figure since obesity is such an issue in the US doctors should be talking about it.

I think it depends on the doctor... my doctor doesnt speak english very well and i find him kind of rude.... last time i went to the doctor i asked if i had lost any weight, he had said yes and then was like, you need to keep going and gave me this look... i was so insulted! lol that just be though im super sensitive

Some doctors are afraid of not being PC. Have you been trying to loose weight? if so what have you been doing? I just started the south beach diet. EVERYONE in my dads family has diebetis and i figure if i dont start now I am going to get it too.

I appreciate doctors, but fear some of them are nothing more then drug dispensers.  Are health care is mostly curative, so they wait until someone comes to them with a problem and then they're given a prescription to fix it.

Curing disease is absolutely necessary I just think prevention should be a persons primary focus.  So yes I think they should be talking with you about your weight and helping you with a plan to lose it. 

Recently I have seen both of my Doctor's and each one commented that since my last visit I had gained weight (20 pounds in 2 years) and encouraged me to begin a fitness / healthy eating program to work on my weight. I have been a patient of one of the Doctor's for over 15 years (I am 30) and the other Doctor for about five years. Both were very kind and speaking out of genuine concern and also had suggestions on healthy, realistic ways to loose weight. I told both Doctor's that I was aware that I am obese (based on BMI) and had just begun to work on loosing weight and asked each of them what they suggested I aim for as a goal weight (this site says I should be 127 as I am 5'3", medium build, started out at 197 on 7.2 and am now 186.3 today) and interestingly, both said they thought 127 is healthy, but unrealistic while 135 to 140 is more realistic and still healthy. The Doctor that I have had for over half my life said if I get down to 127, then I will weigh less than I ever have as her patient (and since she began seeing me as a teenager that is a bit concerning, although I have always been on the heavy side). They were both very encouraging to me. One more thing, I saw one Doctor in July and the other in August and they share information with each other and the one I saw in July sent me a card saying she noticed that my weight had dropped in about a month and she is proud that I am loosing at a healthy rate.

My advice to anyone that isn't getting similar feedback from their Doctor is to bring it up to them and discuss it or switch to a Doctor that cares about your long term health and well-being.

Make it a great day!

Smiles, Dacia 

I have a woman doctor, and she is very helpful in my quest to lose weight the healthy way.  She was so thrilled that I had lost almost 30 lbs. and kept telling me how terrific it was.  She also wanted to know if I did it the healthy way and wanted to make sure that I wasn't taking any diet pills which she said has too many negative impacts.  IMO, I think woman doctors are more empathic to overweight women but still are firm on what is healthy.  

Isn't it funny though when your doctor advises you to loose weight and You look at them and they need to loose as much weight as you do?

My doctor is actually the complete opposite.  When I saw him in March, I weighed 149 pounds, with a BMI of 26.4 (slightly overweight).  Though people told me that I didn't look it (I'm a runner so I'm pretty muscley), he gave me the deal about being right on the edge of normal weight/overweight.  Didn't matter that I was feeling good and was probably fitter than he was (could run 3 miles in 30 minutes).

I dropped some weight and went to see him in June.  Weighed 138 pounds, BMI of 24.4, a "healthy" weight, was running 3 miles in 28 minutes.  He didn't say a word about my weight, because I was in the "healthy" weight range according to his wonderful BMI chart.  All I'd lost was 11 pounds!  He was harping on 11 freaking pounds in March???  I was so mad!  I've lost a little more since June (only 6.5 pounds, but at this lower weight, 6.5 pounds looks like a LOT on me, and I've really had to struggle to lose those pounds).

Stupid doctors.  I have a BMI of 23.3 now, still a bit on the upper range but still "healthy", and I'm told that I do not look like I'm that heavy.  Stupid charts... they don't matter.  Go by what you look/feel like, not a chart... silly doctors...

My doctors only mentioned my weight problem when I was very young. Once I reached adulthood, they didn't say anything; at 180, no comments that I needed to lose weight, and at 84 (5'4"!), no comment that I needed to gain. I mentioned being cold all the time and was told I probably had a circulation problem and should exercise more. o_O

I have had to see a doctor every 3 months for over 6ys now for a medical condition that I have. She has seen me gain around 100lbs in about 3 years and has said nothing. I think she is being polite or maybe she is concerned about malpratice. I finally told her I had to do something about this weight and she suggested a specialist. So, Funny (weird not haha) story, I went to see this specialist and he just handed me this leaflet about general nutrition with the government standard food pyramid and guidelines that you can get from a cereal box. I kept asking him specific questions about weight loss, medications that I was taking, thyroid conditions. I was 235 lbs and needed help, but he just blew me off.
I just felt stuck.

I don't see my doctor all too often, although now on at least an annual basis because of the hiatal hernia I was diagnosed with last year.

He never mentioned my weight last year, although did say (generally) that being overweight can aggravate a hernia (but not specifically directing the comment at me).  He never directly said " you need to lose weight", although at the time it was quite obvious that I did.  I don't know - maybe he didn't feel the need to mention it because my blood work and blood pressure were all completely normal.

At my last appointment I was at the 22 pound loss mark, and he did make a comment, I see you've lost some weight - but looking at the chart from when the nurse weighed me.  Then he asked if I've noticed any improvements physically or have any concerns.  He was very matter of fact about it, didn't note my appearance, but did ask about what kind of exercise I was doing.  He just said keep up the exercise, because it's the best way to keep my heart and bones healthy, and to not overdo it by being wary of injuries, etc.

He didn't take too much of an interest in my weight before, but is encouraging now that I've improved my exercise habits.  All in all, I can't complain.

At my annual check-up last year, my doctor said that I was overweight, but except for that, I was healthy. (I'm 5'6.5", was ~250#, currently 182#) 

This year's check-up, which was actually last week, she didn't say anything about it until I asked what a good weight for me would be.  She then told me she was impressed with the amount of weight I'd lost and with how I'd been doing it.  She also said that I should be aiming for a BMI of about 26.  I never really thought about how my doctor never really said anything my being overweight. 

Thanks for all responses.  It's just weird that doctors are supposed to be looking after our heatlh but usually fail to mention the most obvious health problems we have, weight.  I have Kaiser medical coverage and I know they offer weight management classes and other resources but my doctor has never mention thses to me.  Why are they there if they're not being utilized to the fullest.  Sorry for my rant.

you're 270 pounds, he probably assumes that you already know you have to lose weight

I suspect a good many doctors are realistic about their patients weights and the fact that until the patient is ready to lose the weight, discussions (or lectures) are at best a waste of time and at worst, counterproductive.

My PCP didn't mention my weight at all.  My former gynecologist has a standard weight loss lecture that I listened to every year for four years.  I say former because when I began losing weight, I scheduled my annual exam with my PCP.  When I mentioned to her that I didn't want to go back and listen to "the speech" again, she mentioned that she had found that most patients don't react well to weight loss discussions. 

My PCP has been very supportive of my weight loss efforts, initially she gave me what she thought would be a good calorie level and we discussed limiting fat vs. sodium and which should be primary when I'm shopping.  Since then, she's commented positively on my weight loss and been very open to answering all my questions.

I actually had gone to see an allergist in April - before I decided to change my lifestyle for health and weightloss.  And the first thing out of his mouth was "... well, aside from being very overweight..."

I was so insulted and actually very angry about that.  My weight wasn't why I was there to talk to him - the hives I was covered in WAS and why he felt that he needed to point out to me that at 245lbs I was overweight, I  have no idea! 

I go to a different doctor now. :):)

I don't know what factors doctors take into account, but my doctor TOTALLY called me on my weight. He is the reason I lost it. I was 195 (I'm 5-4) and he said I needed to lose at least 30 lbs. The kicker was when my cholesterol was waaaay high and that's when I got serious.

my doctor doesn't beat around the bush. 
I'd been blowing off her "you need to get down to a healthy weight" speech, for almost 2yrs.  then when she told me my blood pressure was getting too high, and then I went to her about my snoring problem, and then it turned out I had sleep apnea....

well, all of sudden I took the hint.

I haven't seen her since last fall -- I've lost a little over 40lbs since then -- I have my yearly (groan) appt set for next month, I can't wait to see what her reaction will be.

I had just quit smoking and had put on 20 pounds which is pretty typical, and my 300+ pound Dr. told me I needed to loose weight.  I was 5"11" and 200 pounds.  Granted I did need to loose weight, but not as much as him and I was still strugling with the no smoking.  I don't see him any more.

I see my doc every 4 mnths for high blood pressure (main reason to lose weight).  He doesn't say anything about weight.

Last time I asked!!!  He told me according to his chart, anything over 30# overweight was 'obese' and I was 10 # over that.

I was shocked.  I only wore a size 16 and to have the word obese associated with me was a blow.  I weighted 200.

Betcha a lot of docs don't bring it up because of reactions like cjeka's.  That and they have about 7.5 minutes to discuss whatever brought you in and that's not to conducive to opening the whole weight loss can o worms.

The last doc who brought it up with me was when I was in college, the woman probalby had a bmi of 17 and she referred me to a book, I wish I could remember what it was but it was DEFINITELY NOT about losing weight in a rational and healthy way so I thought 'what does she know? skinny wench' and kept on eatin'.  Dumb reaction but there ya go.

Most of the "old school" doctors, in my experience, are only too happy to tell you you need to lose weight, and generally do not deliver the memo in the most delicate fashion.  Some of the younger doctors I've recently seen tend to be more, I don't know, gentle and hesitant to bring it up if you don't.  Not that it's a good thing, just my experience.  My current doctor is like this, has never mentioned it whatsoever.  However, he does know that I am already full well aware that I need to lose weight, so maybe that has something to do with it.  He listens to me and what I am telling him, which is more than I can say for a lot of doctors, and then does what is necessary to fix the problem. 

Warning:  Too much information coming, please look away if squeamish.  LOL.  When I had my gastric bypass 8 years ago, I had told the surgeon before the surgery that I was interested in getting plastic surgery for my boobs which have always been, well, saggy does not cover it.  I'm talking National Geographic here.  It is a HUGE point of embarrassment and humiliation for me and always has been.  I told the doc this.  Well, prior to all this, I was told there would be a breast exam during my pre-surgery exam.  Well, when I got there for it, there was no breast exam.  He deferred the exam on me.  He didn't even mention it, I only assumed to  consider my feelings and save me that humiliation.  Yes, I know he's a doctor and has seen it all before. . . anyway.  

On the other hand, in my job (medical transcriptionist), there are invariably doctors who will, almost gleefully, and sometimes with great disdain and obvious prejudice, dictate at least a dozen times through a physical examination that the patient is morbidly obese, when once would suffice.  It's like it totally consumes their thought process and, in case I didn't already mention that the patient is fat, let me make sure I mention it again.  This is also the mentality of the doctors who will tell you that if you drop a large pickle jar on your foot and break your toe, it's because you're fat, and that losing weight will cure whatever happens to be wrong with you at the time.  

I don't know which version is better.  I've seen both.   I've actually been told by one, in the context of my being morbidly obese, that, "Whatever is wrong with you now is the LEAST of your worries." 

"Gee, great bedside manner there, doc.  I'm probably going to die later today.  I'll be on the lookout for it.  Thanks!" :-)