Christian M.D.: Doctors Should Deal Frankly With Childhood Obesity
by Mary Rettig
July 21, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A New York pediatrician says doctors should not shy away from using words like "obese" and "overweight" to describe children whose excessive weight poses a health problem.The American Academy of Pediatricians is debating whether to continue using fuzzy language about a child's weight condition or whether to use the words "obese" or "overweight." Opponents of the move toward using the more direct vocabulary say such blunt terms could make children and their families hurt or angry.
But Dr. Nick Yates, a spokesman for the Christian Medical Association, says in dealing with patients affected by obesity, it is more important to be honest and tactful with them than to spare their feelings. He believes doctors should not soft-pedal the facts where this serious health issue is concerned.
Medical research has shown that the more overweight children are, the more they are at risk of having or developing serious medical conditions. Some of the health problems associated with childhood obesity include high blood pressure, asthma, high cholesterol, heart disease, insulin resistance (which can lead to type 2 diabetes), and even premature death.
"What I do with a patient and the family is show the growth charts," Yates notes. "We maintain growth charts in our practice, and we've done this for years," he says, "so my patients and their parents are used to seeing where they plot on a growth chart relative to hundreds of other children."
It is essential, the Christian child health specialist contends, that doctors advise their overweight patients about the risks and possible implications of obesity. "I think that it's important to let children and parents know what the medical health concerns are," he says, "and I think it's important to use terminology carefully, that they can understand."
Yates' approach in his own practice, he explains, is to "try very hard to draw the patient into our experience, to get the family involved in this type of thing." Also, he observes, it is important to show patients and their families "areas of their lifestyle that they can impact in a positive way to make appropriate changes for better health."
Of course, doctors are not the final authority in their patients' lives, Yates acknowledges; but he believes they can play a major role in promoting their patients' health. However, he insists, healthcare professionals should never be afraid to intervene with frankness and directness, using the proper terminology, when they notice that a child is gaining too much weight.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
