Questions for consideration

Ask yourself a few questions to assess your attitude toward patients with excess weight.

• How do I feel when I work with patients of different body sizes and excess weight?
• Do I make judgments about a person’s character, intelligence, or abilities based solely on their weight or appearance? 
• Consider your body language when discussing weight with your patients. Are your arms crossed over your chest? Do you make any empathetic gestures such as a tap on their shoulder or knee? Are you sitting or standing?
• When discussing weight with a patient, am I using person-centered language and avoiding labeling and judgmental terms?