One of the things obese patients most dread is facing the doctor’s scale.

It can be one reason they don’t go to the doctor unless they have to. They may believe the doctor “doesn’t like them” because of their weight, a common fear.

They dread the lecture about the need to lose weight.

Something’s got to change in the way physicians work with obese patients. There are too many of them and their numbers are growing world-wide.

This study suggests one way doctors’ attitudes can change when obesity is the problem.

This research showed that British medical student prejudice about obesity, while higher than the general population, could easily be modified with exposure to information about genetic and environmental causes.

One caution: This was a small study of only 159 students. A much larger study is needed to see if this intervention works with a study population which can prove this finding has been statistically validated.

Earlier this year, an American study showed that obese patients were getting the same care as non-obese patients. If anything, their doctors were more vigilant about monitoring obese patients.

What is the difference? It is possible that, with experience, care-givers develop perspective medical students don’t yet have. This study does not say that, let’s be clear. Just a thought.

It will be useful to see what other studies about care-giver attitudes toward obesity are published. As obesity is classified an epidemic, doctors need to be prepared to deal with it and the consequences.

Prejudice is a barrier to care for obese patients.

BBC

“Students training to enter the health service need better teaching in order to prevent discrimination against obese patients, a study suggests.

“Researchers said previous work had found high levels of “anti-fat prejudice” among health professionals.

“But a trial of 159 students, reported in the Obesity journal, found this prejudice could easily be influenced.

“Teaching about the effect of genes and the environment on obesity was key to cutting discrimination, it reported.”

Source: BBC, Updated April 16, 2010

Citation: Obesity (2010) doi:10.1038/oby.2010.79 (Online prior to publication)