By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Curvy FashionistaThe Curvy Fashionista
Notification Show More
Aa
  • News
    News
    Looking the the latest plus size fashion and industry news around designers, influencers, and community happenings? We’ve got you covered with the latest happenings in…
    Show More
    Top News
    Celebrating 200k FB Fans- It is a Spring #TCFStyle Giveaway with Simply Be!
    Celebrating 200k FB Fans- It is a Spring #TCFStyle Giveaway with Simply Be!
    9 years ago
    Spring #TCFStyle Giveaway with Hips and Curves
    Celebrating 200k FB Fans- It is a Spring #TCFStyle Giveaway with Hips and Curves!
    9 years ago
    nordstrom size inclusive
    What’s Missing as Nordstrom (and others) Takes Note of Us, the Plus Size Consumer
    6 years ago
    Latest News
    GLAMOROUS Plus Size Capsule Wardrobe || Interview with Suzanne Vinnik, Founder of byVINNIK
    2 weeks ago
    Thank Us Later! We’ve Found the 100 BEST Plus Size Swimsuits Under $100!
    2 weeks ago
    Hittin’ the Beach? Check Out These Fun and Sexy 23 Plus Size Swim Cover Ups!
    3 weeks ago
    26 Super Sexy Plus Size Two-Piece Swimwear That Your Curves Need Now!
    3 weeks ago
  • Style
    Style
    Yes, plus size style options exist and we are here to share the latest style finds, news, updates, and plus size style tips & tricks…
    Show More
    Top News
    Plus size woman Walking
    LETS TALK: Design Elements in Plus Size Clothes that KILL ME.
    10 years ago
    Duo Boots Giveaway on The Curvy Fashionista
    #TCFTurns5 Giveaway: Step into Style With the Duo Boots Giveaway!
    9 years ago
    Celebrating 200k FB Fans- It is a Spring #TCFStyle Giveaway with Simply Be!
    Celebrating 200k FB Fans- It is a Spring #TCFStyle Giveaway with Simply Be!
    9 years ago
    Latest News
    How to Wear (and OWN) Plus Size Floral Prints in 2023
    2 days ago
    All About The Plus Bus || An Interview with Fabulous Founders, Marcy & Jen
    2 weeks ago
    Hittin’ the Beach? Check Out These Fun and Sexy 23 Plus Size Swim Cover Ups!
    3 weeks ago
    26 Super Sexy Plus Size Two-Piece Swimwear That Your Curves Need Now!
    3 weeks ago
  • Beauty
    Beauty
    Looking for the latest beauty trends, products, and makeup tips and beauty advice for plus size people?! Check out the latest beauty articles on The…
    Show More
    Top News
    Wearing Make-Up To Work, A Bad Thing?
    10 years ago
    10 Products to Fight Chub Rub
    It’s Chub Rub Season—10 Products To Battle It
    6 years ago
    PrescriptivesCustom Blend Foundation
    Celebrating 200k FB Fans- It is a Spring #TCFStyle Giveaway with Prescriptives!
    9 years ago
    Latest News
    I Survived Going to a (fully nude) Korean Spa as a Plus Size Babe!
    1 week ago
    The Best 2023 Planners to Keep You Organized and Help You Reach Your Goals!
    5 months ago
    13 Last Minute Beauty Gifts Everyone is Sure to Love
    5 months ago
    TCF Gift Guide: 15 Beauty Stocking Stuffers to Wow and Amaze Your Loved Ones!
    6 months ago
  • Wellness
    Wellness
    Let’s talk about self-care, self-love, body image, and related topics to wellness and life as a plus size person!
    Show More
    Top News
    Torrid's Feature of Tiffany from On The Fatwalk
    The Enabling of Self Loathers and Shame – A Facebook Observation of Torrid
    11 years ago
    Rescue Stress relief
    Finding My Own Rescue Remedy & Taking Better Care of Myself…
    7 years ago
    Plus Size Lingerie: Hips and Curves
    Confidence, Sex, and the Plus Size Woman pt.1
    11 years ago
    Latest News
    Leave Some For Me! Why Viral Trends are Harming the Plus Size Community
    2 days ago
    Changing Focus to Celebrate Joyful Movement
    1 week ago
    The Plus Strut 5K is Back!
    1 month ago
    6 Tips for Finding a Fat Positive Doctor
    1 month ago
  • Lifestyle
    Lifestyle
    There is so much more to a plus size fashion lover and we are highlighting the various topics from home, to dating and beyond in…
    Show More
    Top News
    Open Letter Tim Gunn
    An Open Letter: Dear Tim Gunn, Let’s Make It Work
    10 years ago
    2017 MTV Move & TV Awards, chrissy metz, plus size celebrity
    ‘I Wear What I Want, When I Want’: Chrissy Metz Slays In Red at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards
    6 years ago
    Metallic Curves by Photographer Silvana Denker
    Plus Size Art: Metallic Curves by Photographer Silvana Denker
    6 years ago
    Latest News
    Changing Focus to Celebrate Joyful Movement
    1 week ago
    I Survived Going to a (fully nude) Korean Spa as a Plus Size Babe!
    1 week ago
    Plus Size and Pregnant? Yay!! Here’s Where to Shop for the BEST Plus Size Maternity Swimsuits
    1 month ago
    6 Tips for Finding a Fat Positive Doctor
    1 month ago
  • Culture
    Culture
    Yes there is a plus size culture and we are here to share and celebrate it from entertainment to movies, we are talking about it!…
    Show More
    Top News
    25 women of color e1615188552216
    25 Women Of Color Who Paved The Way for Body Positivity & Plus Size Fashion
    2 years ago
    Dear Terri, Ven Budhu, and Project Runway….
    11 years ago
    Plus+ Coffee table book
    Because We Love a Great Book, Here are 30+ Plus Size Centered Must-Reads! 
    5 years ago
    Latest News
    Hollywood Needs to Follow Suit: The Harmful Use of Fatsuits in Media
    1 month ago
    Get To Know The Big Grrrls Cast! The Plus Size Dancers Competing For A Spot On Stage.
    1 year ago
    6 Easy Date Ideas For Every Budget
    1 year ago
    The Unfiltered Brilliance of Ryan Ken Acts
    1 year ago
  • Shop TCF
  • Events
    • TCFStyle Brunch Series
Search TCF
More
  • Events
    • TCFStyle Brunch Series
  • Curvy & Plus Size Fashion Resources
  • About The Curvy Fashionista
  • Advertising
  • Contact
© 2008- 2023 · by TCFStyle Media · All Rights Reserved ·
Reading: How I Deal with Doctors While Living In A Plus Size Body
Aa
The Curvy FashionistaThe Curvy Fashionista
  • News
  • Style
  • Beauty
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Culture
  • Shop TCF
  • Events
Search TCF
  • About
  • News
  • Style
  • Shopping
  • Wellness
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Write for TCF
  • Contact
Sign In Sign In
Follow US
  • Login
  • Community Guidelines
  • Style Star Ambassadors
  • TCFStyle Influencer Network
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact
© 2008- 2021 · by TCFStyle Media · All Rights Reserved ·
Health and Fitness

How I Deal with Doctors While Living In A Plus Size Body

Guest Blogger
Last updated: 08/06/2021
By Guest Blogger 11 Min Read
Share
navigating doctor while fat
Photo by StockSnap

So this is a tricky topic for me, a plus-size boutique owner, to write about as it pertains to our weight and dealing with the bias we experience with doctors who tell us to “lose weight” to make our problems disappear. Don’t laugh, but I am usually on the very opposite side of this issue. I am not a fan of losing weight to be beautiful. You already are.

Table of Contents
Think this isn’t a REAL issue? Let me give you a little example.And. This. Happens. Every. Damn. Day.In about 10 seconds she said, “Here is your problem.”About Janet Tanury

I don’t agree with women that think being skinny will fix all of their problems. At the end of the day, you are still left with you. I am more about feeling comfortable in your own skin & being your healthiest version of you.

- Advertisement -

But today, I am compelled to write about the biases, stereotypes, and discriminations against plus size people in the medical profession. That, along with being fat while dealing with doctors and how I push back.

Being Fat and Dealing with Doctors

navigating doctors while fat
Photo by Elle Hughes

So often I hear women say, “If I could just lose this belly I would be fine” and despite the thousands of dollars spent and months of deprivation and starvation women cannot seem to lose anything.

Often I say, “Women who walk through my door are not the size they are because they can’t put the fork down, but because of menopause, genetics & medications.”

- Advertisement -

In my opinion, doctors play a large role in this process, with their weight discrimination & the systematic dismal of symptoms of plus size people by saying, “Lose weight and you won’t have this problem.”

Seriously?

I am now at a point in my life that when I meet a new doctor I say from the initial visit, “If all you want to do is talk about or blame my weight, then you are not the doctor for me. I have been this weight (almost literally) for 30 years & my symptoms are new so let’s not blame it on the weight, ok?”

Some doctors are surprised by my stance (usually male doctors), but most new doctors I’ve met have been rather receptive to my take on my health situation. I also say, “I am a player in my own health care & if you don’t see me as an equal in MY health then we’re not going to have a great relationship.” Yeah, I’m that girl.

- Advertisement -

I understand I am not a doctor and that I’m just a retailer, but I am the expert in ME. I will not be “Fat Tracked” by a doctor because they are too lazy or unwilling to do their job. Those days are OVER.

navigating doctor while fat
Photo by StockSnap

Think this isn’t a REAL issue? Let me give you a little example.

A dear friend of mine who is an eating disorder survivor & someone who has had a large weight gain during her recovery has been having LOTS of health issues as of late, some of which include sweating profusely, heavy breathing for minor exertion, sleep apnea, and skipping periods. She approached her GP and her doctor told her “You have PCOS. Lose weight, and it will get better.” That’s it.

The GP didn’t order any lab work nor check for the usual factors. Well, my friend desperately wants to conceive but with her system being so out of whack it isn’t happening. She went to a specialist on whom she “pulled a Jan” and set the rules about the weight conversation. The Doctor’s reply was, “Your weight is the least of my concerns.”

After a lengthy chat about her health issues, the specialist was shocked that the GP did not order any blood work nor did she check for the classic signs of PCOS like ‘the beard’.

Well, within 2 hours of her blood work her specialist called to tell her her thyroid numbers were sky high & that she needed to start thyroid meds ASAP. She also told her that the hypothyroidism was putting more strain on her system & heart than her weight.

My friend came to me with tears in her eyes & said: “I thought it was my fault”. Of course, you did. That’s what the weight-biased mentality of Western Medicine wants you to believe. 

feeling good is not reserved for the skinny
Photo courtesy of Janet Tanury

And. This. Happens. Every. Damn. Day.

As some of you can relate to, I am suffering from a lot of arthritis from an autoimmune disease & from wearing high heels on carpeted cement for the 30+ years I’ve been in retail. This year seems to be the worst. At the gentle nudging of a new GP, I reached out to an Obesity Medicine specialist.

Her job is to help coach people through healthy lifestyle changes, prescribe weight-loss drugs when necessary & look at your current list of meds to see if any of them could be causing or maintaining a higher weight.

I gave her my opening line & then added, “I want you to know I am not here because I have low self-esteem nor do I have any desire to be skinny. I am here because my weight is making it hard for me to stand long periods of time at work & it is affecting my business.”

She asked me, “How much would you like to lose?” I said, “25lbs. I feel really good at that weight.”

She did the slow blink. She replied, “That’s it? That’s easy.”

During this initial appointment she said, “Wow, you have a really good handle on the nutrition piece. You could get a little more exercise in & if you don’t have time for cardio try some weights. Now that I know you’re doing all the right things there let’s look at your meds.”

In about 10 seconds she said, “Here is your problem.”

Y’all, this is a medicine I have been taking for 25 years to help with my sleep. Not kidding. Even at a low dosage it will make you gain and/or maintain your weight and will not allow it to come off.

It was my turn to do the slow blink.

“Wait, what? You mean to tell me that all those doctors who have told me to lose weight in the last 25 years and not one of them saw this medication as an issue?”

*deep cleansing breath while trying to find a Zen place*

Forget it, I’ll Namaste another time.

Thus begins my tirade, “You wanna know why????? I’ll tell you why…BECAUSE no one listens to fat people! Like ever! No one takes us seriously when we’re sitting in a backless gown that is too small for us while our chubby ass cheeks are sticking to that tissue paper you all make us sit on! NO. ONE. LISTENS. TO. FAT. PEOPLE.”

The Doctor giggled and said ever so kindly, “I’m not sure why they didn’t say anything but I am here to make it right. By the way, you really need to be a writer or a speaker for the Obesity Society of America. You are really articulate about being plus size.” It was my turn to giggle, “Doc, you have no idea.”

So the Doctor & I decided to switch out the Devil’s Pill to something else and to see if there is any movement in my weight.

As I left her office I felt like I might have just gotten a new lease on life. I took a moment to count the blessing that I have found this practice and they are willing to find the answers.

This doctor did not just hand me a brochure about proper nutrition & exercise, pat me on the ass & send me out there to fail again. 

Navigating doctors while fat
Photo courtesy of Janet Tanury

I am not entirely sure why I am writing on this topic today. It is a problem that has been rampant throughout the medical profession for decades but today I am moved to write. Do not accept one doctor’s opinion or approach. I am telling you that you are the expert in YOU. Feeling better isn’t a privilege of the skinny.

Today I encourage you to be an advocate for yourself! I encourage you to continue to seek out doctors who will not put you on the “fat track”. Today I am telling you that you deserve to feel good too. 

Namaste.

Have you had similar experiences? Tell us in the comments!

About Janet Tanury

Hello! I am the Owner & Bra Whisperer of Botticelli RI, a plus size boutique in Rhode Island. I have had the pleasure of working with thousands of women over the last 16 years. In addition, I am a body-image influencer and hopefully, teach women to value themselves by my words and actions.

TAGGED: body health, Health and Beauty
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Copy Link Print
2 Comments 2 Comments
  • Teresa says:
    July 22, 2019 at 8:50 am

    I wish i read this article before i just went to a new primary care doctor. I really am done. I have lost almost 200 pounds, not to get skinny but to get my afib in check. Well if you could have seen the look on the doctors face you would have wanted to slap her also. I would tell you how the email read from the blood test results. I am done, my cardiologist treats me better then this women does. She lost a new patient that for sure

    Reply
  • Natasha Schulte says:
    March 17, 2022 at 4:32 pm

    Yes! I do have pcos ad well. My doc (male) tells me to lose weight and ignore the pain in my leg. What the hell? He said they also do not get any training on ADHD or any mental health issues. Sigh, I am scared to change doctors to get an evem less knowledgeable one. They need a plus size friendly doctor option.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

leave some for me plus size thrifting - @theplusbus
Body Politics

Leave Some For Me! Why Viral Trends are Harming the Plus Size Community

- Advertisement -

You May Also Enjoy

leave some for me plus size thrifting - @theplusbus
Body Politics

Leave Some For Me! Why Viral Trends are Harming the Plus Size Community

mightymurphin By mightymurphin
Joyful Movement
Health and Fitness

Changing Focus to Celebrate Joyful Movement

mightymurphin By mightymurphin
The Plus Strut 5K
Fashion Events

The Plus Strut 5K is Back!

Kara "Juicy" Johnson By Kara "Juicy" Johnson
@yrfatfriend - fat positive doctor
Health and Fitness

6 Tips for Finding a Fat Positive Doctor

mightymurphin By mightymurphin
@broadwaybopo - fatsuits in media
Body Politics

Hollywood Needs to Follow Suit: The Harmful Use of Fatsuits in Media

mightymurphin By mightymurphin
@skatewithtlb - exclusion of plus size people in healthcare
Body Politics

The Exclusion of Plus Size People in Healthcare

mightymurphin By mightymurphin
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
Reading: How I Deal with Doctors While Living In A Plus Size Body
The Curvy FashionistaThe Curvy Fashionista
Follow US
© 2008- 2023 · by TCFStyle Media · All Rights Reserved ·
The Curvy Fashionista Logo
Welcome Back!

Please Sign in to Your Account

Lost your password?