weight loss and physicians Part Deux

I appreciate MHartleyDC's comment about the positive aspect of "encouragement" as this relates to helping people with their weight loss efforts. There are many opportunities for DIS couragement to take place..usually discouragement at one's own self for not being able to achieve siginifcant weight loss without help. For everyone out there: PLEASE do not get discouraged in your efforts to become healthier and happier. There will be some weeks when you get on that scale and the number may have gone up. Turn this negative feeling into resolve...make the next week a much more aggressive weight loss week. Always focus on the reasons as to why it is so important for you to lose weight. Use these reasons as positive motivation and do not allow negativism into the mix.

I reviewed the topics of the medical lectures that are at the conference I am attending. NONE about weight loss in the primary care setting. This leaves me incredulous...the most important health problem facing America is not even addressed at a primary care physician continuing education credit conference. Welcome to the world of the training of physicians...based on treating disease states and not even a hint of approaching the prevention of the nations largest killer. I suppose learning aboutHIV/AIDS advances or treatment of obscure cancers is more interesting than learning how to combat obesity. For every AIDS patient there are probably hundreds of thousands of Americans who have potentially lethal or life-altering co-morbidities related to weight problems. Insurance companies will cover treatment for HIV/AIDS but will not cover weight loss programs for their subscribers. Hey, I am not minimizing the impact of HIV on people who contract it, but I am certainly making the point here that obesity affects tremendously more people and the impact on society of obesity eciipses by far and away any other medical condition. For the medical profession, government and insurance companies to minimize this is completely irresponsible and neglect in its highest medical form.


Okay, Posner will now go the gym, get dressed up and go to the convention center..and he better get off his soapbox as I am certain the conference organizers could care less what he thinks about what topic should be focused on, rather than neglected, at this convention.