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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Overweight Patients
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Doctors Refusing to Treat Overweight Women (19th May, 2011)

Doctors in Florida are refusing to treat women if they are overweight. A report from the Sun Sentinel newspaper says that 15 out of 105 gynaecology clinics in Florida have a weight limit. Doctors at the clinics will not see new patients if they weigh more than 90kg. This is even if the women have no health problems. One of the excuses they gave reporters is that their medical equipment is difficult to use with obese people. Doctors say it is not against the law to refuse patients.

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Many doctors and patients are furious this is happening. People say doctors have to treat anyone who enters their office. They believe any doctor who does not see a patient is letting down the medical profession. Dr Maureen Whelihan of West Palm Beach said: “If I had that policy, I'd lose half my patients.” She has a point. The USA has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. If doctors put weight limits on patients, much of the country would be sick.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	refusing to treat women if	a.	gave
2	15 out of 105	b.	limit
3.	a weight	c.	they are overweight
4.	One of the excuses they	d.	the law
5.	medical	e.	gynaecology clinics
6.	it is not against	f.	equipment

Paragraph 2

1.	patients are	a.	medical profession
2	doctors have to	b.	point
3.	letting down the	c.	treat anyone
4.	lose half my	d.	furious
5.	She has a	e.	of obesity
6.	highest rates	f.	patients

LISTENING GAP FILL

Doctors in Florida are refusing to treat women _____________________. A report from the Sun Sentinel newspaper says that 15 out of 105 gynaecology clinics in Florida _____________________. Doctors at the clinics will not see new patients _____________________ than 90kg. This is even if the women have no health problems. One of _____________________ reporters is that their medical equipment is difficult _____________________ people. Doctors say it is not against _____________________ patients.

Many doctors and patients _____________________ happening. People say doctors have to treat _____________________ their office. They believe any doctor who does not see a patient _____________________ medical profession. Dr Maureen Whelihan of West Palm Beach said: “If _____________________, I'd lose half my patients.” _____________________. The USA has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. If doctors put weight limits on patients, _____________________ would be sick.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Doctors in Florida are refusing to treat women (1) ____ they are overweight. A report from the Sun Sentinel newspaper says that 15 (2) ____ of 105 gynaecology clinics in Florida have a weight limit. Doctors at the clinics will not see new patients if they (3) ____ more than 90kg. This is even if the women have no health problems. One of the excuses they (4) ____ reporters is that (5) ____ medical equipment is difficult to use with obese people. Doctors say it is not (6) ____ the law to refuse patients.

Many doctors and patients are (7) ____ this is happening. People say doctors have to treat (8) ____ who enters their office. They believe any doctor who does not see a patient is letting (9) ____ the medical profession. Dr Maureen Whelihan of West Palm Beach said: “If I had that policy, I'd lose half my patients.” She has a (10) ____. The USA has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. If doctors (11) ____ weight limits on patients, (12) ____ of the country would be sick.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	who	(b)	so	(c)	if
2.	(a)	from	(b)	out	(c)	number
3.	(a)	weighs	(b)	weigh	(c)	weight
4.	(a)	gave	(b)	did	(c)	made
5.	(a)	them	(b)	this	(c)	their
6.	(a)	against	(b)	anti	(c)	for
7.	(a)	fury	(b)	furious	(c)	furry
8.	(a)	anyone	(b)	ones	(c)	oneself
9.	(a)	up	(b)	over	(c)	down
10.	(a)	point	(b)	paint	(c)	pant
11.	(a)	save	(b)	put	(c)	weigh
12	(a)	many	(b)	such	(c)	much

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	gynaecology ccislni
2.	weight ltimi
3.	health seomblpr
4.	cidaeml equipment
5.	nsgaita the law
6.	efusre patients
Paragraph 2
7.	orfusui this is happening
8.	anyone who enters their office
9.	ilntteg down the medical profession
10.	She has a npito
11.	highest rates of itbeosy
12.	much of the nyorctu

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	limit. Doctors at the clinics will not see new patients if they weigh more than 90kg. This is even if the women have no
( )	people. Doctors say it is not against the law to refuse patients.
( 1 )	Doctors in Florida are refusing to treat women if they are overweight. A report
( )	Many doctors and patients are furious this is happening. People say doctors have to treat
( )	down the medical profession. Dr Maureen Whelihan of West Palm Beach said: “If I had that
( )	anyone who enters their office. They believe any doctor who does not see a patient is letting
( )	equipment is difficult to use with obese
( )	of the highest rates of obesity in the world. If doctors put
( )	weight limits on patients, much of the country would be sick.
( )	from the Sun Sentinel newspaper says that 15 out of 105 gynaecology clinics in Florida have a weight
( )	policy, I'd lose half my patients.” She has a point. The USA has one
( )	health problems. One of the excuses they gave reporters is that their medical

WORD JUMBLE

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	if Refusing they to are treat overweight women.
2.	out 105 clinics 15 of gynaecology.
3.	no if health the problems women have Even.
4.	gave they excuses the of One reporters.
5.	to not law patients is the refuse It against.
6.	furious is are this happening Patients.
7.	enters to who office have anyone their Doctors treat.
8.	profession medical the down Letting.
9.	my half lose I'd , policy that had I If patients.
10.	in highest obesity world the of the One rates.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about being overweight for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. BEING OVERWEIGHT: Search the Internet and find more information about being overweight. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about a doctor who refuses to treat an overweight patient. Include imaginary interviews with both the patient and the doctor. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a doctor. Ask him/her three questions about patients. Give him/her three of your opinions on the doctors in this article. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Overweight Patients (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)