Actually, if you have a body-mass-index, a BMI, of 25 or more, you’re more likely to take weight advice from an overweight doctor than a slim one. That’s according to a study of 600 overweight adults in the journal Preventive Medicine. [Sara Bleich et al., How does physician BMI impact patient trust and perceived stigma?]
More than half the patients in the study see a primary care physician who also has a too-high BMI. The overweight patients may have a higher overall comfort level with docs of a similar weight class.
But the downside is that previous research found that physicians who have above-normal BMIs can lack knowledge about solid weight-loss strategies. So when it comes to getting effective weight loss help, perhaps the best advice comes from the doc who can say, "Do as I say—and as I do."
—Katherine Harmon
