“That could have killed me.” How anti-fat bias can be dangerous, even deadly, for heavier patients

Abstract

We live in a society that values and treats people differently based on their body size. Such weight stigma can affect a person’s relationships, career opportunities, and daily life. And when this bias infiltrates a doctor’s office or hospital, it puts heavier patients at risk. Discrimination of any kind is bad for a person’s mental and physical health, but weight discrimination in medicine can also discourage patients from seeking care, exclude them from certain treatments, and lead to dangerous misdiagnoses. Drawing from the knowledge of a dozen experts and the experiences of a dozen patients, this thesis explores the myriad ways that medical weight bias can gravely impact the health and well-being of larger-bodied people. It also asks: where do we go from here?