Unevolved Shopping

Some years ago, during my annual physical, I told my doctor I wanted to lose some weight. He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a single sheet of paper, and slid it across the desk, saying “You look fine to me, but you can try this if you want.” The sheet had a week’s worth of menus for what I assume was a reduced-calorie diet. Needless to say, that didn’t exactly motivate me to lose weight, and I did not.

Three years ago, I switched doctors. (The “weight-loss counseling” I had received was only part of the reason.) My new doctor asked if there were any specific issues I wanted to discuss, and I said I felt fat and depressed. He stopped, paid attention, and asked me if I thought the two were separate issues or part of the same thing. I said I thought the maybe a little of both.

He asked me about my exercise habits, which at the time were pretty pathetic. “I walk a lot,” I volunteered hopefully. Then he gave me some very specific advice and said he thought it would help lift both burdens. It worked! Not only did I lose 16 pounds over the course of 6 months, but I have kept the weight off for 3 whole years. And although I am sometimes sad, I have not felt really depressed in a very long time.

The reason I tell this story is to show the range of experiences we may have when we talk to our doctors about weight. I was lucky the second time, but I fear my first experience was more typical.

It’s important to enlist your doctor in your weight loss campaign.

Talking to your doctor is especially important if you are very overweight or have weight-related and other health problems, and certainly if you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor before starting on any diet to be sure there is no risk of malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, alterations in your body chemistry, or dangerously rapid weight loss.

Your doctor can be one of your most effective boosters as you work to become healthier. If he or she is not, speak up frankly. Tell your doctor that this is very important to you and that you really need help and concrete advice. If necessary, schedule a separate appointment to discuss your weight and what to do about it. Let your doctor know, in advance, that’s the reason you are coming in. And if you still don’t get the support and solid information you need, consider changing doctors.