Dozens of overweight and obese patients have complained to the NHS, claiming they have been ‘fat-shamed’ by doctors.
An investigation has found at least 74 complaints have been made to hospital managers across England in the past 12 months.
In one incident, a patient said they were told they were carrying ‘two suitcases’ around with them, while another was informed by a consultant that the reason they could not see clearly was because their ‘face was too fat’.
Another patient was told to be careful rolling over ‘because it is only a slim bed’, while a doctor elsewhere told a female patient that ‘middle-aged overweight women are my worst nightmare’.
The dossier of complaints emerged from a Freedom of Information request and the true volume is likely to be much higher as most trusts were unable to disclose the number of incidents.
Nearly two thirds of adults in the UK (64 per cent) are estimated to be overweight, while one in four is obese, according to figures.
Excess weight is associated with a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and liver and lung conditions.
The Government has committed to an anti-obesity strategy which includes public health campaigns, the expansion of NHS services for weight management – including making weight loss jabs Mounjaro and Wegovy more accessible – and placing restrictions and higher taxes on unhealthy foods.
Dozens of overweight and obese patients have complained to the NHS , claiming they have been ‘fat-shamed’ by doctors (Stock photo)
Guidance to doctors advises using ‘positive’ language, and avoiding making assumptions about a patient’s diet or lifestyle or anything that ‘could be interpreted as moral judgment’.
But it is a tricky balance – and some doctors are said to believe straight-talking can encourage many patients to take action.
In May, former Great British Bake Off star Laura Adlington, 36, said she had been ‘fat-shamed’ by the NHS while trying to undergo IVF treatment.
She described her experience, which involved being weighed in a corridor and denied tests because of her weight, as ‘dreadful’ and she subsequently went private.
In one case, at Royal Free London Trust, a patient was told they were ‘eating too much fast food’ and to be careful turning over during an examination as ‘it’s only a slim bed’.
At Salisbury NHS Trust a doctor told a female patient that they ‘need to stop eating to lose weight’, and then pointed at her mouth. The medic, who later apologised, added ‘and then it won’t go on here’ – slapping the patient on the hips.
A patient treated at Isle of Wight NHS Trust moved their care to another doctor after the first one allegedly told them that ‘middle-aged overweight women are my worst nightmare’.
At University Hospitals Dorset, one patient complained that a doctor had ‘already made his mind up’ about them based on an X-ray, and that ‘the only way forward was to lose weight’.
At the same trust, another person claimed they were denied a hernia operation because they were deemed ‘too fat’.
The Government has committed to an anti-obesity strategy which includes public health campaigns, the expansion of NHS services for weight management – including making weight loss jabs Mounjaro and Wegovy more accessible (Stock photo)
The NHS has spent £40million on specialist equipment for obese patients over the past five years, including beds, stretchers and chairs which accommodate larger people.
Dr Martin Scurr, the Daily Mail’s GP expert, said: ‘This is something I feel very passionate about. We do have a problem in this country with pussyfooting around stating the obvious.
‘Sometimes, in order to be kind you have to risk being cruel. The main thing doctors have to do is get the message across about the health issue.’
But Sarah Le Brocq, from the All About Obesity charity, said: ‘Obesity is a chronic condition – we wouldn’t shame people for having cancer, so why do we do it for obesity?’
Morrisons’ £129-a-month fat jab club
Supermarket giant Morrisons has been mocked by shoppers after it announced it had opened a £129-a-month fat jab club alongside its aisles of sugary treats.
Customers are unimpressed it is promoting tirzepatide injections, or Mounjaro, which can help customers lose a fifth of their weight.
One shopper Dave Carter said: ‘It’s genius really. The store sells you unhealthy grub that gets you fat, then wants vast sums of money to get you thin.’
Another joked on social media: ‘Stuff your face with a six pack of doughnuts, a multipack of Walkers crisps, a few sausage rolls followed by a tub of Ben & Jerry’s – and then for the privilege of parting with £129 you might lose weight!’
The clinic was announced a month after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency launched a probe into the safety of jabs.
Morrisons has more than 100 pharmacies and will raise the fee to £159 a month after the initial offer. It said its weight management medications were ‘prescribed and dispensed responsibly’.
