‘Almost Like Malpractice’: To Shed Bias, Doctors Get Schooled to Look Beyond Obesity

May 24, 2022

(Kaiser Health News) – Obesity is a common, treatable condition linked to a long list of health risks, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Despite obesity’s prevalence, it carries a unique stigma. Doctors often approach the practice of medicine with an anti-fat bias and struggle to communicate with patients whose weight exceeds what’s considered the normal range. Some obesity experts blame a lack of focus on the subject in medical schools. Others blame a lack of empathy. To counter that, the Association of American Medical Colleges plans to roll out in June new diversity, equity, and inclusion standards aimed at teaching doctors, among other things, about respectful treatment of people diagnosed as overweight or obese. (Read More)