When you add together this kind of findings with data on how badly blood pressure readings are done in clinics (not following evidence based guidelines for positioning of patient and time seated before beginning) it really paints a picture of how many people could be on BP meds that do not really need them.
I appreciate their ethical concerns about subjecting higher weight people to weigh in as part of a follow-up study.
However, either we want to investigate whether weighing in constitutes a harmful practice, especially for higher weight people. In which case we need to investigate it, which means subjecting higher weight people to weigh-ins as part of a study. Or we postulate that weighing in is *so harmful* for higher weight people that we cannot even subject them to it during a study! In which case we immediately need to stop demanding that people weigh in when it is not medically necessary.
I’m trying to process the study design and informed consent for this. It would be hard to randomize people. Maybe a large primary care system or Kaiser? Some system where people have already opted in to have their health data studied. Or maybe change an entire system to choice except when medically necessary and look at patient parameters before the change and after.
I can’t prove this but I think being weighed at the doctor’s office affects my blood pressure at home between visits. I worry about whether I’ll be weighed and what will happen if I decline. Or what will happen if I don’t. After the visit I have to process what happened and deal with comments in my chart. After a neurologist brought up my weight in the first 5 minutes of my first appointment I no longer believe that ANY doctor is safe from this practice. Dermatology? Ophthalmology? ENT? Urgent Care? Allergist?
Sadly, I have encountered weight stigma with ENTs (here they are a bunch of frat boys trying to pass themselves off as surgeons), allergist, and definitely urgent care.
I'm sorry to hear that! I'll share a rare, good urgent care story. I went a couple weeks ago because I thought I might have broken my toe. I declined to be weighed, which is hard for me, but they said no problem. When to doctor came to talk to me after xrays, he told me it wasn't broken. When I asked if there were any restrictions on activity, he asked "are you a runner?" I said no and he said, if you were training for a marathon or something I'd recommend taking it easy for a bit. He didn't assume that I didn't exercise, or even exercise in an intense way because of my body size. Very refreshing.
Same here. If I know I have to go to the doctor, I psych myself up for days leading up to the visit. I act out full scenarios in my head. How will I respond to which level of weight shaming, when will I walk out the door...
Wright stigma is solved by weight loss? Isn't that just another kind of "conversion therapy"?
When you add together this kind of findings with data on how badly blood pressure readings are done in clinics (not following evidence based guidelines for positioning of patient and time seated before beginning) it really paints a picture of how many people could be on BP meds that do not really need them.
I appreciate their ethical concerns about subjecting higher weight people to weigh in as part of a follow-up study.
However, either we want to investigate whether weighing in constitutes a harmful practice, especially for higher weight people. In which case we need to investigate it, which means subjecting higher weight people to weigh-ins as part of a study. Or we postulate that weighing in is *so harmful* for higher weight people that we cannot even subject them to it during a study! In which case we immediately need to stop demanding that people weigh in when it is not medically necessary.
I guess what I'm saying is that the ethical concerns are laudable but a little weird given that mandatory weigh-ins is the standard at the moment.
I’m trying to process the study design and informed consent for this. It would be hard to randomize people. Maybe a large primary care system or Kaiser? Some system where people have already opted in to have their health data studied. Or maybe change an entire system to choice except when medically necessary and look at patient parameters before the change and after.
I can’t prove this but I think being weighed at the doctor’s office affects my blood pressure at home between visits. I worry about whether I’ll be weighed and what will happen if I decline. Or what will happen if I don’t. After the visit I have to process what happened and deal with comments in my chart. After a neurologist brought up my weight in the first 5 minutes of my first appointment I no longer believe that ANY doctor is safe from this practice. Dermatology? Ophthalmology? ENT? Urgent Care? Allergist?
Sadly, I have encountered weight stigma with ENTs (here they are a bunch of frat boys trying to pass themselves off as surgeons), allergist, and definitely urgent care.
I'm sorry to hear that! I'll share a rare, good urgent care story. I went a couple weeks ago because I thought I might have broken my toe. I declined to be weighed, which is hard for me, but they said no problem. When to doctor came to talk to me after xrays, he told me it wasn't broken. When I asked if there were any restrictions on activity, he asked "are you a runner?" I said no and he said, if you were training for a marathon or something I'd recommend taking it easy for a bit. He didn't assume that I didn't exercise, or even exercise in an intense way because of my body size. Very refreshing.
Also, I am so sorry that you have to go through that. That sucks!
Yes, you too!
Same here. If I know I have to go to the doctor, I psych myself up for days leading up to the visit. I act out full scenarios in my head. How will I respond to which level of weight shaming, when will I walk out the door...