Why I won't treat obese people

OK, so the headline of this post is a bit provocative and so is the post itself perhaps. I know some readers are going to think me a really terrible person. (Actually, sometimes I think I am!) And it's not just obese people I won't treat, it's severely underweight people too. Why?

The vast majority of the clients who visit me in Islington or Stoke Newington are fit and look after themselves – having a massage from me is just another part of a health conscious attitude. They may have stiffness in muscles or joints or they’re feeling a bit stressed out or maybe they’ve been overdoing things either at work or in their exercise regime – whatever, they’re mindful of their bodies, the connection between mind and body and the need to take care of oneself.

Occasionally though an obese client or one who is severely underweight will come through the door and I look at them and I know there could be all sorts of underlying health issues that are associated with obesity or being very underweight – bone loss, anemia, cardiac, kidney and liver conditions, some types of cancer. I apologise but I tell them I cannot treat them.

You can see from the picture on this post what all that extra weight does to the structure of the body and the consequent changes in posture. It’s not good news for the muscles,
or for the viscera that become squashed, or for the bones that cannot keep the body up. To say nothing of the effects on breathing and digestion. 

Being obese or being severely underweight are terrible conditions but there are places where people suffering from them can find help. My therapy room isn't one of them.

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http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/statistics-and-causes-of-the-obesity-epidemic-in-the-UK.aspx