May 26, 2022 — The need for new primary care models for obesity is plain. A recent systematic review tells us that primary care providers see it as difficult to discuss with patients, futile, rife with stigma, and more of a social problem. Thus it’s a low priority. But thoughtful people are seeking a way forward. Two contrasting views […]
November 24, 2020 — We are waiting, but we should not. A tremendous gap in care for obesity stands open. It is the gap between primary care for obesity that people need and an uncomfortable silence that persists – at best. Because right now, if the silence is broken, most often patients receive only vague advice to lose weight. […]
March 28, 2019 — Exactly how helpful can a primary care provider’s advice on weight be for a person who might be dealing with obesity? The answer is that it depends. Is the doctor offering up generic advice to lose weight? Or are they offering specific, empathetic advice? A new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine tells […]
November 28, 2018 — It sounds pretty easy. A pediatrics professor at the University of Gothenburg says primary care can do a fine job treating childhood obesity. In a press release to promote his new publication, Staffan Mårild says: There’s an attitude that obesity is so terribly difficult to get rid of that you have to send the child to […]
October 16, 2016 — Primary care providers face a dilemma. More than a third of adults have obesity. Providers spend 75% of their time managing the chronic diseases that result – things like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. So what should they be doing about obesity? Does telling a patient to lose weight mean that a provider is […]
July 29, 2016 — We hear much and write much about some of the appalling experiences of people with obesity when they interact with healthcare professionals. And most of the time, primary care providers just avoid the subject. But perhaps the most frustrating experience comes when a professional dismisses a patient who is seeking advice. “Just keep doing what you’re […]
August 26, 2015 — Most people who are living with obesity or a history of obesity can tell some pretty appalling stories about doctors who have shamed and humiliated them. We know the studies and it’s all too common. But what about the growing numbers of doctors who help in obesity? A new study from Johns Hopkins suggests that helpful […]
July 24, 2015 — Update: Within three hours of this publication, KevinMD removed the offensive video and claimed “success” in sparking conversation. Sheesh! Thanks to all who spoke up and especially the Obesity Action Coalition. Kevin Pho promotes himself as “social media’s leading physician voice” and his website, KevinMD.com, is recognized as a thoughtful source for perspective from intelligent, front-line […]
July 11, 2015 — Maybe one of the reasons obesity has been such a tough nut to crack is that we simply cannot talk about obesity in any constructive way most of the time. A recent study in Primary Health Care Research and Development by Anita Laidlaw and colleagues finds what many other studies have found: In primary care consultations with […]
October 11, 2014 — If you have any doubt about how fast healthcare is changing, consider this: Walmart plans to be the number one healthcare provider in the industry. Earlier this year, Walmart opened a half-dozen of their own convenient care clinics in Texas and South Carolina stores. Six more are on their way to opening before the end of […]
