This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter! If you like what you are reading, please consider subscribing and/or sharing! I received a reader question from Rebecca who said “I was recently diagnosed with GERD. The doctor said that it was because of my weight and that the only solution was weight-loss. That doesn’t sound right at all, but I don’t know what to tell him. Could you write about this?“
Thank you for this! Having this written out in such clear, obvious language is helpful (and for some, a helpful reminder) of how to start or continue to fight against fatphobia in the medical world. Just like the person who asked the question about GERD, I sometimes wonder if X condition is because of my weight or would be better if I lost weight. It's especially difficult with joint pain because it seems like such an obvious answer--joints hurt, put less weight on them, joints hurt less. Just because that logic might work for something like a scale or a shelf doesn't mean it translates to something as complex and wild as the human body!
But I ALWAYS go back to Ragen's questions of "do thin people get joint pain?" Yes! My physical therapist has joint pain, my husband has joint pain, my grandma has joint pain--they are all considered "thin" and none of them have any particular reason (arthritis, injuries, etc) to have joint pain. I appreciate having such a great guide through all of this!
100% agree, Ragen! The reason why is...there is a gap in doctor education and training regarding body size. The majority are taught only the associations of conditions and weight, which we know is only association and many studies flawed, as Ragen's blog argued. Then, their own bias added to the lack of training leads to poor advice. It's a shame, because they have so much authority in other areas. They are hard to find, but there are HAES providers out there! Including HAES dietitians (if only we could take the word "diet" out of the accredited title...)
Thank you for this! Having this written out in such clear, obvious language is helpful (and for some, a helpful reminder) of how to start or continue to fight against fatphobia in the medical world. Just like the person who asked the question about GERD, I sometimes wonder if X condition is because of my weight or would be better if I lost weight. It's especially difficult with joint pain because it seems like such an obvious answer--joints hurt, put less weight on them, joints hurt less. Just because that logic might work for something like a scale or a shelf doesn't mean it translates to something as complex and wild as the human body!
But I ALWAYS go back to Ragen's questions of "do thin people get joint pain?" Yes! My physical therapist has joint pain, my husband has joint pain, my grandma has joint pain--they are all considered "thin" and none of them have any particular reason (arthritis, injuries, etc) to have joint pain. I appreciate having such a great guide through all of this!
This is a super helpful explanation of why wt loss prescriptions are not based in science or sound medicine. Thank you!
100% agree, Ragen! The reason why is...there is a gap in doctor education and training regarding body size. The majority are taught only the associations of conditions and weight, which we know is only association and many studies flawed, as Ragen's blog argued. Then, their own bias added to the lack of training leads to poor advice. It's a shame, because they have so much authority in other areas. They are hard to find, but there are HAES providers out there! Including HAES dietitians (if only we could take the word "diet" out of the accredited title...)