I have a patient who is young, in her 20s and who is very fat. She is very healthy by all objective measures of health. All of her blood work is completely normal. She does not take any medications. She eats reasonably healthy food and she exercises regularly to stay fit.

Her mother came with her to her last appointment simply to tell me that she thought I was “a a bad doctor” for not telling her daughter that she “must” lose weight. That was her sole purpose for being there.

Unless there is a truly compelling reason to do so, I am not in the habit of regularly telling my fat patients that they need to lose weight. This is a reason that this young woman comes to see me.