Health in the Medical Industry

[shinatoo]

I have been calling on hospitals for some time, had family in and out of hospitals, kids that go to the pediatrician, had an appendectomy back in September and my wife is in for a procedure today. What I have noticed, with amazing consistency, is the high concentration grossly obese personnel that work in the the health care field. I have really been keeping an eye out the last five years and it is a MUCH higher concentration in doctors offices and hospitals than any other field I visit. Mainly seams to be nurses but there are plenty of doctors too.

While waiting at the hospital this morning I went over to the holiday breakfast they were serving and 80% of the food was high fat, high sugar or high carb. Biscuits and gravy, cinnamon rolls, sausage, bacon, and egg nog. about the only thing I could eat was the scrambled eggs (I'm on a diet and have lost 70 LBS) and they were covered in cheese. And the eating habits of the obese employees was repulsing. Just loading plates with every bit of food that they could fit, and then, taking another load in a big to go box.

Why do you think the fat epidemic has hit our health care providers so hard? Is it the unusual schedule? Depressing work environment? Lack of concern because of great health care? A false sense of health because they see worse every day?

When I was fat I didn't really care for those people that had gotten healthy and then wanted to lecture everyone else, but, this is really quite disturbing.

[aknowledgeableperson]

I am a husband of a nurse, who for her age has a figure many a younger woman would want. So I have associated with many health care professionals over many decades. Yes, there are heavy ones and there are slim ones. I don't think the numbers are that much different than in the society at large. Afterall, they are human beings much like the rest of us and subject to the same weaknesses as we have.

And, take into account, many of the so-called heavies in the profession were heavy before they got into the profession.

[KCMax]

I agree with akp as I am also the husband of a nurse. My wife has also remarked that nurses frequently skip lunch and instead snack all day, usually not very healthy stuff. Also the long shifts, usually at night, lead a lot of doctors and nurses to guzzle sodas. But I don't know if they are generally much different from the normal population, although knowing the dangers of obesity you would think maybe they would avoid those risk factors. But the nurses I have met take many of the same risks as any of us.

[FangKC]

The other dirty little secret in health care: smoking.

I recall when I worked for New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, I used to go out one of the side doors and see the head of the Burn Unit, a physician, outside sucking on a butt.

And until a couple of years ago, Truman Medical Center had "smoking huts" set up outside the hospital.

[KCMax]

I know KU Med has banned smoking all over its grounds (which is funny you now see nurses smoking huddled in the cold across the street on State Line). I would imagine other hospitals have taken similar measures.

[FangKC]

North Kansas Hospital and Truman Med Center have both banned smoking on their property. I still see people smoking out at the bus stop on Holmes in front of TMC though.

[shinatoo]

So thats two votes for "denial" and three for "lets change the subject."

[loftguy]

So thats two votes for "denial" and three for "lets change the subject."

I've had the unfortunate opportunity to be in hospitals a lot this past year, too, and have had periods of such opp's intermittantly over a couple of decades.

Shin, I have also noted that nursing personnel especially seem to be as a group pretty wide bodied. It has always seemed to be the case, but much more prevelant now.

I also noticed that most of them seemed to be sipping on quart containers and there seemed to be routine snacking going on. I noticed too that the "slim" ones were obvious in their absence of a big gulp or carb platter. Not trying to be nasty about it, it's just what I observed.

I did recognize that the number of smokers around the hospitals seemed to be greately reduced and I wondered if that was related to the perceived general gain in girth.

This likely does coinside with the fatting of the general population, but it seems to be acute in these establishments of health.

[kclofter]

Been in healthcare for 30 years. 1 out of three people are obese - 2 out of three are overweight. So, 2/3 of most people we see are overweight. Then go to a hospital where the clothing is not designed to flatter anyone - suddenly, everyone looks bad.

Healthcare is similar to the general population - some facilities are clearly worse, some better. However, I think there is another element at play that goes beyond the obesity issue. Healthcare workers tend to _like_ risking their health - it's kind of a badge of honor - to give more preference to the care of others than to care for yourself. Plus, many take a fairly cynical view of what they do and how it applies to them personally. i.e., ask a few RNs and MDs their preference for resuscitation following an unwitnessed cardiac arrest. Or, how long they want their life prolonged in an ICU connected to tubes, ventilator, etc.