To be honest I think that Dr’s need to assess the situation before they give empathy to the patient. As a Personal Trainer and Sports Massage Therapist and someone who has worked within the industry for 4 years, you have to learn when to empathise with your clients and sometimes just say it how it is! You should look at wether the person is actually trying to better and change their life or if they want you to do it for them.
In relation to Doctors patients who are overweight I think sometimes they need to just sit the patient down and say “listen if you don’t change your lifestyle drastically and change it now, you could die!”. I mainly say this because sometimes shock tactics are the only thing that can break the vicious cycle of over eating. The modern world in general is suffering greatly from obesity and other diseases that relate to bad nutrition and basic lack of knowledge. It is the Doctors job to get this point across and relate the patient’s current lifestyle with problems like heart disease, diabetes, infection (gangrene) and many more. If a Doctor becomes too sympathetic with the situation will the person takes it as serious as it is? The sympathy should come from the persons support group like family and friends. The health professional is there to supple the facts and a resolve the situation.
As well as obesity, more and more people are going to their General Practice and, or hospital with health related illnesses that can be due to lack of general fitness and abuse of their bodies, through nutrition and poor nutrition. This is costing the UK government a ridiculous amount of money each year and is still climbing! We need to tackle this at the point of contact, the Dr’s. They need to be direct with the patient. Of course treat the patient with respect, but provide them with the facts! “If you don’t start being more active and don’t start caring for yourself, then you will have serious repercussions.” Regardless of what people may think, Dr’s are not there to make us feel good about ourselves. They are here to help us in an informative, direct way, which I think some Dr’s definitely struggle with.
Just to conclude this topic I would like to say there is obviously a place for empathy in the medical profession, especially when the problem is out of the patients control i.e. Cancer or a genetic disorder. To treat a problem like that in any other way would be in humane and would probably result in an emotional turmoil for the sufferer when they do need help and support. The point I am making is, if the problem is due to you and lack of care to yourself then the direct approach needs to be used especially if advice is being given and not taken! I do have the upmost respect for people who are obese or have health problem and are actually working hard to change their life and for you WELL DONE....LEADING BY EXAMPLE!
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