What does it mean to be body shamed by a health professional?

Image of Caucasian larger woman looks fearfully while standing with text of body shaming in the studio

Every day I read stories about the heartbreaking, and often dangerous impact of health professionals doing harm through weight stigma.  I know that there are thousands of people who are terrified to seek help from a health professional because of the dread of shame and humiliation.  Health professionals can make this happen by:

  • Refusing to address someone’s health concerns and referring only to their weight
  • Blaming a person’s health situation only on their weight and refusing to investigate further
  • Withholding treatment based on BMI without evidence
  • Ignoring or underestimating people’s pain
  • Suggesting weight loss as a cure for mental illness
  • Prescribing weight loss for people in recovery from eating disorders
  • And much more.

I’ve experienced this in my own life too; how it can erode your confidence and make you feel unworthy of care.  A nuisance.  A liability.  A burden.

It has to stop.

Not just because it’s downright nasty but because all the evidence shows that this sort of behaviour leads to worse health outcomes which is surely not what anyone wants.

I can’t undo the damage, but I can help rebuild your confidence in talking about the health questions that concern you without fear of judgement or weight stigma.  I can equip you to understand your amazing body better, so you can make the informed choices that are right for you, and advocate for your own needs.

You are heard.

You are valued.

You are spectacular.