Comments on: The Health of Our Nurses

By: Carisa

Carisa — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:05:29 +0000

Amy, I couldn’t agree with you more. I think teachers and nurses / doctors are huge role models for our children. If they are overweight then the kids won’t think anything about being overweight themselves. All children look up to their doctor or teacher. I remember wanting to be a teacher when I was young because my teacher was beautiful, tall and skinny.

Maybe it’s time for the government to revamp the clinics cafeteria like they did to our schools?!!

By: Paul Sutton

Paul Sutton — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:01:39 +0000

It seems we are a victim of circumstance… we lead such busy lives that traditional dinner-table dining seems more out of the norm than grabbing a quick bite at ‘the corner’. Even though the storyline was slightly embellished, a reality similar to that of Wall-E (completely dependent upon technology) is a great analogy of the direction that our future appears to be heading.

I believe we are doomed to this path unless someone stands up and demands change… someone needs to tell the Emperor that his New Clothes are 2 sizes too small.

By: Amy Sellers

Amy Sellers — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:18:47 +0000

Paul, I do believe our country is in a pandemic. Obesity has become infectious as unhealthy foods become the norm and exercise becomes obsolete (hey, why would I walk up that flight of stairs when there’s a perfectly good elevator?) As more of the country has become overweight, it becomes okay to society. It’s hard to motivate change in a community where the majority of people are obese.

I do think you’re right that many in the country would not categorize a nurse as someone that is an example of health or fitness, and I believe many nurses feel the same way. But, that’s what I would love to see changed. I do tell my patients on a near-daily basis about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle; no smoking, cardiac diet (low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium), and exercise. I think that message is deeply lost from a nurse who weighs over 300 pounds and reeks of cigarette smoke.

By: Paul Sutton

Paul Sutton — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:49:02 +0000

Though I do not spend a lot of time in hospitals (thankfully), I do not really categorize a ‘nurse’ as someone that I would look to as an example of good health or fitness, at least not any more than I would categorize a politician as ‘honest’ or a police officer as someone whom ‘never breaks the law’.

It would seem these should be synonymous but clearly they are not. My mental image of nurses always plays back to the group of chain-smokers congregating outside the entrance or an unmarked doorway of the building.

I think you’re right though, they should go hand-in-hand, it should be promoted on a wider scale because at this point, clearly nothing but video games and the internet has our attention and obesity in America is definitely out of control. Healthy alternatives should always be available in such situations (all situations).

The difficulty is convincing a union worker they “need” to get in shape or choose the apple instead of the danish, without causing a pandemic.