Why Do People Still Think Weight Discrimination is OK?
Friday, August 7, 2009
Not sure, I have an answer to this, but as blogged before, weight discrimination is highly prevalent, cruel and harmful.
No! Blaming people for being overweight does not make them lose those extra pounds – in fact, if anything it contributes to weight gain on top of making them depressive and, in some cases, even suicidal.
As any form of prejudice, weight bias is simply despicable and, no, making fun of people struggling with excess weight is NOT funny!
Rather than write about this myself, I would today like to send my readers to a post by my daughter Linnie, who under the pseudonym Dr. Eye Candy maintains her own blog on body image, self esteem and beauty – her topic today is weight discrimination and focusses on some of the important work done by the folks at Yale University’s Rudd Centre for Food Policy and Obesity.
To read Linnie’s take on weight bias (and to view the fascinating video she posted on this topic) click here.
AMS
Edmonton, Alberta
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Dr Sharma,
Intelligent girl you have there! That link to the prejudice that people feel every day is true! Powerful video by that young girl
Saturday, July 16, 2011
I enjoy your blog, very much, your articles on obesity health care, keep my self esteem going when it has been tested to the limit, mostly by the medical care system, that is limited in its view of obesity health care. I am a 52 year old women, who is struggling with Endocrinology related issues, my story is the stuff movies are made from..I am a wife to a loving and devoted husband, and mom to a child I was told I could never have..he is one of Gods, special children..with cerebral palsy, in this past 3 years, according to Clinical practice guidelines for Cushings Syndrome from the The Endocrine Society,I have tested positive for the illnesse 3 times in the last 2 years, 2 positive 1 mgs, dex testing, 3 positive urine cortisols, 4 high positive salvia testing, 2 positive 2mg dex testing, 2 positive 8mg dex testing, despite, tumors on my adrenal glands, an enlarged pitutary gland pressing on my optic nerve, 8 mg. dext testing that idicated a pit source of cortisol, they will not give me a diagnois, and doctors continue to prescribe me medications with cortisol, in them. Despite every clinical feature, of cushings, so much so, that I look identical, to a person body, used in a cushings book..they still refuse to see, anything other then fat. In order to survive, I have had to read and learn as much as I can about it, my medical history follows the history of someone whom, has lived with untreated cushings syndrome for years, the first indication I had of something wrong was when I was investigated for infertily in my mid 20s, when I had been 4 long years with no periods and in a relationship for 6..grew hair on my face, and lost hair on my head..an admission for investigations, an ultrasound, found something on my left adrenal gland..but no follow up was recommended..cyst have developed on my kidneys..one of them the size of a golf ball..causing me to live in severe pain for the last 2 years and 9 months, treating the pain but not the cause..I have in advocating for myself, and swollen lymphs..that a biopsy, indicated the need, for a follow up biopsy, to rule out, non hodgkins lymphoma, still a year later has not been done, it is believed that if I suffer enough, I might learn to shut my mouth and stop eating and do more..I have lost over 11 and a half inches muscle mass on my upper thighs, have compression fractures in my back..spinal kyphosis, ever day finding new an bigger swollen lymphs..and am told to go away, do more and loose weight..I cannot afford without a referal and a good doctor who specialises in obesity health care to get past the discrimination in medical care I have no choice but to accept, and will most likely die, because I cant..I worked for 35 years of my life..with individuals for special needs, and health care..before finally, having to take disability..I am an intelligent women, and have kept a health care journal since 2004 in pictures and words, when I realized that back then in June I ended in icu, from the secondary consequenses of 9 long years of untreated mixed type sleep apnea, and nearly died, I was fortunate enough to have been admitted by a very good then young doctor, who had no discrimination again obese patients..and gave me the very best care during the years she was my doctor..while here, she introduced, what sleep apnea could do to a person if left untreated, and after, using my case as grounds, for having a respiratory thearpist..47 other people got diagnosised, with sleep apnea..after she left the area and went back to Ontario..I ended up back in the care of the doctor who dont treat the medical problems of the obese..she was at the time of her leaving investigating, why I was having cognitive issues..after she left, that was it..no one would follow up..but during her period of time with me, she taught me that I deserved the same medical care as a regular sized person, so I advocate for myself, it often falls on deaf ears and I still end up with no treatment for anything wrong with me..I hope I dont die..my son needs me a little longer..I have life lessons I have to teach him so he can grow to be an independant young man..and we have no extended family to help us..so my role as a mom, has even a more special purpose..my hubby, thank God is a devoted man, whom i married for his heart and not his..brains and money, cannot with english as a second language and his own disability in mental functioning..do it on his own..he needs me too..while this past 3 years, cushings leaves me so fatigued and cognitively challenged that during highs, I cant see right..or cognitively advocate for myself..I pray each night..to be able to leave here and get the medical care, I could get in Ontario…I dont know why I have written all this..perhaps because Im sitting here with a headache, for over a month and a half with a pit gland, pressing on my optic nerve..and worried, that I will not make it..when I feel a bit dizzy..an no follow up from the endo who knew..that I had a pit source, of cortisol but never ordered a mri..and only after him washing his hands of me in april stated he will, scan my adrenals,in a year and, if they growed retest me, did I find out a month later, because yet again..my eyes returned to normal and so did my cognitve functioning..did I get the brain ct from the local gp..but was not told the results..until it happened to me yet a second time..and I have not had any followup..obesity discrimination kills, it destroys the lifes of good people..familys..Im a good person..spent my life contributing to my community and helping others..I dont drink.do drugs, gamble..and dearly love my family..and helping others..I once heard the surgeon when he was asked what was up next in surgery to do say, oh a biopsy I dont want to do..say..when asked, why, oh you will understand, when you see it…to which I cried, and spoke up from behind the curtain the nurse had placed me behind, when he was out of the room..this it..is someones wife, this it, is someones mothers..tears filling my heart and my eyes..and nurses crying..I have experienced so many things..because of my odd over weight shape of skinny arms and legs and all belly..and almost all of it from medical professionals, but every night I think of the smile of my one good doctor..and try to remember, that I deserve health care too..I titled my journal, fat people get sick too..one chapter reads, a women called it..I live in hope..that someday in this frozen north, I will again find a doctor like her..or be able to afford to leave here on my own..without a referal its to expensive..and Im unable to care for myself with out an escort..now..yet through it all, I still believe, that I have what it takes to get back to who I once was, once I get the right medical care..I do what I can to promote change locally.and finally in may of this year our province, started doing obesity surgery..for which I am not a canaidate because of the high cortisols, etc..Im only 340 pds..most of adominal fluid..my care if I lived on the mainland, would be so different..thank you for just listening..and for believing in big people..Im sure you touch the lifes of many more big people then me and give them hope..like it give me..kindly..jo