The Medical Setting

This chapter begins with two patients’ stories which illustrate how weight stigma manifests in healthcare and undermines effective care. In the first story, there are multiple instances of weight stigma including public weighing, inappropriate equipment, and an overemphasis on BMI which resulted in a young woman avoiding medical care entirely. The second story demonstrates how our healthcare system&s;s focus on BMI can distort perceptions of health, causing unnecessary concern even when all other health indicators are excellent. The stories help to highlight the urgent need to reform healthcare practices to be more weight-inclusive, focusing on comprehensive well-being rather than reducing patients to a single number. The chapter then offers alternatives for healthcare clinicians including practical guidance for conducting weight-neutral health assessments and encourages the reader to focus on meaningful health indicators instead of weight. The reader is encouraged to prioritize sustainable health behaviors with young people instead of weight loss and to create medical settings that are designed to accommodate diverse bodies and create a sense of welcome for all patients.