Filed under: Women's Health, Diet & Nutrition
A recent poll revealed gynecologists in South Florida now discriminate against overweight patients whether they are otherwise healthy or not.
The Florida Sun Sentinel's poll found that 15 out of the 105 gynecologists polled said they have set weight cut-offs for new patients starting at 200 pounds or based on measures of obesity and turn down women who are heavier.
"Some of the doctors said the main reason was their exam tables or other equipment can't handle people over a certain weight. But at least six said they were trying to avoid obese patients because they have a higher risk of complications," according to the newspaper.
Refusing to treat pregnant obese women is a common practice, but turning away non-pregnant patients is new. "Physicians, like any business, can decline service to whomever they choose for any reason - including personality conflicts - as long as it's not discriminatory. The American Medical Association advises doctors that they cannot reject patients because of race, gender, sexual orientation or infectious diseases," the Sentinel reports. But weight is not included in the guidelines.
Doctors in favor of refusing overweight patients site high numbers of lawsuits after difficult births and high rates for medical-malpractice insurance. Others claim their ultra sound equipment did not give accurate internal anatomy in obese women, making it harder to diagnose problems.
And if the doctors believe they do not have the proper medical equipment to treat existing patients they can drop the patient but must refer them to other doctors. Still, "do I think it's a good policy? No," said Dr. Robert Yelverton, a board member of the Florida Obstetric and Gynecologic Society. "Overweight people need doctors. I don't know where a patient in that situation would go if every practice had that policy."