Tackling obesity among the medical profession

Nowadays obesity is an everyday increasingly serious health problem worldwide. It increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes, chronic disease, and death. At the beginning of last century seventies, the World Health Organization declared obesity as a disease.

Before last century sixties people wanted to be obese. Overweighed were socially best watched than skinny or slim people. In those times, in shops, bars, stores and barns it was frequent to watch, hung on a wall, a framed picture with two men figures with phrases above them. On right always was a happy super obese man, dressed as a king, with a big cigar, laughing, and on side him a safety box full of well-organized money packages. On top that figure was written “I sold for cash”. On left was a bad dressed misery and very skinny man, hopeless and surrounded by cockroaches, mice and rats eating old receipt papers from his creditors. On top it was written “I sold to credit”. How times have changed, now it’s better to be slim, and to sell to credit! All of us were so impacted that we wanted to be as that rich man, and to take an obese biotype, similar to him. This shows us that people are visual and we can be easily attracted by colors, figures and images that exist in our around environment. Another good example of that type of attraction is that produced by farandole’s personalities, popular singers, TV or film actors, sportsmen, etc. Latin American people like the fashion promoted by those social protagonists. Latin@s eat, dress, adopt even bad habits, and live, similar to them.

These two above expressed examples tell us that internal and external health presentation of Doctors plays a fundamental role in promoting good health.

The real picture in those countries is not the ideal; three or four months after beginning their last internist year, medical students, in a high percentage, abruptly increase their body mass index. In hospitals where they work are offered meals of a very low biological quality. Because of the daily very high demanding work, students don’t have the necessary time for eating well, and for adopting a good lifestyle. They live a sedentary one.

It is important to note here that many programs for promoting lowering weight in clinics, hospitals, and other health dispensaries are directed and coordinated by obese doctors, with high levels in blood glucose, or triglycerides, or cholesterol, who don’t like to adopt a good health behavior. Many of them promote to their patients an irresponsible hedonist life.

We think that it is obscene, for a patient to visit a badly dressed doctor, with a big visceral fat, a waist circumference greater than 120, and a body mass index higher than 30, smoking a cigarette or drinking alcoholic beverages, or sugar sweetened drinks, or eating fried meals, or worse, consuming narcotics, or drunk. It’s time to debate whether or not, an obese doctor, with high level in one or many lab parameters can be allowed to participate in primary health care. We think that interns, general practitioners, residents, paramedicals, and doctors must be an example in health for all people. They must be a good reference. They must be different from their patients and have an implacable health form. We think that all of them must be obliged to have good health. It´s part of their role in controlling the alarming increase in obesity and chronic disease worldwide. It´s a good form for promoting a healthy life, and helping their patients. Doctor’s presentation and his daily correct behavior is one of the best wonderful campaigns for promoting health in society. It is like a good real plug on radio or TV. This doctor’s effect is a well, natural, look for his patients. It´s like practical advice, a good and interesting form of education in health. It´s like a culture for learning from doctors. Patients always look to their doctors’ characteristics and treat of following them. They like doctors with a healthy appearance.

Great part of success in the fight against obesity depends of the daily medical presentation and attitude. Doctors are similar to the most preferred by people: TV or film actors, or singers. They have big powers of influence for enhancing patients’ perception and promoting self-motivation. Health professionals, with their presentation and daily acts must be the first in solving the current obesity pandemic. We need to return to honesty giving a positive message about health to our patients. We must lead them by good examples.