Doctor's weight may influence obesity diagnosis
People with an overweight doctor may be less likely to receive advice on their own weight, research has found.A study at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that doctors with a normal body mass index (BMI) were more likely to discuss weight loss with their patients than those who were overweight or obese.
Doctors were also far more likely to diagnose a patient as obese if they felt the patient's weight exceeded their own.
The findings, which are published in Obesity journal, indicate that the weight of a person's doctor may be a factor in determining whether or not they receive any weight management advice.
Lead study author Dr Sara Bleich, from the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management, said: "Our findings indicate that physicians with normal BMI more frequently reported discussing weight loss with patients than overweight or obese physicians.
"Physician self-efficacy to care for obese patients, regardless of their BMI, may be improved by targeting physician wellbeing and enhancing the quality of obesity-related training."
