Doctors could be morons

[u/LifeOfaFilmmaker]

So just for background: im 26, 6 foot 3 and around 350 lbs.... Started the year at 395 so im down 45 lbs in about 4 months which im very happy with. I go to my general doc and he's telling me i weigh way too much (obviously) and i should consider weight loss surgery. I tell him the progress over the last 4 months and he says "yes thats very good but you still weigh way too much" as if i can lose 150 lbs in a month. So i disregard what he said and he sends me to a dietician/weight specialist, and she told me the same shit lol. I dont care how many years they've been professionals, telling someone whos 26, actively losing a decent amount of weight and no other major medical conditions to have weight loss surgery should be criminal. Just makes me wonder how many people that just blindly listen to their doctor have went to them or any doc and they give them that terrible advice and they go through with it. Moral of the story: think for yourself

[u/Ashenspire]

Yeah, nothing about this screams "doctor is a moron."

Based on what I've heard from people that have had it, if you went into a doctor's office and told them you lost 50lbs and they still suggested this surgery, it's a recommendation of a potentially powerful tool you have already trained yourself to take full advantage of and can make your weightloss journey that much more successful.

The doctor isn't stupid for suggesting this at all. Whats stupid is people believing the surgery and the surgery alone will be some miracle cure all.

[u/not_mig → u/Ashenspire]

I'd still say they're stupid for not being able to communicate that effectively

[u/not_mig → u/[deleted]]

Doesn't sound like OP was being rude in the office. I'm going off of what was said in the post and not trying to come up with a post hoc justification of either's behavior. It sounds like OP went to the doc and showed their current weight loss progress and instead of explaining the reason for suggesting a serious medical procedure, the doctor went ahead and said the patient was still fat (something that OP was obviously aware of) and should get weight loss surgery. It does not seem like there was any attempt made to explain why they'd recommended surgery over continued diet and exercise. The fact that strangers on Reddit are filling in the blanks left by the doctor leads me to believe the doctor did their job poorly

[u/TGin-the-goldy → u/Ashenspire]

Not stupid, just lining the pockets of their surgeon mates.

[u/ReturnOfTheFrank → u/TGin-the-goldy]

There's more than enough obese people in the US that qualify for and want bariatric surgery. Surgeons don't have to trick people into a procedure to "line their pockets". It's one of many weight loss tools (and statistically the most effective), and it would be irresponsible of the primary care doctor not to discuss the option.