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Weight Bias In Healthcare: Should Obesity Alone Be The Focus Of Clinical Visit?

The bias can also be attributed to a failure in the understanding of obesity as a complex concept

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Written By: Kashish Sharma | Updated : January 6, 2023 12:15 PM IST

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Obesity discrimination in healthcare can include beliefs such as overweight people are essentially unhealthy and higher weight might be the patient’s fault

Obesity is a complex medical condition. It does affect health but it is not always the absolute factor behind any illness. However, there are many such patients out there who might be a little higher on the weighing scale and might fear visiting their doctor because everything might be brought down to their waistline. Weight bias has been well-documented in healthcare settings. Doctors and other healthcare providers might be subconsciously exhibiting this bias and studies have shown that this can cause more harm than good when it comes to disease diagnosis and treatment.

Obesity discrimination in healthcare can include beliefs such as overweight people are essentially unhealthy and higher weight might be the patient's fault. Many practitioners might not take the weight as a physical condition but rather as a personality trait one chooses to live with. Studies have shown that making a patient's weight the center of his or her health condition might overshadow other important factors that might have a direct correlation with the health condition.

Studies have also shown that not all those who are obese are unhealthy. Obesity is a factor behind many metabolic disorders like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions but it might not be the absolute cause. As per a study, around 2 to 50 percent of those who are obese are metabolically normal.

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How the healthcare system might exhibit the bias?

Bias is usually directed from the subconscious. Those who might have it are seldom aware of it. A middle-aged woman who might be obese and has arthritis might be time and again told by her doctor to reduce some inches. While weight might be one factor that might be aggravating the condition but it is not the only cause behind it. Making weight the focus of a clinical session and putting complete responsibility on the patient's shoulder might discount their need for care. Studies done over the period have shown substantial findings that such a bias exists-

  1. Healthcare professionals might view overweight people as lazy, weak-willed and low on self-control
  2. A study involving nurse practitioners found that medical staff might pass sweeping remarks aginst patients who are obese. They might be considered unhealthy and messier.
  3. Doctors have also been found to overestimate the extent to which a person can control their weight. For instance, in conditions like hypothyroidism, weight gain is a symptom and not a lifestyle choice.
  4. Even healthcare professionals specializing in the field of obesity have been found to reflect the bias at an alarming frequency.
  5. The bias can also be attributed to a failure in the understanding of obesity as a complex concept.

Damaging effects of the obesity bias

Obesity discrimination is a social epidemic and healthcare professionals are too a part of society. However, a bias coming from them can be alarming. The consequences of weight bias in healthcare can have serious consequences-

  1. Weight shaming is associated with disordered eating. People who are constantly poked for weight might indulge more in binge eating or sometimes starving.
  2. Many of them would hesitate in taking the healthcare they might need and deserve. This might make them skip or avoid preventive care.
  3. Negative healthcare experiences can be traumatic and can damage their self-esteem and can initiate body image issues.
  4. Some important symptoms might get overshadowed if weight is made the focus of a clinical engagement. This can lead to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment.
  5. More advanced and poorly controlled chronic illness
  6. Poor quality of life.
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Kashish Sharma

Kashish Sharma

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