Fat Friendly Kaiser Doc & Switching Kaiser Docs
I would like to switch my primary care doctor at Kaiser Oakland (I guess I would consider another location if distance from South Berkeley is similar). I am hoping for recommendations from fat people who have Kaiser docs who they feel are comfortable and respectful about their weight and take health concerns seriously without automatically assuming weight is the source of the issue. Please provide as much info as possible about why you like the doc you are recommending. I would also be interested in a OB/GYN recommendation.
Also, if anyone has experience switching to a doctor who is not listed as open to new patients I am interested in this information as well.
Thanks,
Anon
Sep 15, 2016
Parent Replies
I can't offer specific recommendations, as I don't have Kaiser, but I want to say I really feel you. I just posted about this on Facebook and while many friends were supportive, several responded with workout regimens and diets even though I had specifically said I have a great diet, work out a lot, and have good health, yet my doctor constantly harps on my weight as if that, alone, was not just a disease but some sort of sin or moral failing. I have been reading about the HAES movement (Healthy at Any Size) and I feel like I'm finally going to be at peace with myself, even if no-one else is. If anyone is thinking to lecture you, I recommend reading this article:
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/03/diets_do_not_work_the_thin_evidence_that_losing_weight_makes_you_healthier.html
I am also on the hunt for a new doctor, I can't take this crap anymore. I'll ask about, like, an earache and she yaps about my weight. I'm not even all that heavy.
I have Gretchen Mello as my primary care dr and Neeru Gupta as my OB/GYN. Both have been respectful, empathetic, & taken concerns seriously. Neeru Gupta, in particular, has seen me through 3 pregnancies with some complications and never once did I feel she assumed my weight was causing any issue.
I recently dropped an ob/gyn for this reason, I discussed my concern about breast cancer (which my mother had twice) on my first visit and she said instead of worrying about breast cancer, I should worry about my weight. Then in a very patronizing way, she "counseled" me.
I am not sure if she is "fat friendly", but I have been seeing Priscilla Flores as my primary care physician for many years. In the Kaiser world, I tend to fall in the "overweight" category as opposed to "obese", although my weight has fluctuated. I have been seeing her for so long that I think it has come up, but the context and the way she discussed it was reasonable, scientific and not inappropriate. My impression is that she is more focused on regular exercise. I think if you asked her up front about it, she would give you an honest answer about her view about the role of weight in health, which for me is really what it comes down to.
As far as switching to a doc that isn't taking new patients, I tried to get an ob/gyn that a friend loved and I think Kaiser told me I had to write to the doc personally to see if they would make an exception. So I did that and dropped my friend's name. Unfortunately it didn't work. I hope you have better luck with this than I did.