For people who are overweight, going to the doctor can feel like a battle. “From the moment I walk in, my fatness is considered a problem to be solved,” says Aubrey Gordon, an author and podcaster. “Even before I speak, there’s bias and misconceptions based on how I look.”

In her new piece, Elizabeth Millard writes about how important it is for health care providers to recognize and address their own weight biases. “We're seeing that patients aren't seeking medical care or are delaying care when they’re ill because of anti-fat bias in health care,” endocrinologist Dr. Rekha Kumar told Elizabeth. These often-hidden biases get in the way of strong patient-doctor relationships.

Here are three changes doctors should make to improve care for patients of all sizes:

• Be thoughtful about equipment. Making sure that the chairs in waiting areas and tables in the exam rooms can accommodate all patients sounds like a small thing, “but you can’t believe how much of an impact it makes,” says endocrinologist Dr. Florencia Halperin. “Not only does it communicate to patients that you’re ready to care for them, but it sends a message to other patients and staff.”
• Skip the scale sometimes. Weigh-ins have become automatic at every appointment, but weight change is not a factor in every diagnosis. Taking a more considered approach to discussing weight with patients makes a difference.
• Stop shaming patients. Diet and exercise are not the only variables in a person’s weight. Obesity is, for example, highly heritable—and there’s not enough recognition of that fact among providers. Also, not everyone who has obesity will develop chronic issues as a result.

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