Weight bias within the healthcare system.

[WhatABore]

Just thought I would start a thread on this after a conversation with a friend!

I have just been told I have a broken foot. I've had it for nearly 3 weeks now. This was my 3rd time at the Walk In/Out Of Hours.
The first 2 times I went about my swollen foot that I was struggling to stand on, I was told it was because of my weight. That I should focus on losing weight and it would improve. She didn't even look at it. I went back after 4 days and was sent away and told the same by a different doctor. When I asked for an xray, was told that there was no point and it was all down to my weight.

Went back again for a 3rd time and the doctor agreed to do an Xray. 4 hours later and turns out my foot has been broken the whole time!

There's been so many times I've had issues blamed on weight without even considering anything else! The answer is always ''Lose weight''

My friend used to be a size 8 and is now an 18. She said the difference in the comments ect she gets when she goes to the GP for an issue has changed so dramatically. Everything is now weight related. Issues she had when she was a size 8 are now cause by weight according to her doctors.

Thought I would start a thread for others to discuss similar issues as I know they are so so common!

* Would just like to add a little bit on the end to say that I'm not saying no issues are caused by weight. Simply that weight is rarely looked past when it comes to issues*

 

[RandomAlpaca22]

Just thought I would start a thread on this after a conversation with a friend!

I have just been told I have a broken foot. I've had it for nearly 3 weeks now. This was my 3rd time at the Walk In/Out Of Hours.
The first 2 times I went about my swollen foot that I was struggling to stand on, I was told it was because of my weight. That I should focus on losing weight and it would improve. She didn't even look at it. I went back after 4 days and was sent away and told the same by a different doctor. When I asked for an xray, was told that there was no point and it was all down to my weight.

Went back again for a 3rd time and the doctor agreed to do an Xray. 4 hours later and turns out my foot has been broken the whole time!

There's been so many times I've had issues blamed on weight without even considering anything else! The answer is always ''Lose weight''

My friend used to be a size 8 and is now an 18. She said the difference in the comments ect she gets when she goes to the GP for an issue has changed so dramatically. Everything is now weight related. Issues she had when she was a size 8 are now cause by weight according to her doctors.

Thought I would start a thread for others to discuss similar issues as I know they are so so common!

* Would just like to add a little bit on the end to say that I'm not saying no issues are caused by weight. Simply that weight is rarely looked past when it comes to issues*

Yeah GPs in recent years seem to believe being overweight is the cause of EVERY health problem.

I had trouble with my knees as a teenager, was told on several different occasions it was because I was overweight (turned out to be Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), persisting headaches again where I was told it's likely because I am overweight (these were tension headaches due to posture and not having the correct desk chair) and the icing on the cake was the battle I had the last 2 years getting a BPD diagnoses, to be told my mood would regulate if I lost some weight! It was confirmed that I had BPD, and the issues were NOT caused because I am a size 16.

The NHS is a bleeping shambles, all they do is large shame people.

 

[WhatABore]

Yeah GPs in recent years seem to believe being overweight is the cause of EVERY health problem.

I had trouble with my knees as a teenager, was told on several different occasions it was because I was overweight (turned out to be Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), persisting headaches again where I was told it's likely because I am overweight (these were tension headaches due to posture and not having the correct desk chair) and the icing on the cake was the battle I had the last 2 years getting a BPD diagnoses, to be told my mood would regulate if I lost some weight! It was confirmed that I had BPD, and the issues were NOT caused because I am a size 16.

The NHS is a bleeping shambles, all they do is large shame people.

I also got diagnosed with BPD. Although quite a few years ago now, but I was also told my mood would improve if I lost weight!
Even though I already had a PTSD diagnosis too!
Completely puts me off getting help for anything. Especially if I know there's a way it can be related back to weight!

 

[Rosie glow]

Absolutely, so my experience I was referred to a gynaecologist by my doctor about 10 years ago as I had heavy constant bleeding (basically a neverending period) I had already been diagnosed with pcos by the point I went to see the consultant at the hospital, when I saw him he never read my notes never asked me a single question and never even examined me.
He told me that I had given myself pcos because of my weight and it would stop if I lost weight
After a few months we moved away to a different area I was referred to a different hospital where I was diagnosed with atypical hyperplasia at the worst stage it could be, if I had left it any longer without treatment there was a high possibility it could of turned in to cancer.
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I do wonder if smokers and heavy drinkers get treated the same?