"With computers and
technology, I think
people are more apt to
play on their phones
and sit at their desks
than exert any type of
physical activity," says
Ms. Waters.
"We're always look-
ing for diets, and try-
ing to eat right," adds Ms. Merrill. "But from a financial point of view,
the burger deal at McDonalds is a lot cheaper than trying to buy
spinach and kale and make salad, or buying berries at $5.99 a pound."
They're all right, says Dr. Sinha. "It's multi-factorial," he says. Thanks
to machinery and technology, we aren't nearly as active as we were 40
or 50 years ago. "Even the act of getting up to change your TV channel
is a foreign idea," he points out. "And to get up and answer the phone
is no longer necessary."
For an extra quarter, we're "super-sizing," he says. "We've created a
belief that bigger is better value for money. Watch anybody at a buffet
line. How many times do they go back? They're trying to get value for
money. And because you're eating so fast, your brain doesn't have a
chance to get the signal from the stomach that you're full. You come
out overstuffed. You realize it later, but by that time you've consumed
the calories."
It's a trend that could get much worse before it gets better — if it
gets better at all — and one that healthcare providers need to come to
grips with. They need to know how to safely — and sensitively —
treat their super-sized patients.
OSM
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 5 7
• FEEL THEIR PAIN Most facilities don't provide sensitivity training regarding obese patients. They should, say experts.
