{"id":7622,"date":"2022-06-09T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T13:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corelifemd.com\/?p=7622"},"modified":"2022-12-01T13:34:42","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T18:34:42","slug":"7622-2-obesity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corelifemd.com\/dev\/7622-2-obesity\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Tell me about your weight\u2019 – How to talk to patients about obesity"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]It\u2019s a Tuesday afternoon. So far today, you have seen a 42-year-old female patient who is struggling to keep her blood pressure under control. Another patient, male 64, reports that he visited urgent care over the weekend regarding a foot ulcer connected to his diabetes. And you just diagnosed a young man in his 20s with sleep apnea and referred him to specialty care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All of these patients are living with obesity, and for all of them weight is the central contributing factor to their chronic health challenges. You want to talk to patients about weight, but are not sure how to address the topic in a way that will lead to open, honest, and productive conversations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Obesity and the role of the healthcare provider<\/b><\/h4>\n

Obesity is one of the top causes of preventable deaths worldwide, killing nearly 2.8 million people globally and approximately 300,000 people in the United States each year. Over 100 million Americans are living with obesity, or 42% of the U.S. population. Obesity is a leading risk factor for many of the chronic conditions that drive people to seek urgent or emergent medical care \u2013 the same chronic health conditions that primary care and specialty practitioners are challenged to help patients manage and improve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, as healthcare providers, we are often unprepared – or admittedly uncomfortable – having critical conversations with our patients about their weight. A general lack of recognition of obesity as a distinct chronic disease, societal pressures, as well as stigmas associated with weight can make conversations about weight awkward for both providers and patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

How you talk about weight to your patient helps shape their own perceptions of this disease. You have the power to begin breaking down stigmas and myths that are barriers to patient compliance and receptiveness to change. Talking about weight in a factual, objective, and non-judgemental manner is central to promoting positive health outcomes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can we make conversations about weight easier?<\/b><\/h4>\n