I have no idea.
What I do know is that doctors tend to be harsher on themselves than the general population. Sure, it’s interesting to note that those who know health and medical prevention best are sometimes the worst at following their advice, but it’s even odder to look at some statistics.
A recent article in the The Tribune titled, “Doctors fighting the battle of the bulge“, discussed this issue. One of the more important points is that the doctors they spoke to aren’t that obese. Yes, I know it’s like being a little pregnant, but one of the doctors is 5 foot 10 inches and 240 pounds. Heavy? Sure. Obese? I don’t think so.
The article does do a good job of delving into this topic by talking to the doctor’s themselves. For instance, Dr. Ron Sockolov , who runs a sports medicine practice, says:
“At night, I’m a vacuum cleaner. You think you are invincible, and you can have the extra piece of bread, you can have the rice and potatoes and a few chips.”
Amen to that. It’s good to hear a doctor understand the pitfalls of successful weight management.
Why do doctors fall into this trap? The article doesn’t mention a specific reason, but Dr. Jo Marie Reilly says:
Once there was more awareness of the risks, doctors quit smoking. My hope is that as obesity is the newest thing, maybe doctors will also jump on that bandwagon.
It’s an interesting take, but I don’t know if it’s true. Whatever the ultimate cause, it was neat to sneak a peek behind the white coats.