How can someone who moves as quickly as you do be so big?

It's hard not to be offended when patients make comments about my body size. It's something that I am incredibly self conscious about, like most folks who struggle with their weight. 

So far, most comments have been fairly benign, but some patients are unwilling to discuss their concerns about their weight with me because they don't believe that I am a valuable source of advice. I think more than most of my colleagues, I'm on top of this information.

The Obesity Society publishes a monthly journal which I read and pull out the most relevant information for my patients. I'm looking at what may and may not work for my patients' health. That I'm not doing the same for myself is, well, it's hard to talk about.

When NJ Governor Chris Christie was considering running for president, he received considerable criticism about his ability to run a country when he couldn't control his own weight. The Obesity Society published this statement about fat bias.

This statement resonates with me.

A person’s body weight provides no indication of an individual’s character, credentials, talents, leadership, or contributions to society. To suggest that Governor Christie’s body weight discounts and discredits his ability to be an effective political candidate is inappropriate, unjust and wrong.
Caution should be taken in making assumptions about a person’s lifestyle behaviors based on physical appearance alone. Individuals who are not struggling with their weight are not necessarily healthy. A lean body does not reveal whether or not a person smokes cigarettes, drinks excessive alcohol, eats a balanced diet, exercises regularly, or wears a seat belt. To single out a political candidate on the basis of body weight is discriminatory. 
The criticism of Governor Christie is an unfortunate example of the weight bias and stigmatization that is pervasive in North American society. The prevalence of weight discrimination in the United States has increased by 66% in the past decade, and is now on par with rates of racial discrimination.

I think that a large part of why it provokes an emotional response in me is because I have just as much weight discrimination against myself as anyone else does.