Weighty Words: Addressing Weight Bias in Primary Care

Jahnavi, Jharna

Item

Weighty Words: Addressing Weight Bias in Primary Care

Jahnavi, Jharna

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Abstract

Weight bias in healthcare impacts a great proportion of patients. In some ways, weight bias often goes unaddressed compared to other forms of discrimination and spans across diverse groups of people resulting a double burden of bias in patients with intersecting marginalized identities. It is essential that providers and healthcare workers are better trained in building inclusivity for patients of all weights and body types to improve healthcare access and acceptance. Patients who experience weight bias in the office are less likely to return for routine preventative care and less likely to feel safe and comfortable with their providers. This project addresses issues in cultural competency as well as medical practice transformation (AHEC scholars core topics)