A study of nurses – nearly half of which were overweight or obese – showed that nurses attitudes towards exercise and staying fit can influence their patients. The study, published in the International Journal of Nursing Practice showed that nurses who believed in exercise tend to promote fitness to their patients.

So if you doctor hires nurses that don’t make an effort to stay fit, they may not encourage you to either. Would you change doctors if his or her nurses don’t seem to prioritize exercise and fitness?

Of course nurses are busy too and like most people probably find it difficult to make time to exercise regularly.

The study also suggested that nurses who are struggling with their weight and talk to their patients about their own struggles may have a positive effect also.