It always seems a little peculiar to go to a doctor or nurse for health advice and to see them in less than optimum shape themselves.  Is it possible to receive advice from those who seem incapable of taking their own medicine?

The logic behind such a position is clear, and indeed it has encouraged some healthcare providers to prod staff into living healthier lifestyles themselves.  Whilst the logic seems sound however, a recent study suggests it might have unintended consequences.

It suggests that whilst fit looking doctors may be good role models, they may also discourage overweight patients from seeking help in the first place.

Positive role models

The research saw a number of real-life profiles lifted from the website of an American medical group.  The doctor profiles were then sorted into two groups depending upon the lifestyle of the doctor.  Fitness focused medics were put in one bucket, whilst those whose profiles didn’t emphasize physical activity were placed in a second bucket.

The team then recruited a number of participants who had expressed concern about their weight, with each participant having a BMI of at least 25.  Each participant was shown the profiles of the doctors and asked to rate them across various measures.  Interestingly, it emerged that participants seemed more suspicious of the sporty doctors, believing they would be judgemental towards their unhealthy ways.  As such, they’d be less likely to choose to work with such a doctor.

Suffice to say, there is perhaps no easy solution to this apparent dilemma, for you wouldn’t want doctors to fake it any more than you would for their healthy lifestyles to alienate patients.  The researchers experimented with softening the profiles of health conscious doctors a little.  For instance, “I try to maintain a regular exercise routine” could be followed by “(though it’s hard to find the time and energy)”.  This had little impact on the perceptions of them however, as whilst overweight patients found them less judgemental, they were no more likely to want to work with them.

Not judging

What did seem to work however, was adding a statement highlighting that despite their own lifestyle, they didn’t judge others for their own lifestyles.  Updating their profiles with a phrase such as “everyone has their own definition of a healthy life and what it means to be healthy for them” made them the most preferred option.

With there being an understandable drive among healthcare providers to highlight the healthiness of their staff, the study is a reminder that they need to be approachable as well as role models.  Being healthy is a struggle for many, and just 2% of profiles mentioned any kind of challenges involved in living a healthy lifestyle, which is perhaps creating an unnecessary divide between doctor and patient.  Thankfully, the medicine seems relatively straightforward and painless.