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Hilary Offman
Hilary Offman is a lecturer at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in Toronto.
Let’s be frank—a lot of us will be going back to the office heavier than when the pandemic started. Whether that’s due to stress eating, lack of access to gyms, or simply the drastic world event we’ve all endured, everyone seems desperate to get their pre-pandemic bodies back. Social media is rife with contemptuous posts like “I thought I had COVID because I couldn’t breathe—then I unbuttoned my pants” and “I tested positive for a fat ass,” regardless of the fact these bodies are ones that got us through the last 18 months. But anyone planning to see a physician for help managing their weight should be aware that doctors aren’t any less affected by fatphobia. In fact, fatphobia in medicine is worse than ever.
When I talk about fatphobia, I’m talking about the discriminatory treatment that fat patients receive when they go to their doctors. That might mean inadvertently insensitive comments; it might mean blatant insults. What is most surprising is that doctors often have no idea fatphobia in medicine exists—let alone how they may be perpetuating it.
How do I know? Because I’ve had a lot of experience being a fat patient. I’ve also had a lot of experience being a fat doctor. And once upon a time I weighed at least 100 pounds more than I do now, which means that not only does the world see me differently, but I also see myself differently. I wish I could say I would have had the courage to write about fatphobia in medicine even if I hadn’t lost a significant amount of weight. But I would be lying. The memories of how I was treated as a fat patient and physician are still too painful.
When a fat patient goes to the doctor, it’s common for them to hear that everything wrong with them is due to their weight. Doctors fall into the same trap as everyone else when they oversimplify the causes of obesity by blaming patients for eating too much and not exercising enough. As a society, we hate fat...