Mention obesity...what if interviewer is obese!?

[Nooblet]

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Often they will ask you the top problems healthcare is facing...obesity is obviously one of them, but I would honestly feel a little uncomfortable if my interviewer is obese. what do you guys think?

 

[surfstarj]

I was thinking about that as a response on my UConn secondary...I went with something else though. One the one hand, even though the odds of the interviewer being obese are low, you wouldn't want to risk it. On the other, it's a pressing topic and definitely relevant. Your call. I just thought of a different topic to write about. Good luck!

 

[Phoenix.]

Often they will ask you the top problems healthcare is facing...obesity is obviously one of them, but I would honestly feel a little uncomfortable if my interviewer is obese. what do you guys think?

What are the odds that you'll have an obese interviewer to begin with, and that they'll ask you that question? Anyway, just think up some other things to say about top problems healthcare is facing (there are more than just one) other than obesity on the off-chance you have an obese interviewer. I would hope that if this person is in healthcare that they're aware of the issue, and wouldn't take it personally provided you were professional about the way you talked about it. Regardless, if it were me, I probably would just not mention obesity.

 

[brsboarder]

some schools have blind interviews, its worth figuring that out first

 

[45408]

Just talk about the fact that Americans eat poorly, don't exercise enough, and smoke/drink too much. The obvious implication is that they are obese because of those things, but you didn't come out and state it. Even if they are obese, they are more than aware of the fact that it is terrible for their health, and they can't hold it against you for claiming that it's a problem. Just don't be rude or unnecessarily blunt about it, if it even comes up.

 

[Bartelby]

Just talk about the fact that Americans eat poorly, don't exercise enough, and smoke/drink too much. The obvious implication is that they are obese because of those things, but you didn't come out and state it. Even if they are obese, they are more than aware of the fact that it is terrible for their health, and they can't hold it against you for claiming that it's a problem. Just don't be rude or unnecessarily blunt about it, if it even comes up.

Exactly. You can talk about how a sedentary lifestyle combined with the standard diet of high calorie and high sugar foods is likely to cause problems with a rapidly aging population (unless he's a baby boomer! j/k).

 

[bellacnella]

Sure. Just focus on the comorbidities- diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, etc. and how they are causing problems. Talk about why obesity interests you and I don't see why it would be a problem for an interiewer.

Don't come off as a person who is just judgemental of obese people for no reason... whatever you know what I mean.

 

[inaminute]

you could be a little more broad and just say that most Americans don't take enough personal responsibility for their own health

 

[shevie]

what if you say the biggest problem in health care is the HIV epidemic? and the person reading ur app is HIV+? Or the biggest problem in health care is managed care and this doc is married to some big wig at Keiser (sp)...
How is that any different? I was considering Obesity but went with a health policy issue instead for UConn, but NOT b/c I was afraid of whod be reading it. I mean, somewhere out there, there will always be someone who WONT like what you read, or would take it too personally. Just go with it, but try to stay neutral and not condenscending, and as long as you sound intelligent and can defend ur opinions, u should be ok.

 

[meowkat444]

just a thought, but often when they ask you questions such as this, they are more concerned with how you justify your opinion as opposed to your opinion itself. if you feel strongly about it and can justify it convincingly, whater "it" is, then you're probably ok.

 

[brianoflee]

You could always just count on them not knowing about it.

Doctor: "Well, uh, yeah, you are pretty fat."
Peter Griffin: "Ummmm, ok... this is news to me..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ro-G7rZ6Nk (1:09)

 

[inaminute]

you could be a little more broad and just say that most Americans don't take enough personal responsibility for their own health

soooo disappointed that no one ran with this one

 

[medguy83]

Probably not a wise move to make your interviewer feel uncomfortable. As a side note, while obesity is definitely a huge issue in medicine (yes you can run with that one as well), I'd have to lay the blame of our healthcare woes onto insurance providers and managed care administration. With some 43 million Americans currently uninsured, it's sad we can't find a better solution.

 

[smq123]

Probably not a wise move to make your interviewer feel uncomfortable.

This is true.

But (to anyone who has interacted with obese doctors) - have you noticed that many obese doctors don't seem to recognize their own obesity?

Seriously, I've had obese (male) doctors rant and rave about their obese female patients, and talk on and on about how dangerous obesity is in women of reproductive age - PCOS, metabolic syndrome, the effect of diabetes on the developing fetus, etc. [Because, of course, obesity is TOTALLY benign in men!] Anyone else see this?

 

[TRAMD]

"Well obesity is a major problem. Take yourself for example. You could lose a couple . . . hundred pounds couldn't 'ya fatty? I mean, c'mon, those man-boobs just scream heart-attack-waiting-to-happen. Can we open a window? The smell of your BO is messin' with my cognition here."

 

[TRAMD]

Unless they are extremely obese they probably won't take offense. If they are 300+ then talk about smoking or alcohol or underinsured or one of the MANY other problems.