C Words Redux

It's amazing how much of the bad stuff starts with the letter "C".

• Cakes
• Candy
• Cookies
• Chocolate
• ice Cream
• Cane Columbus
• Childishness

Two Lessons Learned

As said before, the majority of my patients listen to my speech and read my book and do well, losing weight, but I have a small group that do not. I am developing programs for them. For the women I have introduced group sessions; for the men, the e-mail-every-day club. In each case I have learned an important lesson.
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Atypical Patients

Most of my patients are obese adults (BMI>30) but not all. Some patients are merely overweight (BMI 25-30), and I know some doctors don't treat such people. Back when phen-FEN was in the news, I didn't treat them either. But I found that merely overweight patients denied anorexiant medicine usually went on to become obese. Remind yourself that patients paying full price in cash usually KNOW they have a real medical problem. For the clinician to substitute their judgment for the patient's in all cases is arrogant. Should the doctor give anorexiants to everyone requesting them? Obviously not. But the doctor should look for reasons NOT to give the meds instead of trying so hard to withhold them.
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The First Group Session

Last Wednesday was my first group sesson. I meant to have six medium-overweight ladies, but one student was unable to attend because of emergency cardiac bypass surgery, underscoring the fact that overweight is a serious health problem. I opened with a review of the Six Lessons, which by now are posted on every wall of my office. It is a sad comment on human nature that half my patients still haven't learned them.
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