Former supermodel Emme is part of a new campaign to help people feel better about the skin they’re in. As the first full-figure supermodel, she’s a champion of what she calls the “diversity of beauty”—including beauty at any size. Now, she’s fighting size discrimination in the doctor’s office. Her message? “No one should ever be put into a position that they feel shame in their doctor’s office, no matter what!”
Almost 70% of overweight and obese women say they’ve experienced weight bias in the doctor’s office, according to research from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. And as many as 81% of dietetic students—the next generation of RDs who will be on the front lines of fighting the obesity crisis—have prejudices about overweight and obese people, according to a new study from Rudd, published this month in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. No wonder so many of us are nervous about sitting across from a skinny-minny dietitian!
This isn’t just a matter of political correctness: Stereotypes and discrimination stand in the way of getting the medical care you need. Providers who aren’t sensitive aren’t putting your needs first. And, ironically, not all doctors are in tip-top shape.
If you are afraid to go to the doctor because you’re nervous about how you look, then you’re less likely to go and less likely to receive important screenings. I once had a technician get frustrated with me once during a mammogram. She might not run into a pair of DD’s everyday, but I don’t want to hear her complain about it, especially when I’m the one getting poked and prodded. It certainly didn’t make me look forward to future mammograms!
If you do go, self-consciousness about your weight might make it hard to talk about your concerns. Size discrimination doesn’t simply affect overweight and obese patients. “Weight bias keeps fear in a size 4 woman for being a size 4, even when she’s 5’11,” Emme said in a phone interview.
Take charge of your health care
Obesity can be a tough topic to breach, for doctors and patients. So Emme made an educational video for docs and other health-care providers. (She’s also done one about children, families, and weight bias; I’ll blog about that soon.) If you’re on the flip side—a patient who’s nervous about what the doc or nurse will say once you’re in that lovely paper gown—here are some ways you can take control and get the (sensitive!) care you need, courtesy of The Rudd Center:
- Nervous about stepping on the scale? If your weight is pretty much the same since your last visit, say so, and say you’d rather not be weighed. If it’s necessary, though, you can stand on the scale backward so you won’t see the numbers.
- Ask a good friend to go to appointments with you.
- Be direct about how you want to talk about your size. You can include everything from how often you want to be weighed, what words you’d like to use when referring to your size, and how you want to talk about your weight when it’s a factor in your condition.
- Don’t brush off a clear case of size bias. Instead, speak with the patient advocate—nearly every health-care center and hospital has one.
Does any of this ring true to you? I would really like to hear the struggles and frustrations (and rants!) about your experiences…and how you cope.
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Comments (11)
I haven’t seen the doctor (a general practitioner) in over 7 years because of my weight. Last time I was in, the nurse read me the riot act because I was “too fat.” The irony is that, yes, I’m overweight, but I have a hard time asking the doctor for help because I feel bad about going in. Most fat people know they’re fat. It’s not a secret. Telling us to lose weight without any advice on how to do so or any physician assistance isn’t really helpful, either. Unfortunately, many people who could benefit from a doctor’s guidance are too ashamed to ask for it because they’ve been guilted and prejudiced in the past.
I’m a 5′1teenaged girl,every time i go to the doctors they weigh me.Well I’v had a horrible year and gained about 11pounds. The first doctors visit I was 109 and then the next time I was 120.I remember the lady looking at the sheet,her eyes went wide for a second and then she said “well I see you’ve gained 10pounds” in and low emotionless voice,almost like she was disgusted.Then she turned around to the computer screen while I tried to suppress a panic attack.
You know, Europeans eat a lot more food than Americans do yet they are not overweight. Why? Because of the necessity to walk a lot in Europe due to narrow streets and horrible parking. My suggestion is to exercise more!
As a nurse, I am on the “provider” side of this scenario, and I can only speak for the doctors that I have worked with. Yes, they are concerned about weight. We saw a 120 lb. 6-yr old girl last night. If it pertains to the complaint or injury (I work in an urgent care), they will talk to the patient about it, because it will have an effect on the patient’s treatment and recovery. They are not trying to be mean. It IS a factor that affects health.
hi im a disabled person in a wheelchair. find it very hard 2 loose weight because i cant ge much excercise. can u give me any advice please. xxx
Loraine, Have you tried our Feel Great Weight Plan? It’s free and works for many people. Let me know…
Amy
Loraine, I happen to work out at a gym that trains athletes for the Special Olympics, and it is filled with equipment for people in wheelchairs. Just about every single weight machine is accessible, the pool is accessible, arm bikes, basketball courts, etc. I suggest searching the Internet to find such a gym near you – there may be hospital-based gyms you can use.
i use to be skinny but for some reason i’ve gained weight and cant seem to lose it was 195 now i am almost 300 pounds how do i lose it
i have been over weight for years the older i get the more weight goes on i have been to my gp for help because i cannot loose weight he say i will write to the hospital but he never dose he just moans at me every time i go. so i dont go any more unless im so ill i cannot cope as i suffer from athma
I totally relate. I refuse to go to the doctor anymore – their answer to everything is lose weight. I have been sick for the last two years and yet my weight has always fluctuated and I have never had a problem. I know my condition is more serious than being over weight but they won’t find that out until the autopsy.
I can truly relate to this–I have had so many negative comments from various doctors because I am overweight–everytime I do go to the doctor, I worry about what he is going to say about my weight to the point of raising my blood pressure. And yes, getting a mamogram has been a nightmare–everytime I go they say, “Well your breasts are very dense–so we can’t get a good reading,” so I say, “Why try?”