Working with a size-inclusive physician has been eye opening for a third-year student, as some in the medical community seek to redirect conversations around appearance to conversations about health.
I opened the clinic schedule for the day, scanning down the list of 20-minute appointments. “Blood pressure check,” “annual physical exam,” and “rash” were some of the reasons listed for why the patient made the appointment. I hurriedly threw on my stethoscope, tripping over an electronic cord as I made my way into the first exam room.
“Your labs here look completely normal. Increasing your exercise will overall improve your well-being, but I do not recommend using the number on the scale as a goal or a measure of your health,” I replied, hoping my words would address the patient’s concerns while redirecting their focus on their weight. My mentor, Mara Gordon, a
“If only we could take some of the weight off of her body and put it on yours,” my family would often joke. I have always occupied a smaller body, which invited its own set of quips from my parents and extended family. It is not always possible to undo decades of societal conditioning in a 20-minute visit. Sometimes patients just want to lose weight, regardless of how healthy they might otherwise be. For instance, one patient described feeling like he could not climb the stairs of his apartment without getting winded. Another said that she just felt unattractive. I have learned that it is important to
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