In both the medical community and general society, being classified as overweight or obese can often come with an unfair bias. Studies show that when people feel that their doctor is judging their weight, they are less likely to return for healthcare. If you are struggling to be heard and seen about any medical issue, here are tips to advocate for yourself.
References
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Adult BMI calculator.
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Jackson, C. L., et al. (2014). Body-mass index and mortality risk in U.S. Blacks compared to whites. Obesity (Silver Spring).
Neeland, I. J., et al. (2018). Cardiovascular and metabolic heterogeneity of obesity: Clinical challenges and implications for management. Circulation.
Rasmussen, N. Downsizing obesity: On Ancel Keys, the origins of BMI, and the neglect of excess weight as a health hazard in the United States from the 1950s to 1970s. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences.
Sabin, J. A., et al. (2012). Implicit and explicit anti-fat bias among a large sample of medical doctors by BMI, race/ethnicity and gender. PLoS One.
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Tomiyama, A. J., et al. How and why weight stigma drives the obesity ‘epidemic’ and harms health. BMC Med.
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