# Why Don't Doctors Get It??? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 5, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815 "2010-01-05T23:42:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silverstreak_Wonder)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/81 "2010-01-07T18:50:01Z")
Toe, I bet 99 percent of sleeping problems are not caused by your fatal disease, and my idea will work on almost everyone as a result. There are always going to be rare exceptions, I will agree to that. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/82 "2010-01-08T10:50:46Z")
If they didn’t tell you you were fat, lazy and a disgusting sloth who smokes, they’d be sued by you after you became a diabetic, or after your leg finally succumbed to gangrene, or by your family after you had an acute MI because of all your risk factors… So if I were you, I’d sign a release saying you and your family will ABSOLUTELY NEVER sue on the grounds you weren’t warned. Then you can talk about all sorts of fun stuff with your doctor that you want to, like puppies and kittens :rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/83 "2010-01-08T13:38:53Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > How would anybody be expected to know that that was an inside joke? We can only see what you write. > > And, an FYI for you–I think that may be the first time anybody’s ever accused me of not having a sense of humor. > > I’m sure you didn’t realize that you were being insulting. I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Now perhaps you could try doing the same for me. > > Again, how would anybody be expected to know that you’re an RN? And if you think that was wild ranting…well, come to think of it, it was pretty wild for me. Maybe I even burned some calories! > > You clearly did more than mention your observation. You did give advice as well. The problem wasn’t that it was unsolicited. The problem was that your tone was condescending. > > Welcome to the SDMB! > BTW, would you mind providing a link to the midnight pie brouhaha? I like a good brouhaha. ATMB [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=544185) with link to Pit thread. It’s full of nommy PALATRy goodness - enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/84 "2010-01-08T14:36:30Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > So if I were you, I’d sign a release saying you and your family will ABSOLUTELY NEVER sue on the grounds you weren’t warned. Then you can talk about all sorts of fun stuff with your doctor that you want to, like puppies and kittens :rolleyes:. Signing a release saying you and your family will ABSOLUTELY NEVER sue doesn’t actually keep you from suing. It’s just a very good defense for the defendant. Still gonna cost you if you _do_ get sued. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/85 "2010-01-08T15:23:53Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > A third smoker got a piece of lung taken out for what was thought to be a tumor but instead turned out to be benign granulomatous disease. You’d think the scare would get him to stop smoking, but I kind of doubt it. You kidding? My father died from a particularly nasty smoker’s cancer (I kind of throat cancer that is resistant to chemo, IIRC). One day he was standing in the kitchen puffing away and said: “Hey! My tumor gets really hard when I smoke!” Yeah, neat-o, dad. > [@Silverstreak Wonder](#): > > The real answer is that the doctor would not lecture, but instead have drugs or actions that would simply stop the desire to do the harmful things. > > In other words make a drug that takes hunger away from a fat man, he can stop the drug once his weight is normal. IMHO, you have a poor understanding of how eating disorders work and a poor understanding of the human nature factors that lead to poor eating habits. For one, hunger often has nothing to do with it. People develop poor eating habits for quite a variety of reasons. Some are psychological and can be complex, some are simply mundane bad habits such as eating to relieve boredom - like people who gnosh at work when they aren’t actually hungry at all - or for comfort, or in some cases as a form of self-abuse. In my Latin family, eating is a key factor of socializing and demonstrating affection. “I love you , I made you pie! You should eat something!” The human nature elements that affect eating habits and patterns are quite diverse and not eating when you’re not hungry seldomly plays a role. For example, when my partner and I travel in the U.S. a single restaurant meal is often adequate for both of us. Yet we have friends and family there who will “eat everything on their plate” because they are conditioned to do so. It’s as if it’s an assigned task, like raking the yard. “Here is a yard full of leaves. Your job is to clear them off and put them in garbage bags. Here is a plate of food, your job is to clear it off and put it in the dishwasher.” They may be sated after eating only 1/3 of the meal, but dammit, they intent to “get their money’s worth” and they will eat the portions given to them, hungry or not. They also do not seem to know how to judge proper portions anymore. If they are always given a loaded plate, that will be the benchmark for serving themselves. Obesity and diabetes is dramatically increasing in the Latin community, and studies are indicating that parental influence on terrible eating habits is a major contributing factor. At a very primitive level, like most animals, we are trained by our parents on how to identify food. If you grow up rarely eating fresh fruits and vegetables, but routinely eating fast food and processed pre-packaged meals - high in calories and sodium - you are more likely to continue eating those foods as an adult because they are most familiar to you. Again it’s not an issue of hunger, it’s an issue of poor choices and learned patterns of behaviour. Appetite suppressants are actually currently available, by the way. The problem is they can also be dangerous. A friend went to her doctor to ask about the very Magic Pill you’re talking about. He said he could prescribe it, but that she would have to modify her eating habits as well because there could be very dangerous side effects otherwise. She refused the prescription because she did not want to change her lifestyle and then complained that the doctor didn’t understand her. Sorry for the long post. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/86 "2010-01-08T17:15:00Z")
> [@Silverstreak\_Wonder](#): > > Something that makes a drunkard sick on the first drink so he can’t get drunk, and things like that. There are medications like that already. Disulfiram aka Antabuse is used for the treatment of alcohol use/dependence. It causes a severe adverse reaction when you drink alcohol. The problem of course is that the drunkard will stop taking the medication in order to drink. People who eat when they are stressed will eat when they are stressed, it doesn’t matter if they are hungry or not. /I eat when bored. So now I’m a skinny dude with a pot belly. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/87 "2010-01-08T19:33:07Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > There are indeed [drugs that control appetite,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appetite_suppressant) and there are other [drugs to combat alcoholism,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic#Medications) just as there are drugs to help overcome addiction to [tobacco](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_cessation#Methods_of_quitting_the_habit_of_tobacco_use) and [heroin.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methadone) There are also surgeries to combat obesity. But drugs and procedures cost money, and inevitably come with side effects/risks. If you’re overweight, it stands to reason that the doc isn’t going to recommend bariatric surgery the very first time he sees you, especially if you’re only modestly overweight; he’ll suggest less invasive/expensive approaches first, like less food and more exercise. He will eventually help you pursue drugs and surgeries if you’re really interested, but you first need to demonstrate that your health is in immediate danger **AND that you have an utter lack of ability to fight your addiction(s) on your own.** Bolding mine. In the cases I know, if you have an utter lack of ability to fight overeating, your doctor will not think you are a good candidate for surgery. Weight loss surgery will not be successful unless the patient is willing to change their habits. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/88 "2010-01-08T19:48:22Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Signing a release saying you and your family will ABSOLUTELY NEVER sue doesn’t actually keep you from suing. It’s just a very good defense for the defendant. Still gonna cost you if you _do_ get sued. Isn’t it amazing that people can sign a document saying they will or won’t do a certain thing (with their wits about them, on a reasonable subject), and yet it can be rendered totally irrelevant? Our society has totally left behind any sort of personal responsibility. A slight hijack but still in the same vein…this morning at the doctor’s office, I was reading a skiing magazine. In between all the highlights of the best places for fresh powder, there was an interview with a lawyer who **only** defends ski resorts from people who injure themselves and sue the resort, be it from just being stupid and falling to skiing out of the bounds to hitting a known mogul. He has a full time job doing JUST this. I had NO idea this was ever a problem, seeing as you always _sign a waiver_ saying you take full responsibility for your actions, that the resort isn’t liable, etc. Incredible, really. **irishgirl** , you’re absolutely right. Both of my parents are physicians, and they pretty much have the same night you describe with your husband. But their colleagues are all sorts of crazy because of the stress - one of their good friends hit on my mom (before knowing my parents were engaged) **while his wife was pregnant**. He’s had multiple marriages (as have others), some of them could drink frat boys under the table, some of them are religious extremists just like you’ve described. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/89 "2010-01-08T20:26:54Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I had NO idea this was ever a problem, seeing as you always _sign a waiver_ saying you take full responsibility for your actions, that the resort isn’t liable, etc. A waiver does not protect the business from negligence. ::Hijack:: For example, I signed a waiver at an indoor rock climbing gym. The waiver indemnifies them in the event of an accident. For example, I fall normally knowing my safety line will catch me. The rope just happens to wrap around my finger as I fall in a way that breaks my finger - rats! How unlucky! My broken finger was a mishap that could not be predicted or reasonably foreseen. The gym had taken all reasonable steps to create a safe climbing environment and exercised due diligence. My broken finger was be an unfortunate fluke and I’m well aware that the sport can result in bumps, bruises, or serious injury if I really screw up. However, if they knowingly rent me an old harness that should have been retired years ago, or use nylon ropes from a sailboat instead of actual climbing ropes, that’s negligence. A reasonable person can expect that using totally inappropriate equipment can result in equipment failure and injury. The injuries could have been prevented with common sense and due diligence. And if they didn’t tell me that they are cutting corners using dangerously old stuff, there was no informed consent. I didn’t agree to that shit. My climbing gym settled a suit that involved a guy who fell, his safety line caught him, but the route was set up too close to the end of an exposed I-beam. He cut his leg badly on the corner of the beam. It was certainly a bit on the “unlucky fluke” side, however a reasonable person could have concluded that it was only a matter of time before someone would get hurt on the I-beam. Despite being a careful diligent climber, it was bound to happen eventually because the set-up was a little hazardous. (It has since been remedied). So bascially, people are encouraged to sue, because chances are the business’s insurance company is likely to just settle to avoid the costs of litigation (particularly if the settelment will cost less than legal fees). But if the injured party was a total idiot who clearly did something stupid, like climb over the fence that has the “Danger! Hidden cliff with pointy sticks and man-eating tigers at the bottom!” sign posted on it, litigation is more likely to happen. ::/hijack:: ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/90 "2010-01-09T05:23:49Z")
> [@Ludy](#): > > My Grandmother smoked like a chiminy and could not quit, no matter what she tried. Then she got in a pretty bad car accident. She was in a coma for a while and in the hospital for months. After that she lived with my Mom while she recovered in a no smoking house. It may not be the best way to quit smoking, but it sure did work! She did better than my grandmother. In her 80s, bedridden, on oxygen, her daughters (my mother and aunts) taking turns staying at her house to take care of her through the night. And they kept catching her sneaking cigarettes. While still on the oxygen. The real question was, where did she keep getting the cigarettes. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/91 "2010-01-09T14:27:18Z")
Well, the topic has strayed a lot from the OP, but I still am confused. Why in the world does a doctor have any obligation to suggest anything about how I live my life? The only service I am paying for is for him to fix the current problem. If that problem is exacerbated by my bad habits, it makes sense to mention them. But it makes no sense to tell me how to fix those problems unless I ask, nor to mention them after they’ve already told me, and know I know. In most cases, it’s not even in their specialty, and they should be referring me to an expert anyways. But, then again, I don’t see this happening very often, anyways. It’s the rude ones that have trouble getting patients. The ones that think they are above everyone else, and that the societal norm of what topics can be discussed with a person don’t apply to them. A nurse practitioner I know who had just gotten a gastric bypass, and as she was losing weight, thought she had the right to chastise almost every one of her overweight patients. She was fired by the end of the month. I know a dentist who would constantly chastise people for how well they did at brushing. Now the only patients he can get are Medicaid patients, since no one else can stand him. (The other dentists around here are so successful they think it’s okay not to accept Medicaid, since they can only get a certain amount. But that’s another rant for another time.) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/92 "2010-01-09T14:32:00Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Well, the topic has strayed a lot from the OP, but I still am confused. Why in the world does a doctor have any obligation to suggest anything about how I live my life? The only service I am paying for is for him to fix the current problem. If that problem is exacerbated by my bad habits, it makes sense to mention them. But it makes no sense to tell me how to fix those problems unless I ask, nor to mention them after they’ve already told me, and know I know. In most cases, it’s not even in their specialty, and they should be referring me to an expert anyways. Preventative medicine, essentially. They’re trying to keep you from needing help on other dramatic health issues in the future (cancer, heart disease, diabetes) by suggesting that you change some things about your life right now. The medical field has historically been criticized for not being proactive, for only treating disease and not saying anything about how to prevent it. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/93 "2010-01-09T18:15:29Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > popcorn…carrots (Ok, so I snipped it a bit, and others have had the same suggestions, but bear with me) When I have a snack craving, these things just don’t do it for me. I bought an air popper once, and could sit down to a huge (literally theater-sized) bowl of it and consume the entire thing without being satisfied. Carrot sticks I can eat, but do not satisfy me. Don’t get me started on celery. I have not found one “healthy” snack that is convenient, does not spoil quickly, delicious, and usually salty. I would much rather grab a handful of Cheetos and be done with it. I’m not a vegetable-phobe, my roommate is vegan and that’s almost entirely what we cook in the house, but eating an apple, carrot, orange, banana, etc. does not satisfy my snack cravings. I’d be open to suggestions, but I haven’t found anything that works for me. – **chaoticbear** , who used to have a BMI of almost 39, and is now at 25, but is still out of shape. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/94 "2010-01-09T22:08:12Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > (Ok, so I snipped it a bit, and others have had the same suggestions, but bear with me) > > When I have a snack craving, these things just don’t do it for me. I bought an air popper once, and could sit down to a huge (literally theater-sized) bowl of it and consume the entire thing without being satisfied. Carrot sticks I can eat, but do not satisfy me. Don’t get me started on celery. I have not found one “healthy” snack that is convenient, does not spoil quickly, delicious, and usually salty. I would much rather grab a handful of Cheetos and be done with it. > > I’m not a vegetable-phobe, my roommate is vegan and that’s almost entirely what we cook in the house, but eating an apple, carrot, orange, banana, etc. does not satisfy my snack cravings. I’d be open to suggestions, but I haven’t found anything that works for me. > > – **chaoticbear** , who used to have a BMI of almost 39, and is now at 25, but is still out of shape. Nuts? Peanuts? String cheese? Probably not “healthy” in large amounts, but they seem to “stick” better for me than vegetables as a snack, so I don’t need to eat so much in the first place. Aren’t Cheetos and popcorn kind of the same thing, really, except for the orange powder? ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/95 "2010-01-09T22:39:32Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > IME, what doctors simply don’t get is money. In my lean min-wage temping years, when I’ve had to explain that I could not find the time for an appt during their hours, that missing half a day of work literally meant the difference of paying rent or not or getting fired, they looked at me like I was speaking Klingon. > > Doc: “So if we schedule you for next week…” > Me: “No, I really can’t, I have to be at work. Besides it’s just a follow-up” > Doc: “Later in the week?” > Me: “I have to work, I don’t make much money and I can’t afford to miss the time. Can’t you just call me?” > Doc: “What if it’s early, like 9:30?” > > Arrghh!!! I’d like to second this. I’ve met more than one doctor/dentist who seemed to have completely lost touch with the amount of money normal people have (or, even, the employment landscape). My dentist really wants me to have a complicated oral surgery/braces/implant combo to save a capsized tooth that is currently not causing any problems, but may cause problems down the line. I am aware that my current plan may mess up the tooth above it. It could even cause bite problems. But how many different ways can I explain I don’t have $10,000+ to devote to a tooth? It’s humiliating. Also, telling us to “reduce stress” is laughable. Unemployment is like 13% in my state. I’m glad you have an in-demand, portable six-figure job. Most people don’t. Most people can’t walk into the boss’s office and demand he lighten their load. I friend of mine was complaining her doctor keeps doing the same, encouraging her to make a “lifestyle change” to reduce her stress level. Yeah, because being a single mother of two who’s been unemployed for almost a year was a lifestyle she chose for shits and giggles. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/96 "2010-01-10T00:38:26Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > (Ok, so I snipped it a bit, and others have had the same suggestions, but bear with me) > > When I have a snack craving, these things just don’t do it for me. I bought an air popper once, and could sit down to a huge (literally theater-sized) bowl of it and consume the entire thing without being satisfied. Carrot sticks I can eat, but do not satisfy me. Don’t get me started on celery. I have not found one “healthy” snack that is convenient, does not spoil quickly, delicious, and usually salty. I would much rather grab a handful of Cheetos and be done with it. > > I’m not a vegetable-phobe, my roommate is vegan and that’s almost entirely what we cook in the house, but eating an apple, carrot, orange, banana, etc. does not satisfy my snack cravings. I’d be open to suggestions, but I haven’t found anything that works for me. > > – **chaoticbear** , who used to have a BMI of almost 39, and is now at 25, but is still out of shape. Let me tell you, there are times I’ll scarf a bunch of Cheetos (Orange Death™ to me) too! They’re good even if they do leave my fingers all orange. Congrats on such a huge loss in your BMI! That’s really fantastic. A couple of my patients told me the same thing and asked for some different kinds of suggestions. They were trying not to eat three meals a day, but smaller meals and snacks so I tried to look at keeping the calories less than 200-250 and yet contains protein. In some situations preparing the food makes it seem like you’re getting more out of it than just a grab-n-go snack, so a few of the suggestions need a little putting together. Obviously these aren’t perfect foods, but they are better than most overly processed/fast food/chips choices out there. If none of these do it for you or you’re thinking in another direction, I’ve got more suggestions. 😉 Snacking isn’t bad! It helps keep your metabolism revved up. [ul] [li]A hard boiled egg[/li][li]A whole wheat English Muffin with peanut butter[/li][li]Apple slices dipped in about a tablespoon of almond butter[/li][li]One half cup lowfat cottage cheese with spices of your choice and a few veggies for dipping[/li][li]Two slices of low sodium turkey with a handful of grapes[/li][li]Small bowl of plain oatmeal with skim milk and berries[/li][li]Two to four tablespoons of hummus with veggie of your choice[/li][li]low fat Greek yogurt with honey and chopped walnuts[/li][li]One multigrain waffle (like a toaster waffle- Van’s All Natural is a good brand) with honey, berries or fruit preserves[/li][/ul] But you know what, you can’t be perfect all the time. Sometimes it really does come down to just wanting what you want. You’ve lost a considerable amount of weight, so it sounds like you’re already making positive changes. For me, when I want some McDonald’s fries and nothing else will do, I just go ahead and get them but get a small. You have to reward yourself and you can always do a little extra workout. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815/97 "2010-01-10T09:02:32Z")
> [@Tamex](#): > > Nuts? Peanuts? String cheese? Probably not “healthy” in large amounts, but they seem to “stick” better for me than vegetables as a snack, so I don’t need to eat so much in the first place. That’s good, but calorie-wise and ounce for ounce you might as well be eating chocolate. Peanuts are the Devil’s invention and I have struggled many times with the fact that I can eat a quarter of a pound without slowing down. On a low-calorie diet, that’s half a day’s allowance just on casual nibbles. I’m sticking with it, but the pounds want to creep back on if I give an inch… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-doctors-get-it/523815.md?page=4)