Study Says Overweight People Are More Prone To Argue With Their Doctors

According to new research, overweight people are more likely to disagree with their doctors on weight loss and lifestyle recommendations. This study aimed to analyze whether the interaction between patients and their doctors, as measured by their disagreement on information and advice given during the consultation, varied according to the patient’s body mass index. Agreement between patients and doctors was weak or moderate for most of the questions, including questions about actions, information, advice, and patient’s health status discussed during the doctor’s appointment. Compared to patients with a “normal" BMI, overweight patients were more likely to disagree with their doctors regarding advice given on weight loss, advice given on doing more physical activity, and advice about nutrition. “An exploration of the patient’s representations and difficulties related to weight could be offered by the general practitioners as a basis for discussion and appropriate support," said the study’s lead author, Laetitia Gimenez.