How would you feel if your GP kept sending you messages encouraging you to eat less and lose weight?

When i go to drs he mentions weight even though ive not got much to lose- im a size 16 but ive had 7 kids so ive a bit of a 'tummy'- even though gp himself is about 3stone overweight and has a belly protruding over his trousers- and im sumising he aint ever physically himself carried or given birth to his children,so no im thinking- DONT BOTHER LECTURING ME!

I thought doctors were supposed to be overstretched. I think they should concentrate on making sick people well and leave the rest of us alone. You have to be living on Mars if you don't know that being overweight and drinking too much are bad for you!

I think it's important to know who your doctor is and for them to know who you are. My lovely doctor decided to leave general practice and become a specialist in skin conditions.

The man who replaced him was very unprofessional. He actually whistled at me and pointed to his mouth when I was taking a few notes about my heart condition.
I changed to a new practice and my new doctor is very good. I don't see her very often, and feel I have to start anew every time. My old doctor knew me, knew my children and our circumstances.

We will never have the good old days back of the family doctor back and I think text messages from your GP like that would be a very bad idea.

By the by, an overweight nurse pinched my then thirteen year old daughter's waist and told her she had put a few pounds on. The result - bulimia that nearly killed her. She dates the start of it to that thoughtless nurse.

It depends how it’s handled. The country is heading for an epidemic of weight related conditions. We have become too reliant on a health service that ‘makes us better’ (there are limits to what it can do) and need to adapt our attitudes and behaviour to one that ‘keeps us well’

Its the same when i go to orthapeadic consultant- also our gps practice nurses are both 'big' women,so it doesnt exude good health as an advertisement,yet these people continue to lecture us all on what we should/shouldnt eat!Its hypercritical is what it is- smacks of "do as i say,not do as i do" Im thinking next time ill turn the tables on them and lecture them

I assume these letters would be sent out from the staff.........has anyone checked out the size of some of the them ? ? one assumes that would they also send a letter to themselves. ? ?????

“just hop on the scales'
'Is that germane?' , i said to the young, very overweight doctor
'what does that word mean ?' she asked but she backed off.”
?????
The text message proposal has NOTHING to do with personalised care. The messages would be set up to go out automatically. Probably with no regard to what might be happening in a person's life. Completely useless but enables the GP on a six figure salary to tick the "preventative medicine" box.

It may help the occasional person but very few. There was a feature on BBC news this morning about a man who had had five separate amputations on his limbs but was still a heavy smoker. If losing so much of his limbs won’t stop him then nothing will. I missed the beginning of the feature so I don’t know if he was diabetic but I suspect he was.

Yes they are(NHS)always looking for excuses- Ive NEVER smoked,only drink occasionally(christmas birthdays holiday,family party)but as i said ive a bit of a tum- i tried lose a few pounds- to no avail,turns out ive got an underactive thyroid gland- but i do have a few medical conditions already- and everytime i see a new person at hosp or any kind of 'medical' appt they start off (as soon as ive reeled off my conditions)with "do you smoke?"- "do you drink?" with a smug knowing look which they assume must be the reason ive got 'such and such' wrong with me! No,i dont flipping know either- but it doesnt mean its self- inflicted!!

Seems so simple but human nature tells you it wouldn’t work. Those who want to look after themselves do the others don’t care and nothing anyone says or does makes a difference

Actually, this would not come from a caring and concerned doctor. He/she would put a (probably coded) note on your so-called private medical records and ‘big brother’ or the receptionist, would pick up the code and send it out.
Since overstretched GP’s would probably never remember to put in the cancellation code when you reached your ideal weight, you’d still be receiving them if you became anorexic, or on your deathbed. How many people would simply block the sender, or label it Spam/junk so they never see it?

Yes sparlefizz-definately going to ask them what THEIR weight is next time im asked by an overweight nurse/gp/etc!

If they started the txt thing id be tempted to tell them id changed my number- then give them a false one....but then something which may actually be important may go astray....

I'm over 70 and have so many friends overweight and with mobility problems I don't understand the above. I want to be mobile and healthy for ever. I watch my weight for me, and can still run for a bus. I'm grateful for any help my doctor can give. Fibroids at the moment. Treat your doctor like a human being and they will treat you like one.

Wouldnt we be entitled to 'opt out' of these messages though- thanks to the new data regulations thing??

Fran 0251- we're not saying we dont want to be healthy or mobile/active- just that we dont want it stuffing down our throats every time by txtx/messages from(quite often) overwight health officials....

Meant overweight health officials :/

I'd respond to the offer of genuine support losing weight, not just being directed to a slimming company, but some 1:1 coaching and encouragement. Ie not just telling me I'm overweight, but helping me to address it, since if I could do it on my own, I wouldn't be overweight.

Nagging emails won't do it.

Our generation probably wouldn’t like text messages (although it wouldn’t bother me) but this is the way younger people communicate and would take it in their stride, choosing to accept or ignore the advice. Any way of educating, encouraging people to lose weight must be a good thing. Other methods don’t seem to be working!

I have a few health issues that I know are exacerbated by being fat.
I am currently doing my very best to lose the fat.
I won’t go to my gp about these issues because, quite rightly , they would tell me that being fat is part of the problem !

If your weight is affecting your health , I think it’s caring and wise for your gp to address this with you

Telling someone to do something like eat less and exercise more is more likely to put people off (1) they might be already doing it so won't appreciate being reminded and (2) a lot of people react by doing the opposite as they don't like being told what to do either. It's positive encouragement.that's needed not school teacher stuff and telephone intervention by a doctor is certainly not appropriate - it would be like a scam phone call!!!

They could just send one word every now and then - 'fatty'

I feel GPs have enough difficulty keeping up with their workload and don't need to have to write or approve nagging text messages. Presumably, the receptionist or practice nurse would be responsible for actually sending them.

I agree too that we don't need to be told, as we do all know what is supposed to be good for us.

I'd block them. More nanny state bollocks while underfunding actual treatments and interventions that work. Makes my blood boil.

I agree it's just a box-ticking exercise.

It wouldn't bother me though to receive such a message. If I were overweight, I'd probably take note.

I think we spend far too much energy pandering to those who "cannot lose weight". The over whelming majority can.