Title: Speaking Up About Weight: Navigating Conversations with Health Professionals
People with obesity might face stigma in the medical community. This weight bias from healthcare professionals can result in harmful attitudes and subpar care. Self-advocacy may help individuals overcome these hurdles and receive better, non-weight-centric care.
Self-advocacy is about taking control of your healthcare journey. This involves gaining and utilizing information to actively participate in decision-making processes. This can include expressing your preferences for research-backed treatments, voicing discomfort with certain practices, and questioning healthcare providers on their methods.
Self-advocacy can help combat weight stigma and prejudices in medical settings. This may lead to better care, enhance treatment satisfaction, and foster a more positive patient-provider relationship.
Weight-Based Stigma in Healthcare
Individuals with obesity may experience prejudice related to their weight in medical settings. Healthcare providers often focus treatment on weight loss, irrespective of the reason for the visit. Additionally, diagnostic methods like weighing patients unnecessarily can cause discomfort.
Research reveals that weight stigma is prevalent in the medical field and affects care quality. For instance:
- A 2021 study found that 66% of people who reported weight stigma also experienced it from healthcare professionals.
- A 2022 study involving 1,697 individuals in Israel revealed that 48% of people with a BMI over 25 reported receiving suboptimal treatment.
- In the same study, over 50% of participants reported healthcare providers making judgmental and insensitive comments.
- Older studies cited in a 2019 review found that doctors spend less time with individuals with obesity during office visits.
- A 2019 review suggested that healthcare providers' weight bias affects their ability to offer empathy and support, affecting care quality.
A 2019 study revealed that:
- Healthcare providers are more likely to view individuals with obesity as a "waste of time."
- Some doctors report reluctance to conduct pelvic examinations on individuals with obesity due to their higher risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.
- Individuals with a higher BMI are three times more likely than their "normal" counterparts to report healthcare providers denying them appropriate care.
Preparing for the Appointment
Before attending a medical appointment, individuals with obesity may want to gather information about diagnostic procedures, treatments, and patient rights. This knowledge can help in questioning healthcare providers' methods and requesting alternative diagnostic procedures and treatments when necessary.
Contacting the healthcare provider's office ahead of time to request preferences, such as no weigh-ins, can also be beneficial.
Tips for Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy might include the following tips:
Acquiring Information
Through research and knowledge acquisition, individuals can take charge of their health and prepare to make decisions about their health and treatment with confidence.
Practicing Self-Compassion
Self-compassion involves treating oneself kindly and acknowledging personal challenges. This can help buffer individuals against negative emotions during appointments and contribute to improvements in mental health and physical symptoms.
Expressing Preferences and Participating in Decision Making
Self-advocacy may involve expressing preferences for alternative diagnostic methods, such as requesting body composition analysis instead of weight measurement. It could also include enquiring about evidence-based nutrition and physical activity routines, requesting specific medication or surgery options, and setting health goals not focused on weight.
Keeping a Record of Concerns
If negative experiences occur with a healthcare provider, individuals can ask for their concerns to be recorded by the medical office.
They can also share online reviews of healthcare providers to help others with obesity make informed decisions.
Self-Advocacy Cards
Self-advocacy cards provide prepared statements individuals with obesity can use to respond to common challenges in healthcare settings, such as requesting equitable treatment. These cards, available from the HAES Health Sheets Project team, include phrases and information resources.
Inclusive Medical Equipment
A weight-friendly healthcare setting should offer medical equipment suitable for larger bodies, such as larger examination tables, longer needles, and larger blood pressure cuffs. Individuals may decline healthcare with inadequate equipment and ask for more inclusive alternatives.
Addressing Weight Bias with a Healthcare Professional
If a healthcare provider shows bias, individuals can practice self-advocacy by questioning their decisions and asserting preferences. Using self-advocacy cards can help address challenges in healthcare settings.
If an individual does not feel safe or unsatisfied with the level of care, they may want to consider seeking alternative care.
Patient Rights
Individuals have the right to be treated courteously, respectfully, and with dignity. They can make decisions about recommended care, including the right to refuse interventions. They can also ask questions about their healthcare and treatment and have them answered.
Finding a Weight-Friendly Healthcare Professional
Individuals can find weight-friendly healthcare providers through various resources, including examining an online profile for terms like "weight-inclusive" and "Health at Every Size (HAES)." Fact-check medical equipment and waiting room facilities, read online reviews, and ask for referrals.
Advocacy and Information Resources
Various resources can help individuals advocate for themselves, such as the HAES Health Sheets, the Obesity Action Coalition, the Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, and the Association for Size Diversity and Health.
Conclusion
Often, individuals with obesity encounter stigma from healthcare providers, which can impact care quality. Self-advocacy can help individuals overcome weight bias in healthcare. By empowering themselves, articulating their needs, and actively participating in healthcare decision making, they can promote a more respectful and inclusive healthcare environment.
Self-advocacy can help individuals with obesity receive better, non-weight-centric care in healthcare settings. This may lead to decreased weight stigma, improved treatment satisfaction, and stronger patient-provider relationships.
Self-advocacy can also involve requesting alternatives to weight-focused diagnostic procedures, such as asking for body composition analysis instead of weight measurements. By being informed, expressing preferences, and participating in decision-making, individuals with obesity can promote a more respectful and weight-inclusive healthcare environment.
