Weight Stigma Deters Women From Seeing Doctors
/By Crystal Lindell
It’s been happening since I hit puberty, and it never stopped. At every doctor’s appointment I get hit with some version of the infamous question: “Have you thought about trying to lose some weight?”
Sometimes the tone is nice, most of the time it’s condescending.
And my answer is always the same. Yes, I have tried to lose weight.. Of course, I f***ing have. I’m not allowed to exist in our society without constantly thinking about trying to lose weight.
The doctors talk to me like I just woke up in this body yesterday. Like the only thing I needed to finally lose weight was a rude conversation with them.
The snide comments, dismissive attitude, and annoyed tone as they read your weight aloud are enough to make you want to avoid the doctor all together.
And now a new study puts some data behind that experience.
A team led by researchers at the University of Minnesota found that weight-related stigma does deter women from seeking medical care.
For the study, which was recently published in Medical Research Archives, the researchers surveyed nearly 400 women. The team only studied women because they experience weight stigma more often than men.
They asked participants if they experienced any shaming triggers during medical visits and if there were ways doctors could use to avoid those triggers.
Unsurprisingly, they found women often delay care because of the stigma of being weighed. Nearly a third said they had refused to be weighed at a medical appointment.
Only one in seven (14.2%) reported having positive feelings in healthcare settings, while nearly two-thirds (65.1%) felt negative emotions, using words like “scary,” “embarrassed,” and “disrespected.”
"Stop treating women as if they did something wrong for being heavier,” one woman said.
"I see people discriminated against because of their weight," said another.
"I really appreciate when providers focus on health behaviors rather than just weight," another woman said.
The study authors suggest that doctors consider when it’s medically necessary to weigh patients. Other simple ways to help ease patient discomfort about weight include:
Making it clear that being weighed is optional
Posting a sign above the scale that weight does not determine health
Not using BMI to determine whether someone is overweight.
Having furniture and equipment that accommodates all body sizes
“These factors are ones that healthcare systems and providers have direct control over and can remedy to improve healthcare experiences and health outcomes,” said co-author Elizabeth O'Neill, PhD, an associate professor of social work at Washburn University. “Weight-inclusive practices can make a meaningful difference in women’s healthcare satisfaction and utilization.”
The researchers hope their findings will be used to implement policy and procedure changes in healthcare to create an environment that is welcoming for all people, regardless of how much they weigh.
