Most physicians prescribe weight loss medication and weight loss herbal supplements to their patients. But what do docs do themselves?

In an Archives of Internal Medicine study of 394 practicing physicians, only 11% of physicians had taken something for weight loss.

Just 19 had taken a drugstore remedy, and 16 took prescription drug. Almost half of the physicians–44%–were overweight or obese.

In contrast to their personal choices, however, nearly all (273 or 90%) of the 303 physician recommendations to patients were for prescription drugs.

Only 30 or 10% of recommendations were for “herbal products” or phenylpropanolamine.

Many physicians are wary of prescription drug side effects–no one wants to prescribe another phen/fen.

Few physicians have the time and resources to help people lose weight and keep it off–and may be embarrassed about seeing a fellow physician for weight loss themselves.

The research was presented as a paper at the University of Chicago Annual Conference on Alternative Medicine. Read the whole paper here…
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