If you have obesity, you may feel as if the doctor’s office is a place of judgment, not support, which can, understandably, make you hesitant to seek medical care.
One survey found nearly 26 percent of women with obesity delayed seeking care, and more than 12 percent avoided or canceled appointments, often due to prior negative or stigmatizing interactions.
“If you’re concerned that someone is going to call you out on your weight, that’s going to keep you from coming in, because nobody wants to feel embarrassed,” says John Morton, MD, MPH, medical director of bariatric surgery and an obesity medicine specialist at Yale New Haven Health System in Connecticut.
But you have more power over this bias than you think. Here’s how to advocate for the care you deserve and feel more empowered at your next visit.
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