Does Your Doctor Ask This?

Does your doctor ask if you exercise? I can't remember if mine does. Hmmm. I want to say no but something in me tells me at my last physical they noticed my weight loss and might have been prompted by that- but I don't think it's routine. Sadly my doctor is also dangerously way out of the healthy weight category and I suspect as a physician he may not make it much of a focus that I'm taking healthy steps--- if he's not.

Well, apparently doctors in one of the nation's largest health insurance plans are being encouraged to do that. Kaiser Permanente is asking it's doctors to ask patients if they exercise. Their reasoning is that if a patients vital signs are not in the healthy category they can suggest they get some exercise, lower their weight and cut down on the need for health services that unhealthy people need.

Do you think this is a good idea? A part of me thinks so. Then I also think about what they are doing with that information. Are they soon going to come up with a penalty or higher premium for people who don't exercise? What do you think? Weigh in.