Growing Number of Ob-Gyns Turn Away Obese Female Patients in South Florida

By Kyle Munzenrieder Tue., May 17 2011 at 1:59 PM

Categories: News

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Ob-gyns with similar policies to Peter Griffin are somewhat concerning.

You wouldn't expect an ob-gyn's office to have the same admission policy as a frat house party: as in, "no fat chicks." Yet, The Sun-Sentinel has discovered the a sizable amount of ob-gyns in South Florida have placed a weight limit on new patients they admit.

Fifteen out of 105 of ob-gyns the Sentinel surveyed have set weight limits for patients, which usually start around 200 pounds or are based on BMI levels.

Most of the doctors said that their equipment and examining tables couldn't hold larger woman (which smells oddly like bullshit), but some said that obesity comes with more complications that the doctors would rather avoid.

"People don't realize the risk we're taking by taking care of these patients," Dr. Albert Triana, who practices in South Miami, tells the paper. "There's more risk of something going wrong and more risk of getting sued. Everything is more complicated with an obese patient in GYN surgeries and in [pregnancies]."

Unsurprisingly, many of the doctors who have enacted the weight cut-off also have a history of being sued for malpractice or cover high malpractice insurance premiums.

While doctors can not turn down patients based on race, gender, or sexual orientation they are free to turn away patients based on weight. Though not everyone agrees with the policy.

"This completely goes against the principles of being a doctor," James Zervios, a spokesman for the Obesity Action Commission said to the paper. "Health care professionals are there to help individuals improve their quality of health, not stigmatize them according to their weight."

[Sun-Sentinel: Some ob-gyns in South Florida turn away overweight women]

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I'm almost sure that these remarks were made by foreign born doctors? I can't believe that an American born doctor would have such a backward mentality.
Obesity is a HUGE problem. Punning slogan aside, the National Institute of Health’s, Body Mass Index may require some reevaluation. However, of late too many persons are abusing the Hyperthyroidism excuse, when proper diet and moderate exercise are not a part of their routine.
Angelo, the comment was that some women go over 200 pounds when they are pregnant. They did not get pregnant while 'morbidly obese' as you state. These women are being turned away at 200 pounds. Figure the 23 - 32 pounds for the baby, any water weight (most women have it) and complications. Most women lose a lot of weight after the baby is born. The doctors refusing a women 200 pounds and otherwise healthy should not be a doctor.
I understand that but, the article indicates that the OB/GYN doctors are turning away patients with no existing health issues - except being overweight. In this case they should treat the patient and also refer to a facility or doctor that can help with the issue of being overweight. 200 pounds is not a super fat person that would break exam tables, etc. What if she is 6' tall? These doctors are simply refusing overweight persons unethically.
Well, if they keep that up, they are going to put themselves right out of work lol. www.internet-privacy.at.tc
don't get pregnant if you are morbidly obese. it is irresponsible. grossly irresponsible. birth control exists for a reason. if you have a medical condition that causes your obesity, i feel bad for you, but lets not all lie to ourselves. most fat people are overweight merely because of a lifestyle they live based on a lack of self-control/discipline and a general lack of being educated about nutrition(something that, you can blame schools for or just take responsibility for your OWN life and educate yourself.). i used to be very overweight and it was unhealthy, then i educated myself, took some responsibility, and learned self-control. i'm not some fitness guru, nor am i ripped like a body builder, but i'm healthy now. it took work though, and if you aren't willing to work to make yourself healthy, why should doctors? if you won't take care of yourself first, we shouldn't all have to. survival of the fittest(natural selection) is nature's law. you may not like it, but we will NEVER defeat it. Accept it and live by the rules or die. that is how life is for every human being that does or has ever lived on this planet. argue all you want, get angry all you want, it doesn't make it untrue.
Do they realize that some women that are pregnant go over 200 lbs and they HAVE to go the ob-gyn. What do they do about that?
You are a miserable angry F$#( aren't you?
That is exactly why I have THE BEST OB/GYN EVER!!!! My sis is currently preggers and she is a big girl, he treats her like if she was a member of his family. He treats all his patients that way. And his wife works alongside with him. She is a dear!!! I love them. The guy pratically almost saved my life. I had a ruptured ovarian cyst that tore my right ovary, I had internal bleeding that wouldn't stop and he had a fight over the phone with a rep. from my insurance company because they wanted me released earlier. My doctor said well if something happens to her you're gonna be responsible... please give me your name and employee number. lol. true story. Few doctors like that nowadays. A day later I was being prepped for surgery to stop the bleeing.
At you are a dipshit
The comments by James Zervios show he is only concerned about hois politics and not what is best for the doctor and the patient. Women who are above a certain weight are classified as high risk. This means there is more risk to the mother and baby. These patient need to be handled by a high risk practice. Mr. Zervios says this goes against the principles of being a doctor. NO NO NO the number 1 principle is do no harm. These obese patient carfry special risks and need a clinic that specializes in high risks patients. Mr. Zervios instead of trying to get yourself and your organization a little press. Actually study the issue so you under it.
It's called natural selection. If fatty wouldn't have survived the walk west along the wagon trail, and would have been left for dead, then she has no business walking the earth, shoving cheese doodles down her throat, taking up space in traffic with her Dodge PigVan, or shatting out more white trash. We need MORE discrimination against fat people, and we need pogroms and concentration camps where they either work it off or we suck it out and harvest their tissues like the Chinese. These fat fockers are an artifact of a dead parasitic hyper-industrial culture. ALL of their excess weight (food) and inactivity (sedentary job or welfare) and transportation (big fat car or SUV to drive everywhere with cheap oil) and life support (Medicare) is paid for by others, without which they would not and could not possibly be as fat. Their days of having their existence subsidized by the rest of us are over.
The "problem"with this is that ia doctor takes oath to preserve human life and if he can pick and choose whom he wants to save then that's old fashioned discrimination. Today it's obesity and then what will it be later, homosexuality because AIDS is high risk, or smokers because of the myriad health complications they represent, or the elderly because they're too frail? The point is: If ONE discrimination is permitted is opens the door to ALL of them. This s exactly like policemen not helping someone because it's too risky or them to do so! A doctor takes the responsibility to help ALL people all the time not only when he feels like.
I'm sure that there are doctors who specialize in high-risk cases, what's the big deal? Wouldn't you rather know that your doctor is not familiar with high-risk situations? That is common in all professions, if the service provider is not that good with a certain situation, ethically he/she should refer the case to somebody who is.