This is the Weight and Healthcare newsletter! If you appreciate the content here, please consider supporting the newsletter by subscribing and/or sharing! The Edmonton Ob*sity Staging System is, per its creators “a new simple clinical and functional staging system that allows clinicians to describe the morbidity and functional limitations associated with excess weight.” (A proposed clinical staging system for ob*sity, Sharma & Kushner, 2009)
I had borderline high bp as a 12 year old. I had a normal BMI at the time, but my borderline high bp persisted and when I began trying to conceive, my doctor put me on blood pressure medication for the first time. I have stayed on the same dose throughout my pregnancies, it's now been 7 years since I was put on this dose. And yet when I went to a new doctor, he tried to suggest my BP was related to my current weight. The healthcare industry is ridiculously fatphobic and led to believe issues are caused by being fat. My grandmother who has always benefited from thin privilege has also been on blood pressure meds for 65 years, and I suggested this as a strong genetic component to the dr. He looked at me skeptically. I am a small fat person, and I usually don't have problems seeking medical care or hearing weight loss comments so I thrown for a loop last week with this encounter. the staging system seems unhelpful at best, and damaging at worst. How does this benefit any fat person?
Just catching up on this. I don't even have the words to describe how appalled I am at those categories. They just...don't make sense. Are they just assuming that the further down you go, the fatter you are? If a 600 lb person came in with a well-adjusted attitude, "good" diet, lab numbers in the so-called healthy range, etc, would they'd be like, "you seem healthy. Keep up the good work and see you at next year's physical!”?
I have several of the condition on the chart, but they can be *directly* attributed to my connective tissue disorder. Now here's some other diagnostic tool that some cocky resident or know-it-all doctor is going to use on me without the understanding of its limitations, and my disability.
It's ridiculous. And I think we're on the same page here but I do want to point out that that is exactly what they should say to that 600lb person (or a person of any weight who presents within those same parameters.) And if the 600lb person had a health issue(s) they should be treated like the 120lb person with the same health issues. Pathologizing bodies based on size will never work.
Oh, I absolutely agree--I'm sorry that I didn't make that clear. I'm just curious as to what the authors and designers of the classification nonsense would say to that person. It doesn't even matter--the system is stupid to begin and will be used to cause harm to fat people and people with other marginalized identities who don't fit in their narrow (minded) boxes.
I had borderline high bp as a 12 year old. I had a normal BMI at the time, but my borderline high bp persisted and when I began trying to conceive, my doctor put me on blood pressure medication for the first time. I have stayed on the same dose throughout my pregnancies, it's now been 7 years since I was put on this dose. And yet when I went to a new doctor, he tried to suggest my BP was related to my current weight. The healthcare industry is ridiculously fatphobic and led to believe issues are caused by being fat. My grandmother who has always benefited from thin privilege has also been on blood pressure meds for 65 years, and I suggested this as a strong genetic component to the dr. He looked at me skeptically. I am a small fat person, and I usually don't have problems seeking medical care or hearing weight loss comments so I thrown for a loop last week with this encounter. the staging system seems unhelpful at best, and damaging at worst. How does this benefit any fat person?
Thank you, as always, Ragen, for a thorough piece on this issue.
Just catching up on this. I don't even have the words to describe how appalled I am at those categories. They just...don't make sense. Are they just assuming that the further down you go, the fatter you are? If a 600 lb person came in with a well-adjusted attitude, "good" diet, lab numbers in the so-called healthy range, etc, would they'd be like, "you seem healthy. Keep up the good work and see you at next year's physical!”?
I have several of the condition on the chart, but they can be *directly* attributed to my connective tissue disorder. Now here's some other diagnostic tool that some cocky resident or know-it-all doctor is going to use on me without the understanding of its limitations, and my disability.
😡😡😡😡
It's ridiculous. And I think we're on the same page here but I do want to point out that that is exactly what they should say to that 600lb person (or a person of any weight who presents within those same parameters.) And if the 600lb person had a health issue(s) they should be treated like the 120lb person with the same health issues. Pathologizing bodies based on size will never work.
Oh, I absolutely agree--I'm sorry that I didn't make that clear. I'm just curious as to what the authors and designers of the classification nonsense would say to that person. It doesn't even matter--the system is stupid to begin and will be used to cause harm to fat people and people with other marginalized identities who don't fit in their narrow (minded) boxes.