Obese Patients Research

Medical facilities can have biased attitudes toward obese patients and have been documented by physicians, nurses, psychologists, dieticians, and medical students. Medical personnel common perceptions of obese patients are that they are unintelligent, unsuccessful, weak-willed, unpleasant, overindulgent, and lazy. These discriminations against overweight patients can have adverse consequences. These negative attitudes by health care professionals can keep obese patients from obtaining medical care when needed. Research has shown that heavier patients are more likely to cancel or delay appointments and preventive health care services, particularly among women who are overweight or obese due to being self-conscious from past bad experiences.