@hopeful33250 What a great and reassuring sign. I think doctors have to walk a fine line between not saying something and trying to let their patients know the health risks they are causing by being overweight. I’ve thought about that a lot, having been very overweight. I am sure my health problems were a result of my being overweight, although most people who are heavy don’t develop cirrhosis, and some who are not heavy do - I guess it’s all in how our body processes the food. No doctor ever said anything about losing weight until I BROUGHT IT UP with my current PCP. He told me I should try to cut down on portions when I asked, a very gentle suggestion. Now he is constantly amazed at how much I lost and maintained that loss! I guess they’re afraid that if they come on too strong the patient may not want to see a doctor anymore or change to a different doctor.
In my last job my boss and I coincidentally both ended up going to the same doctor, one who was new in town. He said if she made him get weighed he was walking out! You actually do not have to get weighed unless they are prescribing something where the dosage can vary depending on weight.
On a related note, since fracturing my femur I have lost weight without trying! I thought for sure that I would gain since I am not going to my health club for exercise. I can only presume that our bodies burn calories trying to heal. The same thing happened after my last TKR, so much so that I was getting worried. I lost 10 pounds that time.
JK

@hopeful33250 That is an uplifting note. I recall as a child that my dad waged a battle with weight, as he had a job that didn't have a lot of exercise, but had a big appetite, and little down time to do activities. My mother shamed him into Metracal shakes, raw eggs washed down with coffee for breakfast, etc. He was a tall man and his family were all tall with "heavy bones", where my mother and her side were fairly petite. I have a picture where I look exactly like my dad's sister, who was not a small lady. My sisters, on the other hand, all took after my mother's side. But I have not spent a lot of time on body image. Rather, I know for myself that I eat as healthy as possible, exercise as I can, and am who I am - strong, considerate, respectful, compassionate.

@ellerbracke The lure of salt and fat that is irresistible to so many, is a contributing factor. Mass media fosters gluttony, as do fast food outlets, printed advertisements. Add to that the very real emotional satisfaction that some people get from eating, even if it is wrong, and it can be a recipe for more weight than healthy. We never know what someone is going through. By looking at someone, you do not know their health, or emotional struggles, nor their socio-economic struggles. Lower income earners may choose to go for less expensive but also less healthy food choices, just to fill their stomachs. For many people, eating is a social thing, whether alone or in a group. Asking for help to be less judgmental, I would refer back to the saying "judge not lest you be judged".
Ginger