Author Topic: Obesity and career (Read 2484 times)

Telesphorus · « **on:** November 30, 2011, 09:13:56 PM »

My brother has told me he knows of no medical students at Columbia University who are obese or seriously overweight.

It seems pretty clear that being lean is a class indicator these days. Probably being traditionally Catholic and obese could make pursuing a professional career very difficult these days when one has to deal with the SWPL (yuppie) set.

s2srea · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2011, 08:59:53 AM »

Quote from: Telesphorus

My brother has told me he knows of no medical students at Columbia University who are obese or seriously overweight.

It seems pretty clear that being lean is a class indicator these days. Probably being traditionally Catholic and obese could make pursuing a professional career very difficult these days when one has to deal with the SWPL (yuppie) set.

That may be true; but technically, I'm obese. I think I wear it well, and have a big skeletal and muscular build, and I'm a traditional Catholic. I've tried to leave the answers to a career in God's hands, and its worked, in a temporal sense. But perhaps not finding a job is part of Divine providence given the state of the world right now. I have a family, and am responsible for other mouths than my own.

Hmm... tele- this is an encouragement for marriage my man! :wink: jk jk

momofmany · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2011, 10:47:35 AM »

Quote from: Telesphorus

My brother has told me he knows of no medical students at Columbia University who are obese or seriously overweight.

It seems pretty clear that being lean is a class indicator these days. Probably being traditionally Catholic and obese could make pursuing a professional career very difficult these days when one has to deal with the SWPL (yuppie) set.

Probably has a lot more to do with the lifestyle of a med student than their parents bank account. I've never been thinner or more fit than when I was a nursing student. 8+ hours on my feet, never sitting down, lifting and moving people anywhere from 100-300 pounds. Eating rarely and usually just a snack. Rest of my time was spent in the library or walking to and from classes. Meals were brief and often skipped. When I had spare time I walked around the city to blow off stress. The life of a med student is similar but with longer hours and less free time. Oh and lots of nursing and medical students smoke, counter-intuitive but true. The nicotine keeps you awake and also suppresses the appetite.
A good number of med students in the US are also of Asian descent and are naturally thin.

None of this has anything to do with income or class. Med students don't have time to workout or obsess over the perfect macrobiotic low fat diet.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2011, 10:52:56 AM »

Quote from: momofmany

None of this has anything to do with income or class. Med students don't have time to workout or obsess over the perfect macrobiotic low fat diet.

I think getting through the selection process has to do with class and being thin.

There's plenty of time for med students to overeat.

My brother's been at one of the top medical schools for more than three years now, he told me he thinks the fat people didn't make it past the interview, and I think he's right.

momofmany · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2011, 12:13:27 PM »

How reasonable is it to think someone morbidly obese could keep up with the physical rigors of medical school, internship and residency? If you can't go up one flight of stairs without being winded how will you race up three flights to answer a code?

Two equally academically qualified candidates. One is morbidly obese, one is not. The more fit one will be selected. C'est la vie.

sedetrad · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2011, 02:20:15 PM »

If you want a good job, then being fat will not help you in attaining it. Appearance is a plus in getting hired.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2011, 04:03:09 PM »

Quote from: momofmany

How reasonable is it to think someone morbidly obese could keep up with the physical rigors of medical school, internship and residency? If you can't go up one flight of stairs without being winded how will you race up three flights to answer a code?

Two equally academically qualified candidates. One is morbidly obese, one is not. The more fit one will be selected. C'est la vie.

There's a difference between being morbidly obese and being fat. No one is talking about being morbidly obese. Just fat. Not chubby, but fat. There are a lot of fat people who qualify as obese who are not morbidly obese by any stretch of the imagination.

s2srea · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2011, 05:38:14 PM »

I need to lose weight

Telesphorus · « **Reply #8 on:** December 01, 2011, 05:51:19 PM »

Quote from: s2srea

I need to lose weight

For me the way it's worked is to start Lenten fasting early.

Another approach is to learn to eyeball what's a hundred calories. Someone at your weight probably has a metabolism of 2800-3000 calories a day. Try to stay under 2000, strive to hit 1500 some days. But the most important thing, for me anyway, was to get used to going hours without food. The problem with that it can be very tiriing.

s2srea · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2011, 07:58:14 AM »

You're right Tele. I've watched my caloric consumption before, and I noticed a quick loss of weight. Part of my issue is not exercising too though. I drive for an hour, sitting down, to work; sit at at desk all day; drive another hour, sitting, home, and then thats it really. I've been trying to get a morning hike in, but my schedule at work is so sporadic, and I'm a routine kind of person. Thats why watching calories works.

wisconsheepgirl · « **Reply #10 on:** December 11, 2011, 11:04:52 AM »

Momofmany hit it on the nail. She pretty much wrote out what I was going to say. When a med student you work insane hours, get little sleep, eat very little and if you do its pretty much what's in the vending machine or cafeteria. You work hard and long.

However, you mentioned something about social class obese vs. thin. I believe that it is now becoming a true societal class differential when it comes to thin vs. obese. Those that are thinner DO make more money, have a more 'fast track' job, and sadly are seen as 'better' than those who are obese. I have seen families that are categorized as in poverty and they invariably do seem to be obese. I'm not sure if it's because of the high fat, high calorie meals, snacks they're choosing, in the past they would be the skinniest and those fatter would be higher on the economic totem pole. Is it because those families have food stamps and they are purchasing foods for convenience and losing the true nutritional value of food? Highly probable.

I wouldn't lump med students seemingly lack of obesity as a class issue. It's too narrow and not defining all that a med student endures. Some gain weight after going into private practice so it's a current lifestyle issue.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #11 on:** December 11, 2011, 02:49:57 PM »

Quote from: wisconsheepgirl

Momofmany hit it on the nail. She pretty much wrote out what I was going to say. When a med student you work insane hours, get little sleep, eat very little and if you do its pretty much what's in the vending machine or cafeteria. You work hard and long.

I'm sure plenty of them lose weight, but that's not why the ones selected are none of them very fat.

Quote

However, you mentioned something about social class obese vs. thin. I believe that it is now becoming a true societal class differential when it comes to thin vs. obese. Those that are thinner DO make more money, have a more 'fast track' job, and sadly are seen as 'better' than those who are obese. I have seen families that are categorized as in poverty and they invariably do seem to be obese. I'm not sure if it's because of the high fat, high calorie meals, snacks they're choosing, in the past they would be the skinniest and those fatter would be higher on the economic totem pole. Is it because those families have food stamps and they are purchasing foods for convenience and losing the true nutritional value of food? Highly probable.

It's because of the demoralization of the poor, and the snottiness of the "urban professional" class.

Quote

I wouldn't lump med students seemingly lack of obesity as a class issue. It's too narrow and not defining all that a med student endures. Some gain weight after going into private practice so it's a current lifestyle issue.

Acceptance to a top flight medical school will often, probably usually, depend on class, you can be sure of that.