What should I say to a doctor who recommends weight loss to treat my health condition?
Dr. Jon Robison offers this excellent advice:
If you have a health condition commonly considered to be “weight-related,” (most likely candidates are hypertension, abnormal cholesterol, abnormal blood glucose) and a health professional recommends weight loss as a solution, ask [them] the following questions:
What is the long-term success rate of the approach you are suggesting? What is the likelihood I will regain the weight I lose?
What is likely to happen to my health condition if I lose the weight and then regain it?
Is there any way to treat this condition that does not involve a focus on weight loss? (How would you treat a thin person who had the same condition?)
The answers given by your health professional to these questions should look something like:
The success rate is no better than 5% and it is quite likely that you will gain back all of the weight that you lost and perhaps a bit more.
It is quite possible that your health issues (high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, etc.) will get worse when you regain the weight.
All of these conditions can be helped through lifestyle changes with little or no weight loss. (A Health-Centered Approach) The best treatment for a fat person for any of these conditions is the same treatment that would be recommended for a thin person…
NOTE: If you don’t get something like these answers, consider seeking help elsewhere.
