My doctor called me fat. My tests show otherwise

@waltherchan You should educate yourself on what screening guidelines are, how they work, and which ones apply to you. Then not only will you be able to pick fights about them on the internet, you can make sure you're not being overtested.
 
@dawn16 I would probably listen to a personal doctor over a random person on reddit, and it isn't really an asshole maneuver to mention weight and health in regards from a Doctor.
 
@knowhisjoy77 But there's nothing wrong with her health. If she had diabetes or something that might be related to being overweight and/or having a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle it would make sense, but he was working backwards. He assumed there had to be something wrong simply because she's slightly overweight and did a completely nonstandard screening. BTW you don't have to listen to a random person on reddit; anyone can look up the guidelines.
 
@dawn16
He assumed there had to be something wrong simply because she's slightly overweight

Well, yes, because being overweight is correlated with diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart disease, arthritis...

Being obese/overweight is bad in two ways, one because it's just too much mass and weight for bones etc., two because excess adipose tissue contributes to endocrinological issues. (The second can also be true for normal-weight people, which is why they really need to be testing for body fat percentage as well. But MOST people who are overweight and obese by weight/BMI also have a high body fat percentage. Yeah there are some bodybuilders and other athletes with low body fat at the top end, but most people in that category aren't bodybuilders etc.)
 
@doyola38
being overweight is correlated with diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart disease, arthritis.

Being overFAT and sedentary. Weight and fat are not the same thing.

just too much mass and weight for bones

No. Weight is GOOD for bone density, whether it's body weight or weight you're lifting. Excess weight can be hard on the joints, but that depends on a lot of factors.

But MOST people who are overweight and obese by weight/BMI also have a high body fat percentage.

MOST people who are overweight or obese by BMI are also sedentary, which the OP clearly is not. She's also engaging in activities that require a high strength/weight ratio. Again, BMI was never meant to apply to individuals.
 
@dawn16 And with the information OP provided, we have no clue if it is extra Weight or fat.

I'm fat as fuck and can do what OP did but I know that I probably have a fair amount of excess weight.
 
@knowhisjoy77 Imagine how much faster she could bike and how much easier it would be to hike and climb minus 30 lbs...and how much less work her heart would have to do
 
@dawn16
Being overFAT and sedentary. Weight and fat are not the same thing.

For most overweight people, weight is a good enough proxy for fat. It's good enough that the stats are what they are.

I agree that body fat % is often totally neglected when it comes to people in the normal weight BMI category. That needs to be addressed. (I myself am having issues with this. And shit's real, past a certain age.)

No. Weight is GOOD for bone density, whether it's body weight or weight you're lifting. Excess weight can be hard on the joints, but that depends on a lot of factors.

Ooook. If that's the road you're on, look, I'm not going to spend my whole evening arguing. You should come with me to my physio and chiropod appointments and see what the clientele is like. (Yes I have joint issues. Lots of other factors at play, yes. I'm genetically vulnerable, and was overweight.) Or look at the research on weight viz arthritis etc.

MOST people who are overweight or obese by BMI are also sedentary, which the OP clearly is not. She's also engaging in activities that require a high strength/weight ratio. Again, BMI was never meant to apply to individuals.

Maybe she's an outlier, wonderful. I don't blame her doc for double checking.

Annnd good night!
 
@doyola38 If her reported activity levels are true, then she's definitely an outlier in terms of activity. In terms of body comp maybe not, but it's very likely, because of the type of activity. As far as physical therapy, I go regularly and see what the clientele looks like. It's a sports orthopedist's office and his PTs, so probably a different set than what you might see in a non-sports dedicated setting, and different types of injuries.
 
@dawn16
In terms of body comp maybe not, but it's very likely, because of the type of activity.

that's not clear at all, certainly can't be determined from the info presented here

It's a sports orthopedist's office and his PTs, so probably a different set than what you might see in a non-sports dedicated setting, and different types of injuries.

I go to that kind of clinic too. The split is still a) active people/athletes and b) overweight / obese people, diabetics, etc. There is not usually a lot of overlap between the two groups.
 
@doyola38 Sorry, I'm confused about what you're saying here. I don't know what you mean by "that kind of clinic" or the two groups. I go to a sports orthopedists office. They only treat athletes. If you call to make an appointment for the first time they'll ask you what your sport is and if you don't have a good answer they won't make the appointment. I can't recall seeing any patients who appear to be extremely overweight/overfat, but I'm hardly the only one in the 25-30 BMI category.
 
@dawn16 And a good way to screen to make sure she is on the right track would be to test correct? Being overweight isn't healthy, and can cause health concerns. Trust me, I'm overweight

anyone can look up the guidelines.

And I would still trust a doctor with decades of experience.,
 
@knowhisjoy77 To make sure she's on the right track for what and test what? You can do bp and heart rate in office without taking blood, and hers indicate an extremely healthy cardiovascular system. There was simply no indication for the lipid panel. Go ahead and trust your doctor, certainly, but also be familiar with the guidelines and don't be afraid to ask why if your doctor is going against them.
 
@dawn16 No indication? She didn't mention anything about family history, cardiovascular history, or DM status; BUT she did mention a H/O obesity and is currently still overweight. You are not this woman's doctor, don't assume you know everything.
 
@clomar I did mention DM in another comment. If she has a known history and didn't mention it, then that's a different story. And if her doctor is so concerned about her deathfats that he did a lipid panel but didn't even test bg, that's pretty irresponsible. AFAIK a routine physical normally includes a CMP anyway.
 
@dawn16 I know you mentioned DM, OP didn't though and you made assumptions. The doctor didn't exactly go against screening (they make no recommendation for OP based on age --not a recommendation against and in the presence of any other CVD risk factors they recommend screening) recommendations especially since the choice to test or not in an individual patient is guided by these recommendations but ultimately based on clinical factors...plus we're talking about a relatively cheap, minimally invasive test with almost no negative repercussions for the patient. My issue with your initial and subsequent comments is that you inserted yourself between this woman and her doctor which is not a place for you, a random internet person, to be.
 
Back
Top