tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post3165990631594284334..comments2024-03-17T10:07:53.205-07:00Comments on The Well-Rounded Mama: You Have The Right To Decline To Be WeighedWell-Rounded Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129621631406155340noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-87280135968836977322016-07-14T18:18:06.957-07:002016-07-14T18:18:06.957-07:00Christy, I think you need to have a frank discussi...Christy, I think you need to have a frank discussion with this N.P. on why she is so intent on weighing you. Sometimes it IS relevant, if a medication you are taking needs weight-based dosing. I am unfamiliar with psych meds so do not know offhand if there are any that should be prescribed based on weight-based dosing. So it's possible there could be a legit reason for it, but I'm doubtful. Most medications do not need weight-based dosing so unless you are using one that does, I do not see how it is medically necessary to be weighing you. <br /><br />When in doubt, open a dialogue with your provider and find out what's behind their pestering. Most of the time it's simply hassle from insurance companies that want documentation of weight, but it has no actual benefits medically. Listen to their concerns, share your own, and see if there is a reasonable compromise. If there is not, hold strong to your right to refuse interventions without good reason. <br /><br />If you find such weighings triggering for eating-disordered behaviors, be sure to mention that, as a mental health professional SHOULD understand and be willing to avoid such triggering actions. Well-Rounded Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04129621631406155340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-78052210997694216052016-07-13T07:47:58.137-07:002016-07-13T07:47:58.137-07:00Does a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitio...Does a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner have the right to weigh me? My psych n.p. has been pestering me lately to weigh me,and it's really causing me stress!! I appreciate any feedback!!Christynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-20377719150053308062015-11-06T00:44:59.745-08:002015-11-06T00:44:59.745-08:00Yes, Kris, that is understandable. You'll noti...Yes, Kris, that is understandable. You'll notice I said that in the post. If there is a legit medical reason to be weighed, then I have no problem doing that. I think the patient just needs to be aware of when it really is legit and when it's just routine and not that meaningful. <br /><br />Surgery is certainly a legit reason for having a very accurate weight because anesthesia is dosed according to weight. Some other medications are too, and certain conditions (like heart failure) need to have accurate weight tracking because even small gains can be meaningful. That's reasonable use of weighing, but the routine every appt weighing doesn't really have that much utility, as long as the patient occasionally weighs themselves at home and reports any major fluctuations. Well-Rounded Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04129621631406155340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-59292311265447814842015-11-05T11:39:29.707-08:002015-11-05T11:39:29.707-08:00I don't even hassle patients to get their weig...I don't even hassle patients to get their weight. If they refuse oh well . I don't have the time to argue about it. I just note in their chart that they have refused . However,if we're doing an invasive procedure or they're scheduled for surgery it is a must because I'm not about to get fussed at by the doctor. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07360786310635566381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-1411805621121289232015-10-08T10:23:08.569-07:002015-10-08T10:23:08.569-07:00I would write a letter to the practice, with a cc:...I would write a letter to the practice, with a cc: to the insurance company, complaining about their refusal to respect your right to refuse a test. Because that's what weighing is, a test measuring one particular aspect of you. The complicated part about this is that providers do have some rights too, of course. You can choose to decline a particular recommended test or treatment or whatever, but they can also decline to see you if they are uncomfortable with your choices. Where the line is on what is a reasonable refusal and what is not is not an easy thing to assess. It's a gray area of medical ethics. <br /><br />The bottom line is that you might not win THIS fight...this doctor may continue to choose to not see you over declining to be weighed...but you can very much shine a light on the ethical implications of such an action. Write a letter, and focus on your right to patient autonomy (the right to direct your own care and make your own health decisions). You should not have to be subjected to refusal of care because you decline a test of dubious health value. Emphasize that you will take your business elsewhere.<br /><br />I hope you go out and find a new doctor. Pre-screen them about regular weighings. Personally, I understand why a GP or a surgeon would want a baseline weight, and I agree to ONE initial weighing with a new provider. I make it clear I will not do further weighings unless they can convince me of some clear pressing need, but I will monitor my own weight and inform them of any significant changes. If they are not agreeable to this, I find a new doctor. I'm in a large urban area and have choices, though, and not everyone may have that flexibility. I haven't weighed at my doctor's practice in quite a while.<br /><br />It takes people willing to stand up for themselves and make a stink about it on a higher level in order to change unreasonable policies. Write the letter. It might not change the willingness of THAT doctor to accept you as a patient, but it might help change the climate around weighing. If enough people make enough stink about it, then this practice will be questioned. With enough complaints, doctors may get enough hassle about it that they have to show some flexibility in their policies. If no one complains, though, the harassment over weighing will only continue or get even worse. Well-Rounded Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04129621631406155340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-8390901881802292672015-10-06T18:42:30.543-07:002015-10-06T18:42:30.543-07:00I just came from my initial visit with my primary ...I just came from my initial visit with my primary care provider. I waited 6 months for the appointment. I declined to be weighed by the medical assistant taking my vitals prior to meeting with the PCP. She said she understood completely and had left a doctor visit once because of the same issue. When I got in with the PCP she said she could not provide care for me if I refused to be weighed. This was a physical exam. I told her I keep track of my weight and that if their was a sudden loss or gain I would that I did not understand I would consult with her. I also said I have been heavy since childhood and now at age 57 I have decided not to subject myself to weigh ins that are not medically necessary. She said, "why don't you let me help you with that." I said, "I don't want your help with that." She said I could turn around so I don't see the number, I said," I know the number and keep track of it." She said I would have to leave and could not be a patient at this practice because it was one of their rules and if they were audited (?) it would show that my weight had not been recorded. As she escorted me out she said, "let me know if you change your mind." It certainly did not seem like I had the right to refuse being weighed when she then refused to treat me. How would you approach this?questioninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04228929966814130489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-86558006459208354602015-04-03T13:27:27.835-07:002015-04-03T13:27:27.835-07:00Thank you for this post. Saw a new provider today ...Thank you for this post. Saw a new provider today who badgered me in the hallway after I declined to be weighed - we had not even formally met yet. Needless to say, I will not be going back. <br /><br />I've routinely declined for the last 15 years, and this is the first time a doctor has not respected my decision. Thank you again for this post. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-72181701618330609072015-02-19T06:37:15.323-08:002015-02-19T06:37:15.323-08:00Wow, just found this post today... 5 years after i...Wow, just found this post today... 5 years after it was written. :) I will see a new doctor today and I am already dreading the weigh in, that I will refuse, because I know I get that strange look, like I am a little nuts. <br />I have refused many times to be weighed, and I really don't know why it still makes me feel uncomfortable to speak up. But it's certainly not going to change today. :)<br /><br />Like you, I keep track of my weight at home. Thanks for a well written post.Utehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16652604425012130772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-19198345293619624692013-06-13T15:20:59.406-07:002013-06-13T15:20:59.406-07:00I know this is an old post but I found it when I g...I know this is an old post but I found it when I googled "refuse to be weighed." Thank you for empowering me. I am seeking fertility treatments for a condition I had when I weight 100 pounds less. All the doctor's keep telling me to just lose weight and it will fix itself. I know it won't. I've decided to see a new doctor and refuse to be weighed. SmKenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06768981506104218445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-42965775426372942732012-09-25T10:21:30.991-07:002012-09-25T10:21:30.991-07:00I had my ex-prescribing psychiatrist who asked me ...I had my ex-prescribing psychiatrist who asked me to weight myself once a week under Ritalin. <br />She was so concerned about anorexia and skinny chicks that she considered that I <i>must</i> absolutely weight myself once a week or I would die because of anorexia. <i>No, really ?</i><br /><br />Needless to say, I didn't weight myself once a week. For my own sake. I see how I feel in my clothes. <br /><br />I let GP track my weight. She does not weight me all the time, only when she thinks I lost weight. <br />Ritalin suppresses appetite, so I understand that she is careful about weight loss (I am thin for my height). <br />But contrary to my ex-psychiatrist, she is not completely obsessed about weight. She does not berates me about the need not to lose weight. <br /><br />I don't like owning a scale and track my weight at home because it can easily become obsessional. I let GP do it, she handles the problem much better than I do. <br />At least, I avoid being obsessed by that number. Giulianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-21225335576372954142012-02-08T06:04:33.809-08:002012-02-08T06:04:33.809-08:00This post made me feel SO much better!! With my la...This post made me feel SO much better!! With my last baby, I was gaining weight perfectly, and ONE TIME I gained an extra two pounds, and the doctor gave me SO much crap, despite the notes in my chart saying I was in recovery from anorexia. It had such a horrible effect on me, I've been putting off going to the doctor now that I'm pregnant again. My appointment is tomorrow, and I had so much anxiety over the scale, I lost countless hours of sleep! Knowing I can just tell them "no" to the scale is a relief, and I feel empowered to lay down the law if they try and force the issue. Thank you so much!Amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06279208955908882845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-69291798571710972932011-12-23T09:22:58.602-08:002011-12-23T09:22:58.602-08:00I walked into an Urgent Care place this morning af...I walked into an Urgent Care place this morning after seeing a chiropractor a few days ago. The chiro. said I might need an MRI prior to removing some floating bodies in a thigh joint which was restricting my movement. The chiro did not use weighing-in for his patients, but today I was told by the nurse assistant at Urgent Care that I had to submit to being weighed and when I refused the nurse-practitioner evicted me. I don't know how to get around this and if I need surgery I don't know how I will be able to get it. Can one refuse this humiliating and unnecessary ritual and still get treated? If my wounds are aggravated because I couldn't get a doctor to see me without forcing me to first get weighed is there any medical liability involved? In other words, what are my real rights here and how can I enforce them? In practical terms will I have to expect that just about any random medical practitioner will just not respect my rights, so if I want relief I will have to let to do with me as they will??? Also this chiropractor could not refer me to an MRI or surgery, but are there any kind of alternative practitioners who could? And/or what kind of entry level doctor (GP?)would care about this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-42212229663216023662010-08-27T05:23:47.150-07:002010-08-27T05:23:47.150-07:00I'm concerned about BMI tracking with insuranc...I'm concerned about BMI tracking with insurance companies and possibly paying higher premiums. My BMI is on the cusp and I don't want my ins company to have that info. I have an appt next week. Will be curious how this goes. <br />-pennyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-76068349153193341822010-04-07T15:03:53.897-07:002010-04-07T15:03:53.897-07:00I weigh myself weekly, a carry-over from my teenag...I weigh myself weekly, a carry-over from my teenage years. I shot up to 6'0" from 5'2" in less than a year and gained very little weight (I weighed about 100 lbs). I still have to eat more than I sometimes find comfortable, and if I am stressed I tend not to eat, so losing very much needed pounds is an issue for me. Especially now that I am pregnant. <br /><br />While in school, my parents had to inform the school that I would no longer be weighed there, for sports, PE, etc. due to the certain staff members harassing me about my low weight (ie accusing me of having an eating disorder). My doctor was monitoring my growth, which was typical for my family history. <br /><br />I understand that my issues are/were different than yours, but weight discrimination pretty much sucks no matter what end your on.<br /><br />I have had to switch OBs twice and am now looking into a midwife due to their poor attitudes. I am currently almost 6 months and have not gained a lot of weight, but I am keeping a food journal. The doctors' don't care that I can show them I am eating about 100 g of protein per day, lots of fruits and veggies, and that about 35%-40% of my daily calories are from fat (full fat dairy is best and most delicious!). I estimate that I am consuming about 2700 Calories/day, which is not easy when you only eat first order foods. I also have an undetermined allergy so any processed/pre-prepared foods are out of the question. My first OB accused me of having an eating disorder and trying to abort my child through starvation! BTW my father-in-law is a physician and has reviewed my journals, knows me well, and has says I am very well nourished woman with an appropriate activity level for pregnancy.<br /><br />Sorry this is so long. I just wish people, especially the medical establishment, would learn that people have different metabolisms and how to work with that. <br /><br />I am moving to Princeton, NJ within the next month, and would very much appreciate any advice about finding a non-weight discriminatory provider for the remainder of my pregnancy! I am also trying for a low-intervention, unmedicated birth if that isn't too tall an order.Meghanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17232390735414411614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-35535773494494276122010-04-04T07:40:50.963-07:002010-04-04T07:40:50.963-07:00Kmom, have I told you lately how much I adore you?...Kmom, have I told you lately how much I adore you? ;)<br /><br />Lately I've found myself weighing much more than I have in years. I don't know what's provoked the urge; I certainly gain no particular benefit from the exercise-- though, after years of working on accepting myself as is, I don't draw a lot of angst from it, either. Still, I've been slightly frustrated to note that the numbers seem to be creeping up... <br /><br />I dropped a goodly chunk of weight last year, and I suppose I was proud of myself. I went to my annual physical a few weeks ago, and for the first time <i>ever</i>, they weighed me. When the doctor came in he didn't comment, but I blurted it out anyway: "Just for the record, I've lost XX pounds since last year!" And I've been mildly stressed about it ever since.<br /><br />I guess this is a very roundabout way of saying thank you... I needed the reminder. ((((HUGS))))<br /><br />~jerWillowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01069471819840078854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-22069928047603269622010-04-03T20:05:53.755-07:002010-04-03T20:05:53.755-07:00I loved this post. Thank you.I loved this post. Thank you.Emily Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00502193048317452144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-19333989218801271622010-03-29T20:44:11.219-07:002010-03-29T20:44:11.219-07:00Any time fluid retention/severe dehydration is at ...Any time fluid retention/severe dehydration is at issue a weight is a useful thing to have. That could be in connection with pre-eclampsia or hyperemisis in pregnancy or issues affecting the kidneys. That said, the same information is obtained about a gain or loss of 10 pounds whether the individual weighs 150=/- or 300 +/- <br /><br />I think staff gets uncomfortable because if there isn't a weight recorded some statistical bean counter might get on their back. However if they can chart "pt refused" they should be all right. If you say it politely "Please just chart that I refused." you've said the magic words "I refuse" and they should be able to leave it.Adirondack Autumnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14510975626951181951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-39122716566411597542010-03-28T06:21:56.436-07:002010-03-28T06:21:56.436-07:00QoB - That's true about weight and some types ...QoB - That's true about weight and some types of pill, but I don't think it's a reason for doctors/clinics to insist on weighing you every time. <br /><br />I'm on the progesterone pill (I can take it, but I can't spell it), which is supposed to be less effective if you weigh more than about 11 stone. I had been on it for many years before anyone told me this, at well over 11 stone, so I figure, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If I was going to get pregnant on it, I suspect I would have done by now. <br /><br />The nurses at my FPC try to weigh me every time I go, and when I object, they trot out the 'your weight can affect the pill's effectiveness' line. Which, yeah, OK, but we all know I'm well over that weight and have been for many years, so why do we have to weigh me every 6 months just so that we can have the SAME DAMN CONVERSATION over and over again? <br /><br />They did once nearly refuse to let me have any pills unless I agreed to be weighed, but they backed down at the last minute. We seem now to have reached a compromise where I don't get on the scales but I do let them take my BP - which is fine when I haven't been arguing with them for half an hour before they take it!dolcinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-85766128997142517912010-03-27T16:10:40.043-07:002010-03-27T16:10:40.043-07:00Oops, I just noticed that there's another Rebe...Oops, I just noticed that there's another Rebecca here - the comment about hypothyroid is by Rebecca2.rebecca2noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-90243994110142751022010-03-27T15:31:37.726-07:002010-03-27T15:31:37.726-07:00Re: Contraception/the pill:- my GP doesn't wei...Re: Contraception/the pill:- my GP doesn't weigh me, she asks me something like "Has your weight been stable?" The answer is yes, and she doesn't weigh me.<br />(in fairness, I'm within 'normal' BMI range so I'm not fighting fat stereotyping, and I'm not from the US so she's not under pressure from insurance companies).<br /><br />I think for some types of contraceptives - low-dose pills, the patch, and diaphragm come to mind - weight and weight gain is important as it can affect the effectiveness of the method.QoBhttp://queenofbirds.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-33684302692294013932010-03-27T11:50:45.036-07:002010-03-27T11:50:45.036-07:00I have also refused to be weighed for as long as I...I have also refused to be weighed for as long as I have had my GP, who is very accommodating. But every time I go I am asked by the nurse to step on the scale, and every time I remind them it is in my chart that I prefer not to be weighed. I do not weigh myself either.<br /><br />When I received my reminder to schedule my annual physical this year, I noticed that the practice now includes with the notice a graph of the patient's blood pressure and BMI over the last several visits. I am doubly glad now that I have refused to be weighed. I mean, really, what meaning could a BMI progression hold for someone like me who would conventionally be told to lose 150 pounds? Of course, BMI is a questionable measurement in general, as has been discussed in the fatosphere many times - but, honestly, wouldn't it be better for the practice to write on my chart, "You're very fat, but you know that!", which at least has the virtue of being direct.<br /><br />That said, I have a dilemma, which I'm glad to raise here: I've been pursuing a diagnosis of hypothyroidism for a while now, in the face of completely normal tests. It's not entirely about my weight, but I <i>have</i> been gaining weight, and quicker than my usual ups and downs. I don't want my care to be all about a number, but do I need to have the numbers in order to have someone pay attention? The weight is a symptom, after all, not a cause, and it's the cause I want to treat. Like many of us, I have a long history of emotional entanglement with the scale, so am finding this a difficult conflict to resolve. Advice is welcome.nvnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-39252152129895387332010-03-27T08:17:14.361-07:002010-03-27T08:17:14.361-07:00I refuse to be weighed and have for several years ...I refuse to be weighed and have for several years now. But last year I made an important discovery - my refusal carried an unintended consequence of its own. <br /><br />Instead of leaving the weight field blank, or noting my refusal, staff was checking a box that indicated I was over 350 lbs and thus "too heavy to be weighed on their scales." <br /><br />I have no idea when this inaccuracy was first recorded - probably some time after the office switched over from paper charting (where a nurse could just make a note about my refusal) to a computerized system that offered that checkbox as the only alternative to leaving the weight field blank. But each subsequent nurse saw that it was already in my record and continued to click that box.<br /><br />In a discussion with the clinic manager over this and other FA issues (stemming from my complaint over a specific doctor), I was told that the "vital statistics" requirement is coming down from insurance companies. In order to pay a claim, many require that vitals be recorded at every visit in which a doctor is seen. I can verify myself that they were never taken if I was just seeing the nurse - for my Depo shot, for example. Yet staff tried to weigh me, and take my temp and BP when I was just there to discuss some test results with an MD. <br /><br />This clinic director was so receptive to my concerns and FA suggestions that I tend to believe her when she says her hands are being tied on the weighing issue. If their only options are recording an actual weight or indicating that an individual is too fat to be weighed, I don't know if that refusal is ultimately beneficial to us.Christinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-19044525302006554932010-03-26T22:10:56.380-07:002010-03-26T22:10:56.380-07:00CecilyK, please enter your OB's name into the ...CecilyK, please enter your OB's name into the fat-friendly practitioner's list that Stef keeps. There's a link on my blog and on my website. It's important to have a good collection of these size-friendly docs.<br /><br />As far as weighing in pregnancy goes, I decided to make that debate a whole separate post. The pre-eclampsia argument is probably the most compelling for keeping track of weight in pregnancy....but even so, many midwives in other parts of the world do not weigh pregnant women at all. They rely on other signs to watch for PE before weight gain.<br /><br />Erylin, I honestly don't know if being weighed regularly is *required* for getting the pill. Why can't a gain (or lack thereof) be self-reported? But they'd probably only trust that if they knew you really well; not in a high-traffic clinic situation. Anyhow, I'm not a fan of hormonal birth control so it's never come up for me. Anyone else want to share their experiences?<br /><br />Ashley, they now have intake beds in many hospitals which weigh you automatically so they get an accurate weight when you come in without having to put you on the scale. Don't know why they needed to ask you how much you gained in pregnancy though; probably just to chart it, since you'd been seen by a homebirth midwife and they don't always take the homebirth midwife's chart info seriously. Or maybe for database purposes, collecting info on all the pts that come in for a study or something.<br /><br />Keep the comments coming, folks! So far, those who refuse to weigh (or would like to) outnumber the folks who do weigh. Can we hear from both sides?Well-Rounded Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04129621631406155340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-90934976214451398232010-03-26T21:38:36.624-07:002010-03-26T21:38:36.624-07:00I just started refusing to be weighed, and it'...I just started refusing to be weighed, and it's wonderful, if hypertension inducing. When I went in for strep throat the nurse only looked at me askance. For my pap the nurse fought me on it, and the NP who did my pap remarked, surprised. <br /><br />When I went in for my c-section (after a homebirth attempt) I was NOT weighed, but I was asked how much weight I had gained in pregnancy. At no point did they ask my pre-prego or current weight, which really confuses. me.Ashleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01741166832975924830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4738062031052371885.post-25422035913708257142010-03-26T20:05:37.800-07:002010-03-26T20:05:37.800-07:00I do refuse weigh-ins at my GP. The only time I ac...I do refuse weigh-ins at my GP. The only time I accepted regular weigh-ins was while I was pregnant, particularly in my second pregnancy since I'd suffered the loss of twins at six months pregnant in my first pregnancy due to preeclampsia. Large weight gains, also caused by fluid, are a symptom of preeclampsia, and it was important to keep track.<br /><br />But I was also lucky to have an awesome, non fat shaming OB (Dr. S. Mama at Cooper Hospital in NJ, just outside of Philadelphia; he's really an amazing man and I highly suggest him if you want to use an OB).<br /><br />Thanks for this.CecilyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502330613549817051noreply@blogger.com