That dreaded doctor’s scale! Most of us, especially women, hate getting on that thing.
During my years of running a weight-loss clinic, I heard tons of stories from people who were upset about facing the scale at the doctor’s office.
Here’s how a client named Margie described it.
“The scale at the doctor’s office is terrifying. I have to plan what I wear because I know my clothes will become part of my recorded weight. I pull out my thinnest summer shorts and wear clog shoes with no socks. I also make sure to empty my pockets and not wear any heavy jewelry. But I’m still afraid the scale number will make me look like a failure.”
Ignoring health concerns
For some people, an aversion to the doctor’s scale becomes so strong that it keeps them from taking care of their health.
Like most overweight people, Connie dreaded the doctor’s scale. So for many years she simply skipped going to her doctor ‘s office.
She said, “I can’t even tell you how many annual physicals and ob/gyn appointments I have canceled because I didn’t want to face how overweight I was. I’ve been trying to stop risking my health because of my stupid fears about getting on the scale. But at the moment, I can’t get myself past the dread.”
For people working on losing weight, the doctor ‘s scale can seem like cruel punishment. It screams how bad you’ve behaved and asks why you can’t seem to manage your weight better.
But sometimes avoiding the scale can cause added risk to your health.
Until her recent heart attack, Angie had not gone to a doctor in more than 40 years. She said, “Being weighed at the doctor ‘s office always made me cry. So even if I was sick, I wouldn’t go to the doctor because I knew the staff would weigh me.”
How sad to let a metal object hold control over your life and your health!
It’s so embarrassing
Even though physicians and their staff don’t intend to humiliate their patients, many people can’t escape feeling shamed and embarrassed when they are weighed.
Phyllis told me, “It feels like an invasion of my most private information. They don’t make me take off my underwear in the middle of the hallway. But that’s exactly how it feels when I’m told to step on the scale.”
Is getting weighed necessary?
As a registered nurse and health educator, I consistently follow medical research as well as rules and guidelines in this field.
You may not realize this, but I’ve discovered that here in the U.S., getting on the doctor ‘s office scale is almost never required. In fact, most of the time a scale reading doesn’t provide the physician with any critical information.
Of course, certain health problems such as heart disease or cancer require close monitoring of weight and fluid levels.
But if you’re seeing the doctor for a bad cold or a twisted ankle, you don’t have to be weighed. Even an annual physical doesn’t usually require getting on the scale.
The Magic Statement
I have not stepped on a scale in a doctor’s office for more than ten years. I finally learned that one simple line helped me avoid being weighed.
I realized that when it was time to go to an exam room, the first stop was always in front of the scale. The staff person might say, “Let’s get your weight. You can put your purse or coat down and take off your shoes if you want.”
But instead of stepping on the scale, I say, “I prefer to not be weighed today.”
While the staff members might act a bit surprised, I’ve never had one insist I get on the scale. Instead, they usually say, “That’s fine,” and we move on toward the exam room.
Once in a while, I will be told, “Sorry, it’s necessary for insurance or Medicare.
I happen to know that it’s not necessary for me to be weighed on the doctor’s scale for them to meet this requirement. I simply say “Here’s what my weight was at home this morning. Please use that number in your records.”
At my orthopedic physician’s office, my doctor’s assistant always stops and waits for me to get on the scale. When I use my line about not wanting to be weighed, she says, “Oh that’s right, it’s you.” Sometimes she will ask about my current weight, and write that number on her notes. Then we move on down the hall to the exam room.
Sorry, it’s required
On rare occasions, a staff person will push and insist that an actual scale weight is required.
When that happens, I say, “I would like to meet with the doctor first, and if I’m told that it’s necessary, I will be happy to get weighed.”
In all of these situations, the physician either doesn’t notice or isn’t concerned about my weight. I’ve never had to go back out of the exam room and get on a scale!
It’s your turn
The next time you go to your doctor ‘s office, instead of automatically stepping on the scale, use a new approach. Unless you know it’s important for your diagnosis or illness, decide ahead of time that you will NOT get on the scale.
Then use the magic statement, “I prefer to not be weighed today.” Or keep the conversation even simpler and use the words, “I decline.”
Then you can add, “Here’s what my weight was at home this morning. Feel free to write it in my chart.”
If you are pushed, use my second trick of asking to wait until after you’ve met with the doctor before getting on the scale.
See your value
The next time you go to a doctor, let go of your fear and dread about the scale before you enter the office. Then respond to the situation as an intelligent, confident adult.
When Candice realized how much power she was giving the scale at her doctor’s office, she decided it was time to change this.
She said, “I want to walk into the doctor ‘s office feeling like a valid human being. Then I want to walk out feeling the same way. I’ve decided it’s up to me to take charge of the scale and not let it decrease my personal value.”
And with that decision, she never stepped on the scale at a doctor’s office again.
Parts of this article are excerpted from my book Friends with the Scale.