Dr Fiona Doolan-Noble, a senior research fellow at the University of Otago's department of general practice and rural health, made that point yesterday at a Dunedin symposium on men's health, held on campus.
Her talk was titled ''Obesity: The biggest problem for men?'' and reflected on her earlier doctoral research.
Dr Doolan-Noble had interviewed 14 obese men, of a range of weights and backgrounds.
She later said that if doctors talked to obese male patients and learned some of their favourite physical activities, health messages could be framed in terms of likely future restrictions on those activities.
For example, if patients were already experiencing weight-related breathing problems and tiredness, some favourite activities, such as walking on the beach with family members or fishing in a small boat, could eventually become impossible.
Her research suggested how general practitioners could ''have more effective communication with large men'' about the benefits of weight loss, and could encourage positive change rather than simply offering general advice.
She had been surprised and impressed by the level of understanding shown by the men about the time their weight had started to rise significantly, and some of the key factors behind that.
Her research also examined the beliefs, attitudes and practices of general practitioners and practice nurses regarding obesity and how that impacted on the healthcare experiences of significantly overweight male patients.
