It's not their fault they're fat! NPR edition

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"Doctors traditionally learn nothing about obesity, not in medical school or residency," says Dr. Scott Kahan, who teaches at Johns Hopkins and George Washington Universities, and and is the medical director the National Center for Weight and Wellness, a clinic in Washington DC.

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He says the problem also perpetuates itself: "There aren't a lot of people trained in obesity," he says, and "if you weren't trained in medical school and you didn't take it upon yourself to learn about it, you're not going to be in a position to be an informed, expert faculty member."

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Factors like genetics, hormones, sleep quality and even stigma can cause weight gain. Treating it, therefore, often requires more than just restricting or burning calories.

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Also, "there's a prevailing bias that this is a soft science; this is not something we need to teach and people just need to take better care of themselves," he adds.

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Kofi Essel, a pediatrician and nutritionist in Washington DC, says often young doctors aren't coming from the same kind of backgrounds as those who tend to suffer from obesity. They don't understand how things like neighborhood design, food insecurity, and access to fresh produce contribute to obesity.

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