Forbes, a global media company, published an article that covers the effects weight bias can have on patients with obesity or excess weight. The article aimed to answer the following questions:
- What is weight bias, and what are its effects?
- Why do healthcare providers have weight bias?
- How do we improve weight bias in healthcare?
- What should you do if you experience weight bias?
What is weight bias, and what are its effects?
Weight bias is holding negative attitudes about people’s weight, or harming and shaming someone because of their weight. Weight bias can show up in every aspect of life, including education, media, the workplace and healthcare.
Healthcare settings are meant to be a safe space, where people can talk openly about their health. However, if a patient experiences weight bias or feels judged in any way while receiving care, it can affect the quality of care received, and health appointments can become discouraging.
Why do healthcare providers have weight bias?
Traditional medical education can contribute to weight bias. The education tends to focus on weight-loss as the key to better health and may not provide students with the right tools to address the genetic and environmental factors of obesity. Plus, some healthcare professionals still think that shame and blame motivate patients to lose weight, despite studies that show this strategy to be unhelpful and even harmful.
How do we improve weight bias in healthcare?
There are a few ways to improve weight bias in healthcare settings.
- Acknowledge that weight bias is harmful
- Expand and adjust education and training
- Use people-first language and behaviors
- Equip offices with appropriate accommodations (such as wide-based scales that measure greater than 350 pounds and open armchairs that can support more than 300 pounds)
What should you do if you experience weight bias?
Connect with Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) if you have experienced weight bias. We offer free evidence-based education, weight and health support resources and a community platform to connect with others on a similar journey. In addition, our Stop Weight Bias campaign aims to correct weight bias through education and media guidelines and provides helpful information for reporting weight bias.
Patients can also use OAC’s Obesity Care Providers locator tool to easily find the right healthcare provider in their area to have a positive conversation about weight and health.