July 22, 2009
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Too Fat to Be Surgeon General?
Dr. Regina Benjamin has been picked by President Obama to be the Surgeon General.
The Surgeon General is responsible for making “health care and policy decisions for the country.” Based on her looks, some in the media and blog land were guessing she was about a size 18 and about 40 pounds overweight.
So the question is being asked “Is she too fat to be Surgeon General?” Here is the link: Link
Is Regina too fat to be Surgeon General?
Comments (148)
No.
Yes, because people are flawed and superficial.
Ugh, NO. She’s perfectly fine. Since when does weight have anything to do with what a person can offer? It’s what they bring to the table, not her freakin’ weight. That’s all the media cares about — weight -__-
So long as she doesn’t say anything bad about cheeseburgers, pizza, or beer.
A baker once told me that “skinny people aren’t happy.” Well, she looks happy. And that’s okay with me.
If she’s qualified, then it doesn’t particularly matter that she’s overweight. People can have good opinions even if they don’t follow their own advice.
She’s fine. She’s not so big that she’s at an incredibly unhealthy weight that is actually life threatening. It might actually be scarier to have some health nut as the surgeon general.
she’s fine,
but the thing is media makes her look like she should be because she herself doesnt fit this “healthy” and “superficial” mold they have created
Yes..this administration should be practicing what it preaches. If her BMI is determined she is obese than she is not fit to be the surgeon general.
I see gastric bypass in the future for this woman and we will be paying for it.
no… I think she’s ok… as long as she could do her job well, that’s all that matters…
I’m overweight, so please don’t hate me for what I’m about to say. I think weight is a highly personal matter. I also think their are reasons besides poor diet and exercise habits that lead to weight gain. But given the position she is about to assume, I think an explanation is in order, at the very least. Its a valid question. Her JOB is to tell all of America that they need to do this, this, and this to be healthy, I want to make sure she is following the same set of guidelines. I don’t think its a vanity issue at this point. I think its a legitimate question given the type of job she is pursuing. *ducks*
@x_Butterflies_and_Hurricanes_x - Exactly…can you imagine?
@jupiter312 - That was my thinking
maybe she just quit smoking
Obama is an idiot i don’t trust that man at all. look at all the czars he has appointed looks to me like he’s trying to bypass congress and go straight to the czars.President Obama’s “science czar,” Paul Holdren, once floated the idea of forced abortions, “compulsory sterilization,” and the creation of a “Planetary Regime” that would oversee human population levels and control all natural resources as a means of protecting the planet so no i don’t trust him or his picks just do some research on some of his picks start with Paul Holdren you’ll be astonished at what you find.
As long as her statements are supported by scientific evidence she could be 500lbs. for all I care.
No, I believe it is fine.. you don’t have to *be* the right weight to know *how* to be the right weight. To know how to do her job. If she has the knowledge, the will, the passion, the character, and proof of her abilities, I think it’s perfectly fine. If there was a problem that people had with it, I would think it’d be that she’s not really a good physical role model, but people can always look towards other people for that (we all know how much ppl look to celebrities on appearances). I don’t know if it’s just me… but I have never seen the Surgeon General before. He doesn’t exactly serve as a very public role model to me, physically, lol.
Everyone has flaws. Just because she is overweight doesn’t mean she doesn’t understand how to be healthy, and all the rest of that stuff.
Too black.
I think so. Would you trust, say, a nutritionist or a personal trainer who was overweight with your health? I wouldn’t.
@AmusedYetConfused - Would you trust a heart surgeon who’s never had their heart operated on?
@AmusedYetConfused - Sure. Let’s handicap talent on the basis of superifical prejudices.
I think the point is being missed by a few. This is not an issue of whether overweight people have value to contribute to society.
She’s being looked at for Surgeon General, America’s top doctor. Obesity is becoming a very large health issue in our country, and is directly linked to heart disease.
It would be equally valid to ask if she smoked or drank excessively. Lung cancer and liver disease would be an issue then. We should have a Surgeon General who is an example of healthy living and preventative measure. She may be a fine doctor, but she clearly needs to skip a few Big Macs and get out around the block a few times a week.
I would say “no, however…”
I think that having someone who is not in good health reflects badly. If she is just unhealthy, then I think–whatever academic qualifications she has–she sets a bad example as a health professional. However, if there are reasonable, mitigating circumstances then I think her weight should not be a factor.
I have bad knees and shoulders (leftovers from my military enlistment) that make many exercises (running, push-ups, pull-ups… anything involving my arms or legs) more about pain-tolerance than strength training and cardio. It is hard to take my work-outs to the point needed to get a real gain from them. If someone else is in the same position, I can understand why they might not be a paragon of health.
We have to evaluate “why is she overweight” in order to make a value judgement like that; however, I do agree that the question should be asked and fully (and honestly) answered.
As long as she doesn’t impose health standards on people I don’t care how fat she is. At very least she knows the risks to be overweight, right?
What is wrong with some of you people? No, she’s not “too fat.” And who cares if she is? As long as she can do her job right, it doesn’t really matter. What if she was super skinny? Would you assume that she throws up every night and eats a wafer every three days? Give me a break. Sorry that she doesn’t look like some big-boobed bombshell plastered with makeup all over her face and weighs about 4 pounds. Ridiculous.
I mean, what makes her unhealthy? Are you automatically considered unhealthy if you look a bit big? What does a “healthy” person look like? And who knows? Maybe she can convince Obama to stop smoking so whiny Republicans can stop complaining about it and focus on things that are actually important.
It really shouldn’t matter to people, plenty of doctors and nurses are overweight. Not everyone is perfect at practicing what they preach, they’re human
Oh look a black female. Obamunism at work!
C. Everett Koop was also overweight. Did anyone comment on that, then? It wasn’t all that long ago that he was Surgeon General. Or is it because she’s a woman, and a black that people feel free to comment on her weight. Weightism is rampant in the world, judging a person by their weight is as wrong as judging them by their skin color.
she’s going to be one of those politicians that will want us to do as she says, not as she does ! i’m sure she has a biggggg buttttttt !
@meta_k - Love this comment.
I don’t care if she’s a hypocrite as long as she’s good at her job.
no
Oh brother.
It goes without saying. NO. It has been proven “medically” over weight people can be healthy. It depends on the amount they are over weight. You can be 10 to 20 pounds over weight and still be considered healthy. I may not have all the information, but I don’t consider her to be obese. Obesity IS unhealthy.
As long as she makes her decisions based on science, who cares if she is overweight.
Wow. People these days. -_________-
Tried to add TinyTrouble, but her site was shut down.
@SusieQ_IluvU - @JJ_Ames -
Seconded. Plus, who knows–she could be one of those people whose overweightedness (I fail XD) is caused by a legitimate medical condition, such as hypothyroidism. Believe it or not, people, but there are a few cases where the person can’t help the fact that they’re over weight. Like myself. I gained 20 pounds last year, because of a HUGE spike in my cortisol levels. That’s not something that’s easily fixed, either. So please, don’t judge until you know the whole story.
@droptop11 - Kill yourself. Please. The size of one’s ass is far less important than the size of one’s mind.
No.
These people here don’t get it. They should offer their point of view with some side of reasoning. Steph843, the last comment on page 1 is a nice exception out of the bunch.
No, why should it matter? It’s such a superficial thing to worry about it, but as North Americans that’s all we really care about anyway, right? What matters is that she’s qualified and does her job properly.
The media is just guessing she’s 40 pounds overweight? I wouldn’t leave it to the media to decide such things; besides, people’s conceptions of a “healthy weight” are entirely skewed. Health isn’t as simple as not being fat, anyway.
she’s not too fat, people are horrible saying shes too* fat to do this to do that
@Strangebrain - Yes, but I would not trust one who didn’t take the same precautions with his own cardiovascular health that I would expect him to advise for mine. I’m not saying that kind of disparity makes an expert any less knowledgeable or intelligent, but I personally have a very hard time following the orders of someone who does not practice what they preach. Whatever health measures Dr. Benjamin is taking appear to not be working very well, so that makes me wary to trust her medical advice. (However, I’d be interested to know if there was a legitimate medical reason for Dr. Benjamin’s weight…)
@CelestialTeapot - Obesity is, unfortunately, not just a superficial issue. It’s also a health issue. :/
No, what she knows is important.
@LifeNeedsProtection - I would love to have Gastric Bypass, but then again, I don’t want to be the next Surgeon General either!
she is fine, as with all doctors you always do as they say and not as they do anyways!!!
Is every Surgeon General supposed to have perfect health? I doubt there is such a person.
Some people are overweight not because they’re lazy, but because the way their body works
@JosephParsons - That doesnt meant she’s not qualified to be surgeon general.
It’s her life style. Or maybe she has diabetes and it makes her gain weight excessively. Or maybe it’s her biologicaly make up, combined with her bmi. Or maybe she just is obese. But that doesnt effectt her ability or capacity to do her job well, does it? What does it matter tto her job? Say, if she did smoke or drink or..eat excessively before, so what? She’s person like any other, someone could be an alcoholic and later still become a doctor. What does lifestyle have to do with her career? Okay, perhaps there are limitations. like a pyromaniac for a firefighter, or a nun who’s all for sex or gambler for a banker. well, maybe the banker used to be a big time gambler, his/her intentions ar equestionable, but i’m sure people are good, and try to be better. Maybe she is trying to lose weight. But I think you got a point about what it’s become. the surgeon general represents America’s high obesity rate, but it still shows to prove that doesn’t effect one’s career or intelligence
No, as long as her decisions are based on good, sound medical science based evidence. I’m a NP and my husband is a ER doc and we have plenty of colleagues that are overweight, and I was overweight at one time when I was on steriods for a medical condition and it took me about 3 years to take off all the weight the meds put on me. Weight is a personal matter: biology, circumstancial, environment, habits, medical (meds, thyriod, metabolic syndrome). It should not weigh (no pun intended) on her qualifications to be the surgeon general.
What the heck. NOPE.
typical…and outrageous…you aren’t buying her lifestyle, you are buying her expertise…cripes…
Yes….and all people who have spelling mistakes in their blogs should have their pages shut down.
@philanthropic_sinner - I believe I said, “She may be a fine doctor.” I have not questioned her qualifications. I question whether a person with an unhealthy lifestyle should be given the nation’s top health-related position. I have not said she cannot do her job. If she does not become Surgeon General, she will still have her job; she’s a doctor. Public office however should not be looked to as merely a job, but as a position of national leadership. Certainly there are health reasons as to why she might be overweight, i.e. thyroid problems, etc., but most likely in this country, it has to do with one-too-many cheese burgers and a thick layer of dust covering her unused exercise bike, and if that’s the case, there is probably a better candidate for this position, one that better symbolizes the nation’s health goals.
@AlterEgo909 - If they were seeking to become the Blogger General of the United States, a typo-free blog would be sound criteria.
@JosephParsons - But I thought Xanga WAS the United States of Blogging
@AlterEgo909 -
@AmusedYetConfused - Obesity is, unfortunately, not just a superficial issue. It’s also a health issue. :/
The surgeon general sets health policy. It’s not a supermodel position.
No
what does the book of rules say? Does Obama have to throw a double 20 and cast his Ultra overrule card to place this player on the game board?
Too sassy is more like it.
I think we have had many others who were at the very least on the chunky side in some of the pics I have seen of them for instance = John B. Hamilton, Thomas Parran, William H. Stewart, C. Everett Koop, Jocelyn Elders, David Satcher, Rchard Camona, – I see no reason why her weight would have anything to do with the job.
if she does her job well then why does it matter? but if shes supose to give advice n make decisions and help people to eh HEALTHY … seeing the sorry state that america are already in (alot of people ematiated or morbidly obese!) then maybe she shoudl becoem HEALTHY herself, before attempting to help other peoples health…
would you take sex advice from a 40 year old virgin??
i hope u get what i mean lol if i dont have to right idea then nm… ignore me
Wait…she’s fat? *This* woman is what all the hubbub is about? Wow some people are superficial!
This doctor ran a non-profit clinic which never turned away a patient who was unable to pay. She makes house calls. The clinic was wrecked by Hurricane Katrina. A woman gave her a $7 donation to help rebuild, and she said “if you can come up with $7, I can come up with the rest.”
She is absolutely qualified to be Surgeon General, and an outdated and inaccurate measure of “health” like the BMI is the most ridiculous argument against her. It’s the only thing they could come up with, since she is obviously extremely qualified and would do a damn lot to further public health in this country.
@SuperEvilPopTart64 - i agree . it’s a stupid question to begin with. let me extend an open invitation to you, to kiss mine !
She could afford to lose 10 or 20 pounds. But other than that she’s probably healthier than the majority of americans critisizing her
That’s so stupid.
Sometimes people can’t help but be overweight. All our metabolisms are different.
Well if she’s healthy, no. But the surgeon general should practice and preach absolute health, and should not in any way, shape or form, be a hypocrit about that. And if she is doing her best to be healthy (despite everyone’s busy schedules) then she should be fine.
It might be nice that she’s larger, not overweight, but so that people can accept people who are larger and not super skinny models, as healthy. Of course, obese people dont’ meet that criteria (a huge portion of the states now).
I don’t mind her weight. What bothers me is her lack of qualification to hold this job. Then again, she should fit in well with this administration since very few of them have any idea what they are doing up there.
Yes. The surgeon general shoul be in good health. Not just know how to dress so she doesn’t look fat. I hate that it’s become a thing where calling someone fat means you’re being shallow. Fat people deserve love too and all that. Well shit son, being fat is a choice. Perhaps you didn’t consciously make it, but you can consciously unmake it. Being fat is bad for your health. Plain and simple.
@elvish_fairy - I think that’s entirely untrue, though it gets difficult when you live in America where we deal with such awful portion distortion and lack of easily available healthful food.
I stopped caring about people’s looks a long time ago. I also stopped listening to the Mass Media a looooong time ago.
Too fat by whose standards? Fat is subjective. In case you haven’t noticed Black women rarely look like Paris Hilton. You cannot judge “fatness” by White standards alone. She is definitely not fat.
@paoguy118 – And the woman is very qualified. Stop being lazy and google it or just sit on your arse and continue to make uninformed unqualified statements.
@AFS90 – You’re an ignorant asexual douche bag. Flick off.
Surppprisee, she’s black.
Yes, I do think she’s too overweight. I think it’s very hypocritical for her to be dishing out health advice with someone who has a BMI of like 35. it’s kind of like doctors who have cigarette smoke lingering on their lab coats coming in and giving a patient advice on smoking cessation.
Just because someone is overweight doesn’t mean they are lazy and aren’t fit. I am about her size and I go to the gym or exercise 5 days a week. I have run two 5ks in the last year and I bet you I could out lift/ out rollerblade 75% of “in shape” chicks. My weight issues are a combination of a prescription medicine (birth control) that has kept the weight on and indulging on food too much. I am so sick hearing that just because you’re fat means you’re unhealthy. My blood pressure is low, my cholesterol is where it should be, I don’t have diabetes or any major health concerns at all.
No. All that matters is that she’s a good surgeon and doesn’t make too many mistakes. No fatal mistakes, at least.
@bittersweetstrength - at least the VP isn’t black too, right? XD Besides, aren’t most surgeon generals white? (Well??) It’s a step in the right direction. And maybe she’s not overweight. There are people that look like that but are just big-boned. ^^
@AmusedYetConfused - I can see why you might have a hard time if it were, for example, a personal trainer, someone whose job it is to get you to that optimum level of fitness. However, the surgeon general’s job is not to motivate or lead you but to review the scientific literature and explain it to the general public. Something that can be done regardless of one’s physical fitness.
I do not think her weight has anything to do with how her decisions will be made. Not to mention very few of our past Surgeon Generals were actually “in shape”. I would consider most of them “out of shape.”
I was going to reply, but after reading all of the “comments” above, I decided the best thing to do was to keep my comments to myself.
Not my first choice, but not because shes fat (or black).
Nah.
If he picked a very muscular person, would they be overweight too?
They’d be a smaller size, but muscle does weigh more, does it not?
FYI–Tiny Troubles site has been closed down…
Goodness. I would say No. Haven’t you seen people who work at hospitals? They tell you smoking is bad and yet most of the nurses are outside on their break lighting one up and yet you go to these people to take your blood or to make sure your in good health…etc.
and who knows. maybe she lost weight!
Well, I certainly don’t feel comfortable having someone make health descions for our country who can’t even keep her own self at a healthy weight.
@givemecoke at hospitals they also house foods with HFCS and trans fats in them. Sometimes I wonder about America’s future.
The only way in hell I would support ths big black women is if she follows the creed that is given doctors to PRESEVE life. That includes the unborn. I don’t care if she is 400 lbs if she can do the job she should have it. Osama Obama has screwed up more in the first 6 months the Clinton and Bush could do together. I think this appoint will be just like the rest another notch in destoring America. People need to wake up we are lost all part everyday this dirt bag is in office.
i only care if she does her job.
xo
What if she has a Thyroid problem? Or she is on medication that slows her metabolism? She may not be as unhealthy as her a stats say.
She should get heart disease so as to instruct the country on the dangers of being overweight. If she lives successfully for a long time overweight with high cholesterol and blood pressure, and with little exercise and a bad diet, that would be a very dangerous example.
No, She might not be living a healthy life style by being overweight, but I am sure her knowledge makes her capable enough to do the job.
Obama is another questionable soul. He smokes, yet a big focus of his is to improve healthcare and cut healthcare costs. How about keeping yourself healthy to cut costs Mr President!
She was chosen because she had the qualifications, it’s not about how she looks. Just because people are bigger doesn’t mean they are healthier, someone who eats junk all the time and never exercised for a minute of their lives can still be skinny but that doesn’t mean they are healthier. Even if she’s overweight, that doesn’t mean that she is not knowledgeable about the issue. Many people know why it’s bad to smoke but they still smoke.
She’s hardly overweight. I hate that everyone goes crazy over every decision Obama makes. Also, guessing her size and how many pounds overweight she is? People need to get lives and stop being so cruel. How do you think she would feel reading that?
@Strangebrain - And, what do you think are the chances of *that* happening?
I would say absolutely none.
@Strangebrain - But can she really have a firm grasp of the dangers of being overweight, if she is overweight herself? Either she understands that being significantly overweight is dangerous (in which case she has a death wish), or she does not understand this (in which case, she is unqualified).
If I had to bet, I’d wager on the latter.
yes
and some people are too fat to eat at mcdonalds and alot of other places. They ruin it for skinny people who actually like their food fried and unhealthy!
No, she’s not at all!
I find it interesting that a nation so focused on appearances would choose her, but I think if she’s the best person for the job then it doesn’t much matter.
I have known many people who were considered to be “overweight” yet were much healthier than some of my super skinny friends/relatives. Would someone who is super skinny be not appropriate because she might have an eating disorder? I don’t think we would be asking this question if she were a size 4.
I have no problem if she becomes the next surgeon general. If she knows how to do her job, that’s all that matters. Weight to me is more a personal issue anyhow, so I’m not too worried about what she looks like.
First off, I don’t think her weight is really our business. Some people have a slower metabolism, and, for all we know, she has a low blood sugar and has to eat fatty foods.
Second off, I’m curious… are you part of the xanga team? Because, it seems to me that you get a lot of publicity on xanga, if that makes sense. And, somehow you seem to find a lot of my RP sites and add them as friends within the first 10ish minutes that I make the site. So, I’m wondering if you automatically get added to a bunch of people.
Explain, please?
-Veva (I play the character Nikolai Dimitrov)
@la_faerie_joyeuse - Do you have any reason to suggest her skills as a scientist (specifically interpretation of medical data) are inept? They could be for all I know, but I don’t have anything to suggest that.
@bukeshow - And what does that have to do with the topic?
To answer the question everyone in America is fat basically. So who cares?
@lizheartshakespeare - Yes her job is to give Americans health advice. Her job isn’t to explain her own personal issues to us.
@la_faerie_joyeuse - I’d say she probably has a firmer grasp on the dangers of being overweight, being that she’s overweight. If she was giving advice on HOW to exhibit self control that would be a completely different matter, but that speaks nothing to her ability to convey what research shows. I think it’s kind of pathetic that we sort of demand that advice can only be taken from a figure we deem fit to parrot. I say let her lay out the facts as they come and everyone should take personal responsibility.
@lizheartshakespeare - I agree. If the secretary of energy (or whatever is in charge of that stuff) drives a hummer, why would I listen to her?
i don’t care what the person looks like. are they capable of doing the job that they were given? why are we making weight an issue?
your friend shut down her page and I wanted to add her…
and no, if she is a good doctor why does it matter?
@Strangebrain - My evidence is not related to her specifically, but to the profession in general: in order to attain such a profession, one must pander and politicize. Anyone who spends that much time getting into the “right” circles probably isn’t spending enough time keeping up with the latest biomedical research.
I don’t really care. It’s nice to see an overweight woman in charge of something. Normally only thin women are allowed to do so. You don’t see any fat women being news anchors and yet there are lard-ass men doing anchoring.
No…she is in better shape than I and most of America!
As long as she does her job I don’t care if she starts going hey hey hey or sending bounty hunters out to collect on failed deliveries. ;)
Have you seen some of our congressmen/women – who are obese … Gezzzzz 1/2 this country is obese – does that prove she cant do the job ?
Its how she works, not how she looks –
@la_faerie_joyeuse - Of course you can make the generalization that a lot of pander took place to get to that position. But that doesn’t necessarily inhibit their skills in research. I’m sure Joycelyn Elders did a lot of pandering to get to surgeon general too. However, when she got there she stood by the evidence, no matter how unpopular it was (and it was very unpopular). But it’s not a question of whether or not she “kissed a lot of ass” to get to that position, the question is does her being obese hinder her ability to be an effective spokesperson for the public understanding of health. I think it doesn’t, or at the very least shouldn’t.
I’m unsure of when a person’s weight had anything to do with their level of intellect. I KNOW that cake will make me fat and I can tell you it’ll make you fat…but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna eat it.
Yes. Makes for a poor role model or spokesperson. Unless she’s going to show people how to drop it fast.
I’m fatter than she is and she’s definitely too fat!!!
No. She could have a medical issue, or maybe it’s just how she is….
no need to be jerks about it.
What do they want, another skin and bones little anorexic. No she is not to overweight to be surgeron general.
@taaru - well in her case, weight is important because it is a health issue. technically when you’re overweight you’ll have higher risks of having health problems. people bring up her weight because she is supposed to be an expert on health, yet she is not taking care of herself.
((btw, i don’t think there’s anything wrong with her))
~GiGi
She looks just fine. It’d be better if she smoked as well: we need flawed leaders we can point at in an effort to hold back the sea of health nuts.
Yes and she should have unprotected sex too. Publicly.
Someone I am very close to is very thin, and she has high blood pressure, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, and is borderline osteoporosis. Her sister is very large comparably, considered quite overweight. This sister has normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol levels, not starting to have bone thinning, nor does she have thyroid disease. So, who’s more healthy here?
Looks are deceptive. I’ve known athletes to drop dead of heart attacks and seriously overweight folks who lived to a very old age. Not all thin people are healthy, not all overweight people are unhealthy.
She is qualified for the job, why not? After all her position IS all encompassing…..but seriously folks, how many dactors out there do you know who are quite skilled at thier craft and are large. Size has nothing to do with the ability to perform thier jobs. Only fitness trainers and dieticians are usually very fit, because they put into practice thier beliefs on staying healthy.
Whoever thinks she’s “too fat to be Surgeon General” is an idiot.
Her job is to give Americans advice on how to lead a healthy life.
Not to look like Barbie, or to look like anything at all for that matter.
If she knows what she is talking about, she will make a fine Surgeon General.
And by the way, SHE’S NOT THAT FAT. I HAVE SEEN MUCH BIGGER WOMEN THAN THIS.
@WolfthePlow - Fitness trainers are just in shape by trade. When they do a session, most trainers I know do the excercises with the person they are training. So their job forces them to work out. They’re not necessarily health fanatics, they’re just in shape enough to keep up with the excercise and need the money. My trainer is actually a good friend of mine and I can tell you she is no health nut.
@HurricaneAlla - I’ll conceed to that….but my point is more the appearance of health? since this post was base solely on that premis. Thanks
I think what Obama is setting up here is very clever indeed! I mean finally…an end to our Obesity epidemic! If the head of our nations Obesity problem is an obese Surgeon general…then No more obesity! or the obesity standards raise so that it will take a lot more to be obese! I smell a Mcdonalds/BurgerKing/Jack in the Box Lobby somewhere on capitol hill having an awesome time!
@HurricaneAlla - Wait…if you say her job is to give americans advice on how to live a healthy life….how can you accept her advice if she’s not healthy herself? I mean do you take advice from someone dying of lung cancer ? Do you listen to a heroine addict advise you on how to overcome addiction? Or a Sex addict ….wait never mind that one…sex addiction is a victimless addiction! anyhow…. I just think if you are taking advise from someone about anything they should lead by example so it’s do as i do…not do as i say not as i do.
@Sp3ctre - Did you reread that before you posted it?
1. She’s a doctor, so I think she knows her BMI is higher than it should be. The Surgeon General cannot raise obesity standards.
2. “I mean do you take advice from someone dying of lung cancer ?”
Really? Are you so ignorant that you think cancer only hits those who smoke a pack a day?
3. I doubt every heroin addict wants to be a heroin addict. It was never drugs for me but I do know what addiction feels like, and at times it actually overcomes your survival instinct. They know more about fighting addiction than anybody else because they’re going through it themselves.
@HurricaneAlla - OK my point is …..if someone is giving advice on something…and not taking it themselves..then it’s called….now wait for it…. HYPOCRISY, in case you need that spelled out….
Hypocrisy
is the act of pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards
that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy typically comes from a
desire to mask actual motives or feelings, or from a person’s inability
to conform to standards they espouse.
Sorry if i hurt your feelings in my previous response it was not my intention….but merely to point out the obvious. So there you have it.
@Sp3ctre - From a moral standpoint, yes, hypocrisy is morally wrong. However, as long as her advice is supported by medical research and is beneficial to those who heed it, I couldn’t care less whether she chooses to follow it herself
whos to say that she isnt doing something about her weight, or that her weight isnt caused by a medical condition out of her control.
and even if it is in her control and she just really likes fast food, as long as it dosnt affect her job then its none of anybody’s business
I think it’s a LITTLE ironic…
Yes? I remember one of my health teachers being a fat slob..
she might be a lil’ overweight… but it doesn’t mean that she’s not fit to be a surgeon general.. just because of her appearance.. it really doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have the brains to be what she is….
If there was a weight limit to being in the medical field, Mississippi wouldn’t have any hospitals.
As a society, we need to focus less on the superficial and more on the credentials.
@Sp3ctre - Just because she is overweight and in a medical field doesn’t mean she’s a hypocrit. You don’t know why she’s overweight. For all we know, she could have had an eating disorder early in life and ruined her metabolism to the point where most of her food is stored as fat. That actually happens quite a lot. Or she could have an issue with her metabolism that she’s had most of her life. Or she could have an injury that doesn’t allow her to work out. Or she could have been much larger and then started losing weight last year in an attempt to make herself healthier. Or she could truly be an unhealthy person. We simply don’t know what’s causing her to be overweight.
I know someone who’s a size 4 that still has terrible cholestoral and terrible blood pressure. It’s because even though she’s thin, she eats too many fried foods. I know from personal experience that an injury can cause you to not lose weight if it stops you from working out and that it doesn’t matter how healthy you eat. And trust me, that weight can be considered overweight.
We don’t necessarily know if we can trust her advice or not. But she doesn’t have to tell us why she’s overweight. We should just trust that she knows what she’s talking about. Even if we find out that she’s truly unhealthy, how do we know that she’s the first Surgeon’s General to be unhealthy? Why shouldn’t we listen to her because of her lifestyle even though she had to learn more medical information on health than the average American? Sometimes the people who are the worst examples can give the best advice on how to avoid their situations. I would listen to a heroin addict if their advice was telling me what they did wrong and what they have learned about their addiction (oh and an addict isn’t necessarily currently using, it just means that they are capable of being addicted now or again). As long as the advice doesn’t contradict proven scientific and medical information, they’re advice will be valid and useful.
I think so. People would be raising hell if she was the surgeon general and she was a smoker. If you’re america’s top doctor, putting YOUR name on all these health regualtions, you should be a model of what you’re enacting. It’s just like if she was eating a double cheeseburger while talking into the camera going, “America, it’s time to lose the flab and gain the abs.”
I hope they aren’t using the BMI to judge that. I’m 5’8 and 160 lbs yet I look perfectly fine. Sure I have a bit of pudge and I can stand to lose a few pounds, it’s not something I urgently need. Looks aren’t the only factor in health.
She’s not too fat if she’s not too sensitive abuot people commenting on her size. If she does get offended, she’s too fat.
It doesn’t matter.
yeah, you can’t preach a healthy lifestyle if you don’t follow it yourself.
Well … she certainly does not practice what she preaches.
Maybe as a fat woman, she’s more aware of health issues….????