My friend Brianna Cavanaugh, of Fat Girl Finds Love . wrote this to her fatphobic doctor recently and she gave me her permission to share it here with all of you.
This is a sample letter with some amazing links you can share with your medical provider
Dear MD,
I am following up because the majority of our conversation did 2 things:
1. not listen to my concerns or history around the concussion and car accident recovery and
2. was deeply fatphobic and the meds prescribed very clearly will either make the presenting symptoms worse (increase tiredness) or are irrelevant.
.
You did not ask me if I wanted to lose weight, and it was not on my list of issues. Since you’re an MD I’m going to forward you a series of studies that I’ll hope you’ll review that reinforce my points:
1. weight loss doesn’t work long term (there’s tons of data) and that weight stigma (your conversation with me) is harmful to my
.
2. Weight and disease are correlative, not causal: https://
.
So any focus on weight here is irrelevant and as other data shows: harmful
.
3. fat stigma is clearly identified as a social determinant of health – you are perpetuating fat stigma, please stop. .
and
https://
.
4. People who live in fat bodies are at a much higher rate of being stigmatized, of being disbelieved, as being regarded as not credible.
(Article not medical study.) https://
.
Please do not talk to me about my weight unless there is a medically relevant reason to do so like anesthesia. This behavior is harmful. I am refusing your medications.
I was Fat Shamed at Urgent Care for an injury to my eyeball!
Photo Credit : Reddit.com