Victim of Abuse, or Bully? The Case of the 800-Pound Man

Obesity in the United States has been declared both a disease and an epidemic. Physicians have thus been identified as the "experts" in managing weight loss, but they have few effective solutions to recommend except bariatric surgery. Most physicians and medical facilities are unprepared to manage the complex medical needs of obese patients, and most families are unprepared to manage the dietary issues in helping a family member lose weight, much less the physical, psychological, and interpersonal issues that surface. This case explores the medical, ethical, and communication challenges that arose in the case of a patient who weighed 800 pounds.