Online body positiveity groups have designed cards to assist patients who don’t want their doctors to weigh them unless it is absolutely necessary.
The ‘Don’t Weigh Me Cards’, created by More-Love.org, ask doctors not to weigh patients every time they come in for an appointment because it ‘stresses them out’ and it ‘perpetuates weight stigma’.
The group was founded in 2016 by Ginny Jones, a US-based life coach who specialises in eating disorder recovery and provides free online resources for parents about weight, food, and mental health.
These cards can be used for personal use at no cost, with the exception of shipping and packaging. Businesses may also purchase them for $32 per 100. Doctors surgeries across the US have already started to provide the cards for patients.
There are several reasons not to be weighed.
‘Don’t Weigh Me Cards’, created by More-Love.org, ask doctors not to weigh patients every time they come in for an appointment unless it’s absolutely necessary
Doctors are asked not to weight certain patients when they visit for appointments. This is because the cards’stresses’ them and perpetuates the ‘weight stigma’
Dani Donovan from Omaha, Nebraska took the to Twitter to reveal that her local doctor’s office had provided patients with the cards as they wait for their appointments.
‘They have cards at my doctor’s office now to tell them if you’d prefer not to be weighed,’ she explained.
You can also request other cards from your doctor to ask them not to discuss their child’s weight with you without their permission.
There was mixed reaction online to the cards. While some people praised them for their ability to prevent triggers in patients with eating disorders, others accused those using the cards of being “overly sensitive”.
Omaha artist Dani Donovan took to Twitter to share that the Omaha doctor had given patients cards while they waited for appointments
The website also offers other free cards that parents can use to request their doctors to not talk about weight to their children without their consent.
Online campaigner Alex Light, who runs an anti-diet culture blog, hit back at criticism of the cards online in which one user said they were ‘tired of people not taking responsibility for their actions’.
She stated that weight does not necessarily indicate health.
According to the activist, some people who are overweight may be able to make healthier choices.
She wrote that she was concerned about being weighed by doctors since her eating issues and concerns over body image developed before she was even a teenager.
Alex Light is an online campaigner who blogs against diet culture. One user complained that they are tired of people not being accountable for their actions.
She said that weight doesn’t always indicate a person’s health. However, she added that people who make ‘good decisions’ about their health often have privilege and are more likely to be healthy.
“The fear of being weighed by the doctor is real and can prevent people from visiting their doctors.
‘Despite this anxiety, however, I am lucky – I can go to the doctors, get weighed and yes, be told my BMI could be lower, but that’s about it.
“Most people who are overweight visit the doctor and get checked out. Then, they can be weighed. The medical system is BMI-focused and weight is a priority.
She said that the cards were a positive introduction. Because most conditions of health can be treated without knowing your weight, it can cause stress to patients. Weight stigma can also be a real problem. People can now focus on their health, regardless of what weight they are.
In September, an American study found that people simply need to focus on exercise rather than dieting to live longer.
Researchers from Arizona and Virginia made the controversial assertion that you can both be fit and fat.
American scientists reviewed the existing research and concluded that exercise was better than losing weight when trying to improve health and reduce early death.
Professor Glenn Gaesser, from the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University, and associate professor Siddhartha Angadi, from the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia, said: ‘Many obesity-related health conditions are more likely attributable to low physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness rather than obesity per se.’
A French study that looked at 3million subjects published its findings weeks later. It found that even obese volunteers had an increased chance of developing heart disease.
Even though they had normal blood pressure, obese people who are not diabetic still have a 34% higher risk of developing heart disease and an irregular heartbeat.