Fat Discrimination at the Doctor's Office?
Posted on Feb 2nd 2010 3:00PM by Deborah DunhamFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss
Fat discrimination comes in many forms, but there is one place where it is not only hurtful, but potentially dangerous: The doctor's office.
Health magazine recently did an investigative report that found women who are more than 20 pounds overweight may not get equal treatment when they seek medical treatment. In fact, the 70 million females who fit this profile often have a harder time getting cost-effective insurance (or any insurance) and getting an accurate diagnosis or drug prescription. They also have a more difficult time finding a fertility doctor when needed and can be alienated from potentially life-saving cancer screenings and treatment.
Most patients assume that those in the medical profession are non-biased -- after all, they are there to help people with health issues -- yet, fat discrimination happens more often than we think said Dr. Jerome Groopman, a professor at Harvard Medical School and author of "How Doctors Think." "Our culture has enormous negativity toward overweight people, and doctors aren't immune," he told the Today Show. "If doctors have negative feelings toward patients," he said, "they're more dismissive, they're less patient, and it can cloud their judgment, making them prone to diagnostic errors."
Granted, it's true that the more fat and tissue a person has, the more difficult a diagnosis can be. Lumps can be harder to detect, heart defects can be harder to hear and many health conditions -- from joint pain to asthma -- can be because of excess weight. Pelvic exams can be difficult and uncomfortable due to excess tissue that has collapsed on the vaginal walls, and overweight patients don't always fit onto routine scanning machines. Drug dosage levels can be compromised, too, as they are often tested on average-sized people, but when it comes to those who are larger, doctors could be guessing.
Then there's the issue of how much risk a doctor is willing to take. Dr. A.J. Yates Jr., associate professor in the department of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, told the Today Show that there are definite concerns about operating on patients who are significantly overweight due to the procedures being more time consuming, difficult and risky.
But patients are doing themselves a disservice if they accept this and don't take control of their own bodies to push for equal treatment and an accurate diagnosis if something is wrong.
Body-image expert and author of "Love Your Body, Love Your Life," Sarah Maria, reiterated the importance of this. "Many times when people are overweight or they feel badly about themselves, they are insecure about others touching them or seeing their bodies, so they are less likely to seek out treatment and screenings. There can be a certain level of intimidation -- especially because emotions are involved."
But, even so, Maria said that shouldn't stop women from getting the service they need. She offers four tips in seeking the best medical treatment -- overweight or not.
1. Be aware of how you are feeling and talk with someone about any insecurities or discomfort.
2. Make a commitment to take care of your health, no matter what fears you may have.
3. Recognize that you have a choice of physicians and if you are uncomfortable with the one you have, speak up or find someone else.
4. Finally, be an advocate for yourself and your body. No one else knows it as well as you do and can help pinpoint any problems.
"There are many highly competent, highly compassionate doctors out there. You don't need to work with someone who makes you uncomfortable," she said. The responsibility towards overcoming discrimination lies with everybody she says. "The more people talk about the obesity epidemic, the more it increases people's judgment. It takes the entire society to improve this."
Click on the video below to watch Health magazine's Dr. Roshini Raj and Ellen Kunes discuss why some overweight women are not receiving the same care as women of an average weight.
Fat discrimination isn't everywhere. Take a look at one place that welcomes overweight people.
Health magazine recently did an investigative report that found women who are more than 20 pounds overweight may not get equal treatment when they seek medical treatment. In fact, the 70 million females who fit this profile often have a harder time getting cost-effective insurance (or any insurance) and getting an accurate diagnosis or drug prescription. They also have a more difficult time finding a fertility doctor when needed and can be alienated from potentially life-saving cancer screenings and treatment.
Most patients assume that those in the medical profession are non-biased -- after all, they are there to help people with health issues -- yet, fat discrimination happens more often than we think said Dr. Jerome Groopman, a professor at Harvard Medical School and author of "How Doctors Think." "Our culture has enormous negativity toward overweight people, and doctors aren't immune," he told the Today Show. "If doctors have negative feelings toward patients," he said, "they're more dismissive, they're less patient, and it can cloud their judgment, making them prone to diagnostic errors."
Granted, it's true that the more fat and tissue a person has, the more difficult a diagnosis can be. Lumps can be harder to detect, heart defects can be harder to hear and many health conditions -- from joint pain to asthma -- can be because of excess weight. Pelvic exams can be difficult and uncomfortable due to excess tissue that has collapsed on the vaginal walls, and overweight patients don't always fit onto routine scanning machines. Drug dosage levels can be compromised, too, as they are often tested on average-sized people, but when it comes to those who are larger, doctors could be guessing.
Then there's the issue of how much risk a doctor is willing to take. Dr. A.J. Yates Jr., associate professor in the department of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, told the Today Show that there are definite concerns about operating on patients who are significantly overweight due to the procedures being more time consuming, difficult and risky.
But patients are doing themselves a disservice if they accept this and don't take control of their own bodies to push for equal treatment and an accurate diagnosis if something is wrong.
Body-image expert and author of "Love Your Body, Love Your Life," Sarah Maria, reiterated the importance of this. "Many times when people are overweight or they feel badly about themselves, they are insecure about others touching them or seeing their bodies, so they are less likely to seek out treatment and screenings. There can be a certain level of intimidation -- especially because emotions are involved."
But, even so, Maria said that shouldn't stop women from getting the service they need. She offers four tips in seeking the best medical treatment -- overweight or not.
1. Be aware of how you are feeling and talk with someone about any insecurities or discomfort.
2. Make a commitment to take care of your health, no matter what fears you may have.
3. Recognize that you have a choice of physicians and if you are uncomfortable with the one you have, speak up or find someone else.
4. Finally, be an advocate for yourself and your body. No one else knows it as well as you do and can help pinpoint any problems.
"There are many highly competent, highly compassionate doctors out there. You don't need to work with someone who makes you uncomfortable," she said. The responsibility towards overcoming discrimination lies with everybody she says. "The more people talk about the obesity epidemic, the more it increases people's judgment. It takes the entire society to improve this."
Click on the video below to watch Health magazine's Dr. Roshini Raj and Ellen Kunes discuss why some overweight women are not receiving the same care as women of an average weight.
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Fat discrimination isn't everywhere. Take a look at one place that welcomes overweight people.
