New research shows being fat-shamed can be a health hazard
A new review highlights the health dangers of being fat-shamed by a doctor.
— -- Being fat-shamed at the doctor's office can be harmful to a person't mental and physical health, according to a comprehensive new review of research published Thursday.
"Disrespectful treatment and medical fat-shaming ... is stressful and can cause patients to delay health care seeking or avoid interacting with providers," reads the abstract for the new review by Joan C. Chrisler and Angela Barney, researchers at Connecticut College's department of psychology.
The review examined 46 studies that looked doctors' biases on obesity, and it compared patients' reports of fat-shaming from their doctors with their health outcomes. Researchers found that fat-shaming from a doctor can take a significant negative toll on patients' health, as it can lead to decreased trust in their health care provider.
In extreme cases, it can cause a doctor to assume that a patient's weight is responsible for a myriad of health conditions and lead to a misdiagnosis, researchers said.
The findings were presented at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, where Chrisler called fat-shaming from a doctor a form of malpractice.
“Recommending different treatments for patients with the same condition based on their weight is unethical and a form of malpractice,” Chrisler said. “Research has shown that doctors repeatedly advise weight loss for fat patients while recommending CAT scans, blood work or physical therapy for other, average weight patients.”
In the review, researchers called for better training for health care providers so that patients of all sizes are treated with respect.