I have had fatty liver for over a decade, and in that time, based on the research that I now know only followed participants for less than two years, multiple health care providers have advised me to lose *just* 7-10 percent of my weight as a way to manage my fatty liver. I tried, multiple times, but unsurprisingly (now) after a lifetime of dieting and weight cycling, any weight loss was quickly followed by weight regain plus a few pounds.
I'm scheduled to see my latest HCP who follows my fatty liver in January. She has already advised me to lose weight several times, even though I have tried telling her about my personal history that makes that recommendation inappropriate. I've been working with IE dietitians and even the dietitian who works with this HCP applauds my IE, weight neutral approach.
If the HCP again recommends weight loss for me, in addition to the questions about how long the research that supports that recommendation followed participants, I will have pointed questions about whether the study accounted for patients with histories of chronic dieting and weight cycling, as I'm confident they did not.
I am not an "uncompliant" patient. I eat a healthy diet and exercise as much as my various chronic conditions allow, which, as I have pointed out to my doctors, are actual behaviors I can control (unlike my weight!). I do all that I can to support my health. But my genetics and personal health history mean that among other things, no matter what I do my liver's going to accumulate fat.
Your column and the IE dietitians I've been working with have provided invaluable support for me to advocate for appropriate healthcare. Each visit I have with my healthcare providers, I am better at declining to get irrelevant weigh-ins and advocating for weight neutral care. Thank you.
I'm so sorry that medical weight stigma is having such a negative impact on your care, and glad that you are pushing back and that I can provide a bit of support for that (though, of course, I wish is wasn't necessary.) There is a weight-neutral healthcare guide for Fatty Liver in the HAES Health Sheets Library if that's helpful: https://haeshealthsheets.com/fatty-liver-disease/
CW: fatphobia in research, talk of "new methods" for weight loss
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Thank you, again, for reminding us how important it is to evaluate scientific research.
I learned this morning that they now want fat people to eat sand (specifically porous silica) that absorbs fat, carbs, etc so that the body doesn't.
SAND. “But it's purified--“ IT'S SAND.
The opening paragraph to the study is so fatphobic that I didn't read more of the study. They state that fat people are fat because we don't understand "less calories in, more calories out" so we need something that will absorb the "bad" stuff in the extra food we eat.
Thanks for letting me know about this, I hadn't heard about it. If you wouldn't mind removing the link that would be amazing, but trust that I have this on my list to write about. Sigh.
I have had fatty liver for over a decade, and in that time, based on the research that I now know only followed participants for less than two years, multiple health care providers have advised me to lose *just* 7-10 percent of my weight as a way to manage my fatty liver. I tried, multiple times, but unsurprisingly (now) after a lifetime of dieting and weight cycling, any weight loss was quickly followed by weight regain plus a few pounds.
I'm scheduled to see my latest HCP who follows my fatty liver in January. She has already advised me to lose weight several times, even though I have tried telling her about my personal history that makes that recommendation inappropriate. I've been working with IE dietitians and even the dietitian who works with this HCP applauds my IE, weight neutral approach.
If the HCP again recommends weight loss for me, in addition to the questions about how long the research that supports that recommendation followed participants, I will have pointed questions about whether the study accounted for patients with histories of chronic dieting and weight cycling, as I'm confident they did not.
I am not an "uncompliant" patient. I eat a healthy diet and exercise as much as my various chronic conditions allow, which, as I have pointed out to my doctors, are actual behaviors I can control (unlike my weight!). I do all that I can to support my health. But my genetics and personal health history mean that among other things, no matter what I do my liver's going to accumulate fat.
Your column and the IE dietitians I've been working with have provided invaluable support for me to advocate for appropriate healthcare. Each visit I have with my healthcare providers, I am better at declining to get irrelevant weigh-ins and advocating for weight neutral care. Thank you.
I'm so sorry that medical weight stigma is having such a negative impact on your care, and glad that you are pushing back and that I can provide a bit of support for that (though, of course, I wish is wasn't necessary.) There is a weight-neutral healthcare guide for Fatty Liver in the HAES Health Sheets Library if that's helpful: https://haeshealthsheets.com/fatty-liver-disease/
I wanted to send this to my cousin, an X-Ray tech. But The Share link goes to a different article.
CW: fatphobia in research, talk of "new methods" for weight loss
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Thank you, again, for reminding us how important it is to evaluate scientific research.
I learned this morning that they now want fat people to eat sand (specifically porous silica) that absorbs fat, carbs, etc so that the body doesn't.
SAND. “But it's purified--“ IT'S SAND.
The opening paragraph to the study is so fatphobic that I didn't read more of the study. They state that fat people are fat because we don't understand "less calories in, more calories out" so we need something that will absorb the "bad" stuff in the extra food we eat.
I wish I were making this up.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for letting me know about this, I hadn't heard about it. If you wouldn't mind removing the link that would be amazing, but trust that I have this on my list to write about. Sigh.
Done and done!
You are the best!