Report: Doctors Refusing to Treat Overweight Patients

Report: Doctors Refusing to Treat Overweight Patients

www.cnsnews.com

Fifteen obstetrics-gynecology practices out of 105 polled by the Sun Sentinel said they have set weight limits for new patients. Some of the doctors said the main reason was their exam tables or other equipment can't handle people over a certain weight, but at least six said heavy women run a higher risk of complications.

"There's more risk of something going wrong and more risk of getting sued. Everything is more complicated with an obese patient in GYN surgeries and in [pregnancies],"

(visit the link for the full news article)

Doctors in private practice have the right to refuse treatment to anyone for any reason. People who have abused their bodies in any fashion and thus represent a greater risk of complications and as such a higher probability of a law suit should be refused treatment by a doctor who decides it is unwise or simply unpleasant to treat them. A doctor in private practice has the same property rights as does a pub who can kick anyone out for any reason.

Becoming obese is in most cases a lifestyle and our current system subsidizes it (along with many other) lifestyles. These are folks who should be charged a significant amount for insurance if they get it at all or who should have to sign waivers against malpractice suits should they get treatment.

Eating a Big Mac a day is as much a choice as smoking. Why is it that you get a "tobacco rate" when applying for insurance, but there is no "execessive BMI" rate? There obviously should be.


www.cnsnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by dolphinfan

Until Lord Obama mandates Doctors to treat everyone.

Oh look, a troll thread against fat people. Never seen that before on ats.

I wonder if these doctors turn down patients who smoke, are anorexic, or are sexually promiscuous, or any other state that is an unhealthy lifestyle.

I know skinny people who are way more unhealthy then overweight people. Being skinny doesn't mean a person is healthy. And being heavy doesn't mean a person isn't.

You just keep going on with your bad self and your campaign to stereotype and marginalize an entire population of people.

reply to post by dolphinfan


HAHAHAHA thats private health care for you.

Right back at ya America

reply to post by dolphinfan


This is great. Obese people have been ignoring doctors warnings for YEARS. Its every doctor's right to ignore them right back.

Theres just no excuse for obesity. It takes years and years of eating more calories than you burn to become obese. Years. American doctors must shudder when extremely large people walk into their office.

Also, does anyone find it ironic that obese people ignore their own responsibility in their failing health yet are perfectly willing to sue a doctor if that doctor negatively affects their health? Even though that doctor was TRYING to improve their health. Tell me how that makes sense.

Do you think if more doctors refused to treat the obese that the obesity rates would go down? Its not like a doctor is telling them anything about fatty, dangerous food that they dont already know.

So, "Do no harm." now is transmuted into "Accept no risk"... how flaccid!

(Sorry, I hate it when the fabled angels of mercy and devoted medical professionals distance themselves from anything that might require diligent dedication, effort, and a moral commitment to improving any patient's well-being.)

reply to post by zookey


From a smoker to the all-you-all ........HA HA HA HA HA !!!!

So yesterday it was smokers who could be asked to pay outrageous taxes and higher insurance rates and STILL be denied treatment.

Smokers warned everyone it was a slippery slope but no one listened!

Today its fatties...tomorrow it will be drinkers...then people who get sexually transmitted diseases...then it will be genetically transmitted diseases (afterall, why should I pay higher rates for people with imperfect genes).

Pretty soon, we will all be paying through the nose and only those deemed fit will have health care (of course, they don't need it, now do they?)

TIRED OF CONTROL FREAKS

reply to post by doctornamtab


EXCUSE ME????

You MUST be a doctor.

I don't even know where to start rebutting this repugnant meme.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Oh look, a troll thread against fat people. Never seen that before on ats.

I wonder if these doctors turn down patients who smoke, are anorexic, or are sexually promiscuous, or any other state that is an unhealthy lifestyle.

I know skinny people who are way more unhealthy then overweight people. Being skinny doesn't mean a person is healthy. And being heavy doesn't mean a person isn't.

You just keep going on with your bad self and your campaign to stereotype and marginalize an entire population of people.

Its not a troll thread. Being obese unhealthy just like smoking except its much much worse for you.

And yes, doctors should be allowed to refuse service to people who may cause them legal trouble. Smokers, the obese, the stress addicts, drug addicts and everyone else that live unhealthy lifestyles. Its their business so its their decision.

Also its 15 practices that are doing this so there must be some precedent set. Some obese person must have sued the crap out of a neighboring practice and now the doctors are banding together to protect themselves.

This isnt a result of doctors being mean and predjudiced, its a result of our legal system allowing anyone and everyone to sue anyone and everyone for any reason. Its out of control and doctors (really all businesspeople) need to protect themselves.

reply to post by doctornamtab


So the solution is to let sick people get more ill.... and die if it comes down to it?

Hyperbole works both ways.

You want to blame people for being in a litigious society, start with the AMA who actually interposes itself in the legal system and stonewalls any attempts at accountability for their own hubris and malfeasance.

Maybe if there were no reason to sue they wouldn't get sued.

But no, doctors want to blame the injured party when their only mistake was trusting the doctor in the first place.

reply to post by doctornamtab


Let me guess, an Endocrinologist?
LOL.

There is a tiny bit of fact, in that Doctors rarely mention nutrition and it's role in health.
I've noticed a slight change in that. But most are just there to treat symptoms, hand out pills.

reply to post by doctornamtab


Did you know a study was done and found ~35% of students entering med-school tested as having narcissistic personality disorder?

reply to post by doctornamtab

So far, the weight cutoffs have been enacted only by South Florida ob-gyns, who have long complained about high numbers of lawsuits after difficult births and high rates for medical-malpractice insurance.

No where does it say that these lawsuits are all submitted by obese people. Sounds like an excuse to me.
If that is the case, then heavy doctors should not be allowed to treat people, since they obviously cannot take care of themselves, and take their own advice.

Many of the obese come from low income households due to lack of adequate healthy choices. Ever drive through a ghetto and see a large grocery store or see a farmer's market? I do everyday, and they aren't there.Obesity isn't a sign of lack of control, it is a sign of malnutrition and poor food choices.
So the people who need healthcare the most, are the ones being rejected.

And the high amount of lawsuits were there long before the obesity epidemic.

reply to post by unityemissions


I'm not a doctor people. Its a screen name.

Doctors take tons of liability for what they do. Afterall they have people's lives in their hands. But they are human and they do make mistakes. Also, the body isnt a machine. Diagnosis is REALLY REALLY hard. Thats why they go to school for like ten years. Why would doctors expose themselves to more lawsuits if they dont have to?

Everyone's health is THEIR responsibility. Not the doctors. The doctor isnt feeding you and watching over you.

All they can do is prolong life. We're all going to die.

And personally, I dont believe in going to doctors. I havent been to one in a decade. Luckily I havent had any major ailments but I stay healthy. Its hard work but its better than doctor visits, hospital bills and feeling like a lardo all the time.

Prevention of disease through exercise and eating right is much more beneficial than causing a health problem with your own personal choices and lifestyle then paying a doctor to fix the body you've already messed up.

In the UK at the moment, it is becoming increasingly common for NHS surgeons to recommend stomach stapling surgery for obese people. The idea is that if you treat these people by effectively reducing the size of their stomachs, the patient will be less of a burden to the health system by avoiding getting diabetes, which is a chronic long term illness. In the long run it is a cost saving measure, but still displays a level of compassion us in the UK take pride in.

A review of medical research involving 135,000 patients found that the symptoms of diabetes were resolved or improved in a majority of those who had bariatric surgery to help to lose weight.

Overall, 78 per cent of patients had a “complete resolution” of their diabetes for up to two years after surgery, while 87 per cent experienced either resolution or an improvement in their condition.

www.timesonline.co.uk...

I still don't see where its law that a doctor in private practice has to treat specific people. It still is a freedom to perform services for those you choose.
The opposite is forced work.

If the article was about how doctors in private practice refused to treat 30 something, white males, I would find a new area for a doctor. Not whine and complain that its just not fair.

Good grief, people can make choices as to how they see fit.

Originally posted by Maxmars
So, "Do no harm." now is transmuted into "Accept no risk"... how flaccid!

(Sorry, I hate it when the fabled angels of mercy and devoted medical professionals distance themselves from anything that might require diligent dedication, effort, and a moral commitment to improving any patient's well-being.)

By refusing patients treatment, they are not doing harm. The patients have already done the harm to themselves.

There is a very big difference to not doing harm and refusing to treat self inflicted damage duie to stupidity and ignorance.

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
In the UK at the moment, it is becoming increasingly common for NHS surgeons to recommend stomach stapling surgery for obese people. The idea is that if you treat these people by effectively reducing the size of their stomachs, the patient will be less of a burden to the health system by avoiding getting diabetes, which is a chronic long term illness. In the long run it is a cost saving measure, but still displays a level of compassion us in the UK take pride in.

A review of medical research involving 135,000 patients found that the symptoms of diabetes were resolved or improved in a majority of those who had bariatric surgery to help to lose weight.

Overall, 78 per cent of patients had a “complete resolution” of their diabetes for up to two years after surgery, while 87 per cent experienced either resolution or an improvement in their condition.

www.timesonline.co.uk...

Nothing like a Govt mandate to make you fell all warm and fuzzy inside.

Originally posted by macman
I still don't see where its law that a doctor in private practice has to treat specific people. It still is a freedom to perform services for those you choose.
The opposite is forced work.

If the article was about how doctors in private practice refused to treat 30 something, white males, I would find a new area for a doctor. Not whine and complain that its just not fair.

Good grief, people can make choices as to how they see fit.

With freedom of choice comes personal responsibility for that choice. If the doc refuses to treat you, guess what, it was your freedom of choice that led to this in the first place.