Anyone else put on quarantine weight? One of my doctors is refusing to see me. I couldn’t believe. You would think I were 500 lbs.

Did this doctor explicitly tell you that s/he is refusing to see you due to your weight gain?

That is VERY odd. I have gained 30 pounds since last March and only lost about 10 of those. All of my docs are concerned and being helpful.

Is it time to seek out a new doc, Martz?

Martz,
Surely it has to do with him, and very little to do with you. Things are more complicated with the pandemic.

Still, it doesn't feel good to experience rejection of that sort.

Do you want to elaborate what you need care for, and explore other options?
Help to get over the shock? Put it into perspective?

This doc is a weirdo. I've never heard of such a thing -- what if your weight gain was due to a medical condition and not Oreos? How would the doctor ever know without seeing you? Find a good internist and report him/her. FYI I lost 30 lbs over covid lockdown by using the Noom app. It has stayed off. Also FYI, my husband's kryptonite is also Oreos.

Find a new Dr. That is ridiculous!!!! He doesn't need to be in practice if he chooses to discriminate like that. Goodness gracious, millions of Americans are overweight(myself included). If all Dr's thought that way we would be in BIG trouble. Are you sure that is the reason he didn't want to see you, as I have never heard of such a thing?

Find a new doctor! What does this doctor want. Patients only in perfect health? What a JERK!

Even if you WERE 500 lbs, your doctor would refuse to see you?

Shoot, I went through 6 months of chemo, and honestly thought "I will probably drop this extra 40 lbs"--Oh, no, added another 10 or so. (I have to say that all the scales in the cancer clinic were different. Weights differed as much as 12 pounds and I wasn't losing 12 pounds walking down a HALL!)

My oncologist said that stress will mess up your metabolism, cancer def does and evidently so does chemo. A Trifecta of fat!

COVID stress really messed with me. I had DH home and expecting 3 meals a day. Sorry, I don't DO Lunch!

Find a new doc. This guy sounds like a jerk!

He was not the least bit upset, as my weight has stayed within the same 15 pound range. He encouraged me to eat healthy and try to get more exercise, but not to stress out over it as that makes it worse.

He/she needs to be reported to the Medical Board. Did he specifically say "I cannot see you any more because you gained weight?" That is patient abandonment.

I think the doctor just doesn't want you as a patient, or is obsessively controlling.  Either way, he/she is bad news.  

I can think of one other reason:  years ago I found an excellent primary care female doctor.   She was overweight, but it made no difference to me until she retired shortly after I saw her and a skinny female doctor who was obsessed with numbers took over.  

I happened to be in therapy for some knee injury or something (this was over a decade ago and I don't remember for sure), but I (a) learned through a therapist and (b) learned from another doctor I saw for another issue that the hospital management put out the word to all doctors:  lose weight or move on! 

The last doctor was a miserably unhappy person; he sort of hinted that he had to go on a strict diet to conform and not be fired.   I think the good female doctor decided she wouldn't be manipulated.

I also saw some level of adoption of the "get skinny" attitude in a ob/gyn's office, when a nurse took my weight, then actually yelled it out over to another nurse.    I've never experienced this before, with my parents, my sister or myself.  And I didn't again.  I dropped that doctor.

Has there been any change of management in the hospital with which Dr. Skinny practices?  If so, this could be a potential issue.  If not, this doctor needs to consider another line of work.

Chalk it up to problems over which you have no knowledge or control, and move on.   This doctor isn't worth wasting time on any more.

I wonder, would he refuse to see you if you were 200 pounds and a man?!?!?

Ask him "Gee doc, if I were a 200 pound bodybuilder, would you also say my weight was an issue?"

My beloved MIL was not even 100 pounds. Was she healthy? Absolutely not, because she was longtime smoker!

When my daughter was 16, she had to go see a pediatric endocrinologist, who reduced her to tears over her "excessive weight". My daughter is a competitive swimmer, who swims mainly distance and butterfly. She has the muscular body of a competitive swimmer! Until Covid shut everything down, she was in the pool 3-4 hours a day, 6 days a week! When this idiot doctor did her blood panel, everything was dead center normal...yet she still abused my daughter about her weight!

We found another doctor. So should you. Just because they have "MD" after their names, doesn't give them leave to abuse their patients!

Obesity is a pre-existing condition which can put you in a higher Covid risk category. Doctors in my area are still not seeing higher risk individuals in person until they are vaccinated. Have you been vaccinated yet?

It could be a safety precaution or it could just be wrong.

Thank you for your comments. I looked it up and legally I believe he has to supply my medication till I can find another doctor as well as put it in writing why he no longer wants me as a patient. Last appointment he got so upset and went off on me for my weight gain. He’s a 60 year old male. I felt like asking so I take it your wife never put on any weight as she got older? I’m guessing a lot of people have put on weight during this lockdown. However I’ve always been kind and professional, not a difficult patient, so my weight is the only thing I can think of as to why he no longer wants to see me. Perhaps I can report him if he puts it in writing.

Martz, I suspect there's something going on with this doctor's obsession with weight.  Perhaps he himself has battled it; perhaps a family member has.   Or perhaps he's a domineering chauvinist who thinks he can make decisions for women.

Being a controller is another aspect.   And I've also seen this in some military men who really bonded with the "keep in shape" attitude.   It can become an obsession.

Either way, I'm glad to learn to you'll be leaving him in your wake as you move forward.

It could also be that as a doctor going through the pandemic, he has reached burn out levels, like so many other people. It doesn't excuse his behavior whatsoever; it's just a thought as to why he's behaving like such a jerk.

I think your doctor is unprofessional and should be reported. He should be helping you not dismissing you. I would get another doctor. I can't imagine my doctor dismissing me because of my weight gain.
I gained 10 LBS. due to lockdown for a year. Lots of cooking and baking. I am trying to diet, but it is so difficult. I am walking every day so hopefully that will help lose a few pounds. I am also starting to use my Body Gym. I am tired so I do not use it every day, but as time goes on and my energy level gets better I will use it more often
You are right. Change of life definitely causes weight gain. I used to be able to eat anything and still weighed120 LBS. most of my life and since the change have gained 40LBS. I find it is very difficult to lose weight. I blew up like a balloon and I feel it. I lost 10 LBS before the pandemic but gained it all back. I wish there was a safe pill to take to help lose the weight. When stressed I eat anything that taste good, sweets especially. That could be your problem. I kept a log every day all the foods I ate and how the foods made me feel for a month. Came to the conclusion it was emotional eating. Try the diary and see if that helps. I think change in eating habits is the key and I am working on that. I hope you lose the desired weight and you find a more understanding doctor. Good luck.

Martz,

I have gain over 60 pounds in the last 2 years, most of it last year. Stress has and kettle chips are the main factors. I was between 180 and 210 for the past 8 years, now I would guess I am at 250, but I do not have a scale. I have gained a clothing size.

I have a friend who is large too. She recently had a terrible experience with a doctor who refused to believe that the reason her pants would not do up, was likely due to the grapefruit sized mass in her uterus that has recently appeared. And although surgery is the recommended treatment, the doctor refused because of her weight.

So she may well have cancer, but without a biopsy and the doctor refusing to do surgery, she is on a waitlist with a surgeon 2 hours away, who will do surgery on bariatric patients.

Get another doctor. This is really unconscionable if not malpractice. I gained 20 lbs while “quarantined” ie staying home to avoid COVID. The reports of people dying scared the heck out of all of us and the stress has caused many to resort to snacking for solace. Also staying home means less exercise and therefore more weight gain. My doctor gained weight and said this has been a common
phenomenon which they are calling “COVID weight” and expect with the vaccine distribution and loosening of restrictions people will move around more and the more recent gains will go down.

I live in a Covid mine field. Many, MANY of the victims of Covid who have lost their lives were obese when they contracted the disease.

Unfortunately many obese people were ill before the relationship between obesity and severity of Covid infection was observed, and doctors were not able to be as forthcoming about the severe consequences of obesity in Covid outcomes as they are now. Rapid weight gains are considered an even greater risk to overall health.

At this point, I would consider a caregiver who didn’t acquaint a patient with the risks of obesity in general, and even more so specifically as relating to Covid, as being at risk of neglecting critical advice.

I realize that there are areas in which the Covid virus isn’t as severe a threat as it is where I live, but the research gets stronger every day, and sadly, is still critical here.

I wanted to add, I gained 60 pounds while caring for my mother at home, and weighed over 100 pounds more than a healthy weight for most of my adult life. By the Grace of God I was much lower in weight before being infected with Covid.

When we get into our 30's our Metabolism slows down. We either cut back on our food intake or we get more active. Yes, we gain during Menopause because we no longer have estrongen which is a fat burner. Then there is Stress and its proven you gain weight when your under stress. Women ARE going to gain weight. Our bodies store fat. We don't have the muscle mass men do which helps them to burn fat.

So after all that, my answer is...get another doctor.

I went to my GYN years ago. After my first child I had put onba few lbs. My regular doctor was not there and I was asked if his associate was OK. I said OK and then walked into his office. He was as wide as the desk must have been at least 400lbs. My first thought was "He better not say anything about MY weight"

Whoever heard of a doctor not seeing a patient for weight gain? That’s crazy!

Find another doctor and forget about that idiot!