Why do doctors hand out lollipops? Aren't they the last people you'd think would hand out such an unhealthy treat?

I have to think it’s because they’re inexpensive, but I’ve wondered this myself.

My doctor never gives me lollipops! Sheesh.

I have never seen anybody get a lollipop unless it’s on tv. But when I was little, if I behaved myself, my doctor would let me pick a small toy out of the smiley box.
But I always wondered why he would let me pick out a toy. I guess it was an incentive to behave so I could get my reward.

Our doctors do not do this. They give out stickers.

Oh give me a break! Now doctors giving ONE lollipop to a child after a visit is considered wrong? Is this really such a travesty?

@Mikewlf337 Ok, I’m not whining. I’m not railing against it. I’m not trying to paint them as villains in capes and bowler hats twirling their mustaches. I just don’t get it. To me, spending half an hour telling someone how they need to cut down on the booze and the red meat and the carbs and the sweets, and exercise more, and try to relax and not be so stressed out sends a particular message that is then undercut by handing them a lollipop at the end – but maybe I’m not looking at it right, which is why I asked the question. I don’t have any problem with it except for how much it confuses me. So take a breather.

I remember getting a lollipop when I was a kid. I was pretty disappointed because I was hoping for a stethoscope or maybe an “ahhh stick” :¬)

I’ve never been do a doctor that gave out lollipops, either when I was a kid or with my own kids. My kids’ doctor gives out stickers. The only exception is when the kid has a particularly awful reason to be there, then the nurse might bring out an ice pop. My son got one when he dislocated his elbow. A couple of times, they’ve been given an ice pop when getting shots. The nurse would instruct them to hold the ice pop against their arm or leg (wherever the shot was to be given) to numb it a bit. After the shots, they’d get to eat the ice pop.

But most of the time, just a sticker.

I know what you mean about the mixed message of the lollipop. It’s one of those things that isn’t a big deal, but just makes you wonder.

@ucme When I was a kid, my doctor always gave out those “ahhh sticks.” :)

My doctor doesn’t hand them out, she just has a basket of Dum-Dums at both the front desk and the check out desk.

@MissAusten Damn & blast, maybe I should’ve asked. Oh well, next time i’m at the doc’s…..

Not all doctors do this. Most doctors do not.

Because the kid just got a shot.

I thought they only gave them to children as a reward for being prodded and poked? I’ve never had one offered to me as an adult.

I thought it was an American thing as I have seen it on films and TV programmes but never encountered it in UK.

I had to get an update (sorry, can’t think of the right word) for polio 10 years ago when my baby got immunised. It was drops under my tongue that tasted awful. The nurse gave me some sugar free chewing gum. The baby wasn’t bothered – apparently they can’t taste bitter till they get older. My kids have had lollipops in restaurants but not at the doctors. They have had a sticker from the dentist.

@Stinley They still give polio drops in the UK? I don’t think they do that anymore in the US. The drops were sweetened when I was little.

@JLeslie I didn’t get them with my second child and I seem to remember that it used to be a live vaccine and now they use an unten something else. What’s with my brain today? Can’t remember any words.

@stinley, the drops is live attenuated, and if the baby sheds the virus the adults around can catch polio if the adult is not immune. I am pretty sure we only do the shot in th US now to avoid the risk. I would assume the drops are less expensive and/or easier to administer, since that is what they areusing in the Gates initiative to eliminate polio around the world.

As long as they give all the adults the drops as well as the babies…

@Stinley Yes of course. But then you are given the vaccine again, and I prefer not to get redosed without knowing whether I need it or not. Just be sure not to let your parents change the baby for a few weeks.

Is a measley lollipop going to devestate the child’s health? No, it won’t. Everything is fine in moderation. What kind of child doesn’t eat lollipops from time to time? It’s not like the doctor is handing out a bag of hershey bars or something.

It was a while ago now as my babies are getting quite grown up! What I meant was the second baby didn’t get a live vaccine so none of us adults needed the drops then.

I should have probably looked more into the immunisation at the time but I didn’t know I would get the drops and wasn’t offered a test to see if I needed a booster (finally got that word), just the impossible position that the baby had just had the drops and I was told that if I didn’t have them then I shouldn’t change her dirty nappies. Who else was going to do it? I took the drops.

@Stinley Oh, I see, it was a while ago. What you did was prudent of course.

I don’t see anything wrong with giving a kid a lollipop, but given the current weight issues going on in America, I think they should give out a different reward to set a good example.
Then again, a lot of doctors don’t know much about nutrition…

@MyNewtBoobs Great question. At one of the last blood draws my son had, the RN said to my husband (thank goodness not to my son) “Just take him to McDonald’s and he’ll forget all about having this done”.

One, our son will never forget what happens at the doctor, as his brain is wired in such a way that he forgets nothing

Two, our son knows what junk food is and would never accept it.

We have been faced with this dilemma a few times now. Luckily, the main Dr. we see hands out stickers. Our psychologist hands out chocolates (we approved this). Our son cannot have food dyes, so the lollipops are and issue with us on a few different levels.

Why do doctors do this? They want to be liked, even if they aren’t sending a healthy message. Our dentist definitely has an opinion on this issue too he hands out dollar store toys to the kids

Yeah, they should hand out tofu pops.

or carrot sticks

or a slice of whole wheat bread on a stick.

Smoothies

lol this is like saying why do doctors have sex? arent they aware of STD?
candies are fine and they can make you feel better ;D

@QueenOfNowhere No, because a) we aren’t talking about the doctors having lollipops themselves, we’re talking about them handing them out to the patients b) if both you and your partner are clean, and in a monogamous relationship, the risk of STDs is gone and c) lollipops have sugar in them, which is exactly what they just told you to stay away from. A more accurate analogy would be them lecturing you on no longer having unsafe sex, then handing you a coupon to a prostitute they like.

@MyNewtBoobs To make them feel better then. its not like they’re handing 1000 candies at a time. no big deal. not much stuff are healthy in life but we just eat em.

@QueenOfNowhere It’s not a big problem if the person they’re handing it to is already really healthy – doesn’t eat fast food regularly, eats lots of vegetables, etc. But they don’t hand them only to the patients they didn’t lecture about eating healthier, they hand them to everyone including the patient they just lectured about not eating so much candy every day.

Well..my daughters dentist has coffee and cookies in his very nice waiting room. More biz. for him. Sugar and cafienne means extra clean-ings. lol

Personally I think it’s great to have a cookie and cup of coffee while waiting. haha

When I was a kid, that was the only thing I didn’t hate about going to the doctor. I was deathly scared that my parents and the doctor were always scheming to trick me into getting a shot. Every time the nurse put on gloves or unwrapped something (cotton balls, tongue depressor, stethoscope, you name it) I was afraid that it was secretly a needle. By the end of the appointment I’d be a blubbering mess and the only thing that made me feel better was one of those generically sugar-flavored lollipops. Stickers just don’t cut it.

Is it just me, but do the doctor and the bank have the same lollipops? Is it wrong to take one of those as an adult? Because if it is, I don’t want to be right.

I went to a dentist that had Otis Spunkmeyer cookies baking in the waiting room and you could have a big ole chocolate chip cookie after your dental appointment. It is easy to say “No” when your teeth have just been cleaned. I always thought it was a stupid thing to do and I don’t go to that dentist anymore (for that and about 5 other reasons).

I do things backwards. I take cookies or other treats to the dentist almost every time we go in!