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?
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The Weight Conversation
This video provides tips on productive discussions about weight with your patients.