Weight is just a number

Before the patient saw me, a nurse took their blood pressure, pulse and recorded a weight, in private. Simply recorded the weight, no comment. But that weight was all the patient could think about about until I greeted them.

Weight was not at all why the patient was there; it was no more than a number needed for their care that day.

So, what if you are struggling?

1. Don’t look. Step backwards onto the scale and ask the nurse to not tell you. (Some clinics, I suggest nurses do that as routine.)

2. If you don’t want to be weighed, that might be fine. Your doctor may explain if/why it’s needed that day or if could safely be put off until next visit. (Remember for children, weights are standard of care, and essential part of monitoring growth and safe prescribing)

3. While weight is an important health metric, it is no more than that. It does not define anything more about who you are, inside or outside. Weight is not beauty. Weight is not image. Weight is not shape. Weight is not morally good or bad.

4. It is your choice if you want to talk about your weight. If too little/too much weight is impacting health, docs will ask you first if it’s okay to talk about it. We have a duty of care to ask. You can say no.

5. Obesity is a disease with real complications. It is wrong that certain diseases have stigma at all. The judgement around weight is not helpful.

What about that patient I saw? We went off-topic to start. We talked a little about their reaction, what had changed in past few months, where they were now, reframed it in the positive, and the patient made a small, achievable, measurable action plan. Then, we got down to the reason they were really there.