Weight Bias Is a Problem in Health Care. Here ’ s What Doctors Can Do

Aubrey Gordon still recalls going to the doctor and having her blood pressure checked three times—because the provider couldn’t believe it was normal, given the fact that she’s overweight. Considering the treatment she’s received at doctors’ offices all her life, she wasn’t exactly surprised. “It’s kind of wild to see that my size comes with so many assumptions,” she says. “From the moment I walk in, my fatness is considered a problem to be solved. Even before I speak, there’s bias and misconceptions based on how I look. I’m considered lazy, non-compliant, and less worthy of care than a thin person.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Gordon, who’s the cohost of the anti-diet podcast Maintenance Phase and author of What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, often hears similar stories about fat people who are refused care, sent home without treatment, and later discovered to have serious illness. Or, they’re simply told—over and over again—to lose weight even if they’ve been trying for decades. Often, they’re given this guidance despite meeting other measures of health, like normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and good cholesterol numbers. “When you start from a place of thinking someone who’s fat is unhealthy, and not deserving of support or empathy, that will inform their care at every level,” Gordon says. &ldquo...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Health Care healthscienceclimate Source Type: news