Okies first off -- tania you made me all teary !Man i read the comments last nite and the last two today and as well as with all the posts on the ww forum ive been touched by how supportive everyones been. I must say tho your comments really touched me tania...the fact u see a difference...i must say i dont see a huge difference in my demeanour altho i am less moody...but to see someone whose been a friend with me thru past weight loss attempts that meant a real lot to me - so thank you to you and also to every single person who has ever posted on my journal or in response to a post at ww or the 3fatchicks forum =]

Well i wrote a letter...i emailed it to the AMA, a marketing company who does bookings for kerryn phelps and also to catherine lambert from the sunday herald who just today did a article on how biggest loser is damaging...and how people who are doing well with weight loss compare themselves to biggest loser and feel they arent cheating.

I snuck a peak at my scales this morning and this morning they were showing me UNDER 145.9 kilos ... i wont say what number but i think its a certainity i will be telling you a good loss this week and woooo hoooooo thats over 25 kilos ( now lets hope i dont retain fluid or nothing and it keeps going down by this friday lol)

Tonite i am off for dinner at the pub. Spent a bit of time in the pink sofa chat room today..2 different grrls ive been swapping messages with and they are both from Adelaide. Id like to meet as many as possible and hopefully end up with a couple of good friends. Okies off i go for dinner...below is the letter i wrote

o whom it may concern,

I am writing regarding a disturbing situation at a doctors office recently. Firstly I'd like to explain some background information. Last August I joined weight watchers...I weighed in at 170.9 kilos. A few weeks later I had stomach pains and visited Doctor xxxxx who questioned me on my weight. I explained I had recently joined weight watchers, he had 2 sets of scales both which didn't go over 150 kilos. Since last August thru sensible eating and exercise I have lost 24.5 kilos taking me down to 146.4 kilos. On friday I made another appointment with this doctor (my normal doctor was booked out). My appointment was to discuss heel pain and to obtain a doctors certificate as I was off work that day having been off colour for the past 5 days. Well of course my weight was bought up. I told him straight away I have lost 24.5 kilos. He asked me to step on firstly a set of digital scales, I did and they registered 149.7 kilos, he then stated I don't know if thats correct or because they are at their limit. I told him they are incorrect. My scales at home weigh me at 146.4 kilos & the ones at the gym as 142 kilos. He then asked me to step on some old style scales – these weighed me at 147 kilos. He then asked if I was watching biggest loser and commented on how well they all lost weight. Then he asked me how much I was losing. I told him 800 grams per week to 1.6 kilos up until I joined the gym, to which the doctor replied “thats insignificant”. He said thats just a wee or a bowel movement...I then stressed thats 800 grams EVERY week to which he gave me a condescending smile and said “you are obviously doing this very very slowly”

I bring this whole situation up for several reasons. I have no desire to get anyone into trouble, but I am proud of the hard work I have put in to lose the weight I have so far, overweight people are constantly dealing with discrimination – this doctor did not listen to me, he simply judged me and left me close to tears and feeling like I had to justify myself. Overweight people should be able to rely on support from the medical profession.

Another reason I have a issue with this is the ridiculous information he gave me. 800 grams per week is not insignificant. It is in line with the normal weight loss suggestions. I have been told thru weight watchers that 500 grams to a kilo per week is the correct weight to lose each week, if you lose it fast you wont keep it off, may end up with gall bladder issues and loose skin. Now I am very educated on weight loss having submerged myself in this new lifestyle for the past 9 months. But if someone went to him seeking support and advice from him he would have provided the patient with unrealistic expectations. Overweight people should be supported.

My other reason for bringing this up is I constantly see in the media discussions on childhood obesity, adult obesity, the costs to the community for illnesses that are enhanced due to obesity. How can the medical industry expect people to do something about their weight if advice from the doctors that medicare pays is not correct? Are doctors given the correct and necessary tools to help educate and assist people wanting to lose weight and ultimately save the community money? Maybe forums need to be held with doctors to establish their knowledge and to find out what sort of advice they give out to patients. Its easy to say you need to lose weight, but the medical profession needs to educate people on how to eat properly, how to deal with plateaus, what type of medical tests should be taken prior to losing weight (ie stress tests, blood sugar tests – should people be getting these before losing weight?) There should be a website that is monitored and created by the medical industry with resources, and information, specialists in different states that can specialise in different scenarios (ie thyroid issues, PCOS, diabetes specifically in relation to weight loss – maybe such a website exists but Ive never been advised of it by my doctor?)

I hope you can take my feedback seriously, if one doctor is doing it then more then likely others are too. You will never educate the entire Australian community until you educate the entire Australian medical profession.


Yours sincerely