Obesity Care Week

 

As America's waistline increases so do the medical conditions and healthcare costs associated with the disease state causing this expanding phenomenon...Obesity. Obesity, unlike other disease conditions, was not recognized as a disease until a few years back. A medical condition that is the root cause of about 230 diseases was buried under social stigmatization, body shaming, prejudice, and most importantly misconception even among medical providers. 

About 33% of Americans are obese, the percentage of children affected by overweight has increased from 15% to 32% in the past 30 years. If we do not take action now, it is predicted that about 50% of adults will be obese by 2030. Obesity is not just a national problem but a global one. According to WHO, the prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016 worldwide.
 . What does it really mean? This means that time to take action is now! 

Take the NOCW Pledge

National Obesity Care Week (NOCW) is going to be observed September 15th-21st to raise awareness, to provide educational tools, to remove bias and to give access to health care.

Here is what you can do :

• Schedule a wellness exam with your Primary Care Provider. A wellness exam is always a good time to start the dialogue about your weight issue.
• Have a set goal weight, weight loss plan, and most importantly realistic expectation.
• Track your caloric intake. There are many smartphone apps that are user-friendly and free.
• Have a calorie-conscious eating plan. Find out the calorie content of every food before you place it in your mouth.
• Follow smart grocery shopping tips. Never go to the grocery store hungry, shop only in the periphery of the store that has the fresh produce and stays away from the free samples.
• Incorporate physical activity and fitness into your routine.
• If you follow all the above steps but still struggle with your weight, consult a professional. There are physicians certified to treat obesity called Bariatric Physician for medical weight loss options. Bariatric surgery may be suitable for patients who are morbidly obese and/or those patients who failed medical treatment. Dietitians/nutritionist, a health coach can provide additional help.
• Talk to your health insurance company and your employer about coverage for weight loss treatment be it Rx medications or surgery. There are a few health insurance companies with good plans for unlimited preventive service coverage whereas with some plan "obesity" is an exclusion.
• Do not blame yourself. Poor self-esteem, depression, anxiety, substance abuse are closely linked to obesity and have a poor outcome. Never be a silent spectator for weight bias..speak up!
• Beware of those fad diets and over-the-counter diet pills. 

There has been a significant advancement in the field of obesity medicine, so there is hope. As we see more medications in the market as well as more in the pipeline, there is definitely a surge of optimism. Also groups like Obesity Medicine Association, the STOP obesity alliance are constantly interacting with law-makers in Capitol Hill to bring about a positive change in healthcare, research, and education. So, this week, let's all join hands and take a pledge to spread the word about obesity, focus on healthy behavior, help those in need gain access to healthcare and remove weight bias. Together, we can tip the scale in our favor!

Body Mass IndexIs it Reliable Indicator of Obesity

Body Mass IndexIs it Reliable Indicator of Obesity

Cyberspace slandering

" Pen is mightier than sword" that's the old saying, nowadays " Social media is more powerful than any nuclear weapon. Disgruntled patients often resort to cyberspace to get the steam off. We as physicians do not have the luxury of time to follow their posts, blogs or bursts of tweets. The cause of dissatisfaction may range from long wait time to lack of Wifi in the waiting room. What gives them the right to lash out on us when we don't have an opportunity to defend ourselves?Seldom does a satisfied patient run home to give a 5 star rating for us. If patients treat medical office like hospitality service then we should not be asked to write off their copays or deductibles. Fallacious review online will tarnish an otherwise impeccable reputation of a committed physician. If only we get a chance to tweet about our temperamental patients or post a review about our abusive patients,I'm sure they will think twice about putting baseless accusation online.
        There were many instances in my office recently of patients threatening us openly about posting bad reviews in social media... the reason always seem to be with a statement for services provided. Their reluctance to pay or their lack of understanding of the insurance coverage gets twisted into a take of vulnerable patients caught in the hands of professional predators. Now where would I blog,report or post this?!Patients are now abusing this powerful tool in their palm to exploit, extort and defame us.
While I understand that every individual has the freedom of speech in this country, no one should be given the freedom of abusive speech. If medical offices are going to put in the same platform as pizzeria, then patient must be ready to keep their wallet out as soon as they step in. How often do they get to leave a pizzeria with a slice of pizza for free ?!   I feel that we all must join hands in curbing this culture of social media slandering of doctors. We can’t let anyone stain our white coat online with their dirty digital finger prints.
 Responding to your negative review is key. This ensures that you are taking every comment/review seriously. Short, crisp and assertive response always makes the best impression.
Secondly, one can try contacting Google, Yelp directly and flag it as abusive but it may or may not work.
If that doesn’t work, some physicians have penned their views to the patient asking them politely to delete those derogatory reviews. Finally, if Google gives you the run around, patients turns a deaf ear the last resort is to seek Legal services for a defamatory lawsuit. After all your reputation is worth it!