A Weight Inclusive Approach in a Medical Setting

January 9, 2026 •

3 min read

According to a study published in the journal Obesity, individuals who experience weight stigma are more likely to delay or skip medical appointments. A weight inclusive approach, exemplified by compassionate, non-judgmental healthcare, prioritizes overall well-being over body weight, addressing health concerns equitably for all patients.

Quick Summary

This article explores a real-world example of a weight-inclusive approach within a medical practice. It explains how doctors can shift focus from weight loss to holistic health behaviors, create size-inclusive clinic spaces, and treat patient symptoms directly, rather than attributing all issues to body size. This model emphasizes respectful, individualized care for all.

Key Points

Holistic Health Focus: A weight inclusive approach shifts the focus from weight loss to comprehensive well-being, considering mental, physical, and emotional health.
Size-Inclusive Environments: Clinics adopting this model ensure their facilities, from waiting room chairs to medical equipment, accommodate all body sizes respectfully.
Symptom-Based Treatment: Providers address the patient's presenting symptoms directly, rather than reflexively attributing all health issues to their weight.
Empathetic Communication: Medical staff use neutral, non-stigmatizing language, avoiding terms like 'obese' and fostering a safe, respectful dialogue.
Optional Weigh-Ins: Patients are given the option to decline being weighed during routine checkups, and when necessary, the process is handled with privacy and consent.
Behavior Over Metrics: The emphasis is on adopting sustainable, health-promoting behaviors like improved nutrition and joyful movement, rather than chasing a specific number on the scale.
Informed Consent: If weight loss options are discussed, patients receive full informed consent about the limitations and risks, including the high likelihood of weight regain.

Rethinking Patient Care: Beyond the Scale

A prime example of a weight inclusive approach can be seen in a healthcare clinic that adopts the Health at Every Size (HAES) framework. Instead of defaulting to weight loss recommendations, this clinic focuses on a patient-centered model that promotes sustainable health behaviors. The aim is long-term health improvements through consistent, positive habits, rather than a focus on weight that can lead to cycles of gain and loss and disordered eating.

Creating a Size-Inclusive Environment

A weight inclusive model also emphasizes creating physically and psychologically safe spaces for patients of all sizes. This means ensuring the environment is non-stigmatizing and actively works against systemic weight bias.

Practices include:

Upgrading equipment: Providing appropriate furniture and medical devices for all body sizes.
Training staff: Implementing bias training for all personnel to ensure respectful interactions.
Prioritizing symptoms: Addressing the patient's primary health concern without unsolicited weight comments.
Optional weigh-ins: Making routine weigh-ins optional and discreet, always with patient consent.

Shifting Focus from BMI to Overall Well-being

A weight inclusive approach moves away from using BMI as the primary health indicator. Instead, providers consider a broader range of factors including mental health, energy, sleep, and various biochemical markers. This holistic view allows for addressing root causes and celebrating health progress beyond just weight changes.

Comparison: Weight-Centered vs. Weight-Inclusive Care


Feature	Weight-Centered Approach	Weight-Inclusive Approach
Primary Goal	Weight loss for health improvement	Promoting sustainable health behaviors, regardless of weight
Indicator of Health	Solely reliant on BMI and weight	Uses a holistic view, including blood work, mental health, and energy levels
Patient Interaction	Often includes unsolicited advice to lose weight	Asks permission to discuss weight, focuses on the patient's chief complaint
Equipment	Standard equipment that may not accommodate all body sizes	Provides size-inclusive equipment throughout the clinic
Dietary Advice	Promotes restrictive dieting and calorie counting	Encourages intuitive eating and a positive relationship with food

The Impact of Compassionate Communication

Language is key in a weight inclusive approach. Neutral terms replace pathologizing labels to build trust and mitigate the psychological harm of weight bias. Respectful communication empowers patients, leading to better engagement in their healthcare and improved health outcomes.

Conclusion: A More Ethical and Effective Model

A weight inclusive approach fundamentally changes healthcare delivery by prioritizing holistic well-being, respect, and equity over a weight-centric model. This leads to more ethical and effective care, fostering better outcomes and stronger patient-provider relationships through a focus on sustainable health behaviors. The goal is truly accessible health for all, free from bias.

A Weight Inclusive Example in Practice

Consider a patient with high blood pressure. A weight inclusive doctor wouldn't just tell them to lose weight. Instead, they would have a collaborative talk, asking the patient what health changes they feel are manageable and suggesting options like stress management, enjoyable exercise, or dietary variety. This approach focuses on realistic, sustainable habits to improve overall well-being, recognizing weight as just one factor. It builds trust, respects autonomy, and encourages long-term health improvements by highlighting progress beyond just weight.

Final Takeaway on Weight Inclusivity

A weight inclusive approach is a significant departure from traditional weight-focused care. It creates a supportive environment for all individuals by prioritizing holistic health behaviors and providing equitable, compassionate care. This model benefits patients and the healthcare system by improving relationships, reducing bias, and promoting sustainable well-being for everyone.

Visit ASDAH to learn more about the Health at Every Size (HAES) approach

Frequently Asked Questions

An example is a medical clinic that uses the Health at Every Size (HAES) framework, where providers focus on a patient's overall health and well-being rather than their weight. They treat symptoms directly, ensure size-inclusive equipment, and use respectful language, rather than prescribing weight loss as a default solution.

A weight-centric approach prioritizes weight loss and BMI as the main indicators of health, often relying on restrictive diets. A weight inclusive approach views health holistically, recognizing that body size diversity is normal, and focuses on sustainable behaviors like nutrition and movement for their own benefits, independent of weight outcomes.

A weight inclusive dietitian will not prescribe a restrictive meal plan or focus on calorie counting. Instead, they use principles like intuitive eating to help clients reconnect with their body's natural cues, heal their relationship with food, and build sustainable habits without focusing on weight loss.

Weight inclusivity directly addresses bias by challenging assumptions that link health to body size and promoting respectful, non-discriminatory care. This includes providing mandatory staff training and ensuring clinic environments are welcoming and accessible to people of all body sizes.

Yes, a person can be healthy at a higher weight. A weight inclusive approach acknowledges that health is complex and influenced by many factors, including genetics, socioeconomic status, and health behaviors, not just body weight.

No, it does not ignore health risks. Instead, it addresses them through evidence-based methods that focus on improving behaviors like nutrition, movement, and stress management, which have been shown to improve health markers regardless of weight.

In a weight inclusive model, BMI is not used as a primary indicator of health. Its limitations and historical context are acknowledged, and more comprehensive health measures, such as blood markers, energy levels, and mood, are used instead.