Episode 106 Transcript

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Welcome to the Fierce Fatty Podcast. I'm your host, Victoria Welsby and this is episode 106. Today, we're talking about medical fatphobia.

I'm Victoria Welsby TEDx speaker, Best Selling Author and fat activist. I have transformed my life from hating my body with desperately low self esteem to being a courageous and confident fifth party who loves every inch of this jelly. society teaches us living in a fat body is bad. But what if we spent less time, money and energy on the pursuit of thinness and instead focused on the things that actually matter? Like if pineapple on pizza should be outlawed? Or if the mullet was the greatest haircut of the 20th century? So how do you stop negative beliefs about your fat body controlling your life? It's the first fatty podcast Let's begin.

1:15

Hello, and welcome to this episode. How are you? Massive, massive trigger warning on this episode, I'm going to be listing medical fatphobia stuff and it's really fucking heavy, really heavy. So if you're not up for that, then skip to the next episode. But wait, wait, wait, wait, you don't have to yet I'm going to tell you how my day went? And I was wondering, I was like, okay, but after that, after that, I'm going to talk to well, levels of fatphobia. But then after that, then I'll tell you again. Okay, so I'll tell you again, when it's time to talk about the medical fatphobia. I'll tell you what's up. Okay. Okay. Okay. So last week, I was about to go on a date range. My first day in Vancouver since I've been back on the first day in two years since the COVID. Start.

2:11

So I spoke to so I had a phone day right zooms in didn't work. And so we just spoke over the phone mentioned it wasn't working. We ended up speaking for a couple of hours. And then that was Wednesday. And then on Friday, we were we were talking again. And in between then in between them. We decided we're going to go in person date. On the Saturdays on Friday. He called me again and we had an hour conversation. And then Saturday. We went to a restaurant and had dinner. And so now it is Wednesday again. So happened this weekend. And yeah, it wasn't great. So the first of our conversation was was good, right? It was good. It was us like a no chill. And looking back, I can see a couple of red flags that I took as him being playful. So for example, he said he likes to go hiking. And I like going. I like going hiking. And when I say hiking, I mean walking through the forest or going to a mountain and walking through a relatively flat route. Nothing too wild. Nothing, no, like kind of scrambling or, you know, rock climbing shit like that. Like I wouldn't do that in theory, but I do like it you know, I just enjoy. I just enjoy being out in nature. But there's one thing in Vancouver that I would never do, because it just sounds fucking horrible. It's something called the grouse grind. Just by that name, grind, you know that it's awful. Some people might, some people love it, right? It's a mountain in Vancouver. And people in it's like a Stairmaster for three hours to the top. Stairs, esters, and a lot of people love it. And to me, that just doesn't sound fun. Yeah, you're in nature. But you know, I like a bit of it up a little bit down a little bit stray a lot more stray. You know, that type of thing. Versus this is a type of thing that people will do on us on a Sunday and try and beat their best time and all that type of stuff, which is fine, whatever if people are doing it, but anyway, he was like,

4:33

Oh, I just bought Season Pass to do that. Because I think you get like the gondola down. And he's like, oh, yeah, you can do that with me. And I was like, No, I think so. Not my cup of tea. And he kept going on about it kind of like come on. Come on. So the thing and I thought he was being playful. No, maybe it was but maybe not. But anyway. And then also a on the second conversation. I said I need to go because it's Google's bedtime. And he is Google wants to go out with Google is very Very on schedule, like he's like, he will start giving me. So give me shit. If I'm not following his schedule, his schedule. So he decides he likes going out for his nighttime walk at like 830.

5:15

You know, if it's a weekend, I might be able to convince him to go in a little bit later. And so I had convinced Google and it was like 930 10 o'clock. And so Google was like, for fucksakes. What he does is he just stares and then pitter patter says fee. And then if he gets really frustrated, he'll go. You do a tiny little cry? And then if he's like, actually, like, I don't know, got a turtle head or something. He'll do a little bog, but he's, uh, you know, levels of in here. So did was it the staring the pity pitter patter, he might have done a little. And so I said to this, I said to the guys, listen, I need to go do a nice go out. And he was like, Oh, what are you going to? Is your dog more important than me. And I took that as him joking. Now on my note was a bit controlling. And then on the day.

6:08

On the day, on the day, on the date, an hour before the date, he said he was going to be late. And so I said, Let's just, you know, he said he wasn't sure how long so I said, Let's just make it another hour. So we the date within an hour hour and I thought you know what, it's not great. But you know, life happens, whatever. And then when I got there, he said, Oh, he's three minutes away. I thought okay, but it'd be three minutes because I ain't I ain't waiting around if someone's late. And he ended up being 15 minutes late, which was right on the cusp of my my secret rule of if there any more than that labor. And that's it. I'm walking. So he arrived just in time before I before I walked off. And he he read my conversation skills as being a three out of 10. Listen, now I know we're not having a conversation, but I am a great fucking conversationalist. Like, I am really curious. And so if someone's not that much of a talker, that's okay. Because I can hold the conversation. But I love out asking quick people questions about themselves. And I'm genuinely genuinely curious. And I'm, and I'm playful. And, you know, I'm empathetic and all that type of stuff.

7:34

So I mean, I don't want to toot my own horn, but my conversation skills are not a reality. But anyway, he just just decided to rate my conversation skills. He not once referred to me as they, he was talking about me in like, he was saying, Oh, I'm going to be late, and she's going to be mad. And I said, I asked him why he was late, and I'm going to ruin the day and she's going to hate me. And, uh, you know, so he said, he said, she, he referred to me, she probably 10 times. And I kept correcting him, and then we'll talk about non binary stuff. And I was like, Do you think that you might be able to say, call me gay before the end of the night? And he was basically like, no, don't count on it. He didn't go. But you know, it was like, Nah, it's too difficult. And he was talking about how he has a non binary friend and he's has is refusing to talk to that non binary friend because he, for whatever reason, and so he was like, I you know, I want to come on this date.

8:34

So I could face face up to non binary nurse. And he was so my dad, my dad died a few years ago. But my dad, the big theme of what was difficult about my dad is that he would go on monologues. And when we were kids, when before mom and dad got divorced at the dinner table, we don't have to sit. And at the end of the demo, we have to sit for as long as he was doing a monologue monologue. And he wouldn't be engaging us he wouldn't be engaging anyone, everyone will be sat in silence. And maybe my mum might say a word here and there or whatever. But he'd just be going on long monologues and then we as kids would be saying, Oh, Daddy, can we leave the table? And he'd say, No, you have to stay. And so we'd have to stay and listen to his, like, boring monologues and, and as we grew older, when we're having conversations with him, basically that's what it was. It was he wouldn't ever say like, Hey, how are you or whatever, he would just, you know, monologue. And so, and that kind of, you're not allowed to interrupt you're not allowed to. Yeah, he'd always be like, Don't interrupt, don't interrupt. And so this is a real kind of triggering thing for me and sat at that table. I just felt like child Victoria, especially when he was like kind of telling me off about My conversational skills and how I could do better.

10:04

And I just kept looking away thinking, I need to leave, I need to walk out. But being too scared, you know, going back to that child Victoria have sat at the table with my dad him monologuing and me saying, Oh, Daddy, can I go to No, sit, you know, stop interrupting. And then I just kept looking for like, I'm just gonna maybe I'm gonna say I need to go to the toilet and then leave or something. Yeah, and it was all just it was all just a bit shit in boring. He did other things, too. I can't remember anyway, but so left.

10:48

Next day, he sends me a text. That night, he sends me a text and you know, thanks for coming out. And I said, you know, thank you. Thank you for that, you know. And then the next day sent me text and I didn't respond. I was planning to respond on Monday saying, Hey, we're not a good fit. And so then he sent me another text. And within maybe 10 minutes of that text, he called me and I was like, Jesus, like, chill, do like we've been on one dough rocks. And then I sent out a text saying, Oh, hey, I don't think we're a good fit. You know, thanks again, for dinner. I don't think we're a good fit for it. Good luck with your adventures, you're doing adventures, whatever. And then he then he sent me four messages. And they were just so fucking creepy, like, so he's like, Oh, I watched your TED talk. I hadn't shared anything with him about what my business was called, what my last name was anything. And I was thinking How the hell would he have known who I was, it's not like I have a unique first name. And so I realized out of all the images I share on my social media account.

11:59

One is one that I've also shared on my Instagram the rest of private you know, I've not shared them on the internet before and so he must have done like a reverse image search to find me which is what is like creeping me out? Because I don't I can't think of any other way he would have known who I who I was, and I didn't even tell him that I do like fatphobia stuff. I just kind of briefly mentioned about confidence or whatever so there's no way he could have been like, Victoria fat activist and found me I wonder if that would even bring me up. Let's see. Okay, when it comes up, maybe because I'm googling myself you know, probably knows who I am right? Hi guy gave my own book a thumbs up

12:47

so maybe, maybe he found it that way. But either way. He's like, oh oh, I watched your TED Talk. And I'm going to be listening to your podcast from now on just really kind of just making me feel really uncomfortable and he you know, then he sent another message and I'm just like, Come away leave me alone. I'm not I wasn't responding to him. And I even blocked his number I blocked his number and the only reason I know that you're sending me these messages is because I blocked his number on my iPhone and then when nighttime I go to my iPad to read my book, remember come I've had a book not my book and for some reason is blocked messages will come up on my iPad so anyway, I hope he's not listening if you're listening please just leave me alone. I'm not not into this you you you follow me and all this type of stuff. Hopefully it's not I'm thinking oh, you know what?

13:45

Well, I can imagine him coming to my house or something. That's the kind of vibes and and the reason why I was like kind of like, oh, red flags is in the messages he said it was clear felt like I've been in an abusive relationship right? I've made made a podcast episodes about it. And so I feel like I'm very sensitive to when people are showing kind of red flags for being abusive. And and so it's kind of like a lot of love bombing kind of a lot of like when I said Oh, no on my interest in a lot of Oh, but you're so gray and I watched your TED Talk and learn a lot you know, I'm going to follow you and you're doing such great work and all this other stuff and he didn't said anything like that before before he was kind of nagging me you know, kind of being a little bit on the day on the day being a little bit mean. Yeah, so so so so I reckon if that's how he behaved or for one day can imagine two or three.

14:42

Oh, anyway, so that was fun. That was an experience it wasn't fun at the end of the day I got my car and I was like, oh my god, I can go home to do God I don't want to go home to do girls like oh, do you mind my main man you my number one I love you and have cuddles and so that was nice. So Yeah, but hey, listen, don't let this put you off dating, okay? And it's so sad like my two of my friends, I text him both. And I was like, Oh, hey, date wasn't great, but I'm still alive. And then afterwards, it was kind of like, Oh, why is it that women and non binary people or gender non conforming, anyone with a marginalized gender identity, after a day has to be like, I work? I wasn't murdered, like, legit, I bet you, you have done this. If you're any of those types of people, you have done that to a friend after a day if you've been dating, and I always send a picture of a guy to my friends. And so reason I send a picture of the guy before the date is if you imagine me they know they have a picture might not be his picture, you know, might be a fake picture, but they have a picture. How fucked is that we live in a society where it is just standard course. Like no friend has ever said to me.

15:57

Oh, but why are you sending me their picture? It's they know why I'm sending the picture is because if I get mad at this is who did it. I've done that. Like for years I've done that. And I bet you I'm not the only one. And I shared the kind of shared on on Instagram and people were saying yeah, like, fuck, why it's fucked up that we have to say early so they get murdered. So what was the date that bad? I'm not, you know, in the standard for sis men is like, Oh, we didn't fuck me. Oh, I wasted money on a dinner for them. And we didn't suck my dick. You know? It's it's not good as it's not good. So anyway, so I had paid for OKCupid premium. I think I told you that last week that paid for OKCupid OkCupid. Premium. And so far, I don't know whose is it worth it? I had a date. Had a few had a few conversations much more than I've had. black paper. So no, I bought it for six months. So you wouldn't say right now is Sarah go.

17:03

Maybe next week, I'll have another day and be better. And that's the thing. During like, during the phone screening, I asked one guy if he wanted to chat on the phone, he was like, No, I'd rather see you in person. I'm thinking Yeah, no shit, Sherlock, seeing people in person is better. But sometimes you have to think about the safety of your assessment and the safety of your partners. If you're a sales hitman, you have to think about where how comfortable they are. And if someone says, Hey, do you want to chat on the phone first, to make sure that your picture matches your face? That you are not a complete raging asshole, then I think you're gonna have to do it. You know, instead of being like, I have a foreign person? Well, yeah.

17:45

Obviously, you know, especially if you're out there being like, Oh, I you know, I want to be dipping my balls in someone's mouth. You can't be doing that on Zoom. Of course you prefer in person. But, you know, you have to build up that trust. I don't know, maybe maybe, you know, before I wasn't doing this, I wasn't doing the phone calls, I would just go straight to the date. So I don't know, maybe something's changed in me over COVID Or I'm just like, I can't be putting up with a shit when then I don't want to waste. I don't want to waste my time putting on clothes to go out to go on a day. And the guy turns out to be a bozo. Right. And but here's the thing, this example of me going having to so I spoke to this guy for three hours before the day. And it wasn't until the day that he showed who he was. Right.

18:31

So you know, which again, kind of makes me think, you know, abuser II type things because I feel like sometimes people who are abusive, a kind nice to start with, and then they have to let that let things slip because I can't keep up with it. Because it's tiring. It's tiring, having to be nice, when that's not really your MO. Anyway, let's have a deep breath. It's not worth think about how difficult it is to be human being. One day, you're going to listen to the podcast and I'm gonna write you know, or lose a lot here. I'm in love with someone and you're gonna be like, Yeah, that's amazing. Not today, but you know, maybe one day and it makes me as well think the love that I get from friendships is so nice and wonderful and gray and I can totally see why a lot of people will just like not comfortable with romantic relationships, you know, for various different reasons. I get it. Good. Good.

19:34

So moving on to I'm going to talk to you about levels of fat phobia. I've never spoken about this and I have made a Instagram post about it and I thought I would talk to you. So tell you about it. In case you don't know about this concept. I was reading a blog post that Virgie Tovar had done four years ago now for ravish Lee ravish Lee Brown especially rochet rubbish Lee. Is it levels of fat phobia? I think it is. Yeah rom actually, it's kind of a funny it's kind of a funny thing. And so this word I Virgie didn't mention in, in, in this post for rubbish, rubbish li this concept comes from anti racist work, social justice work and you know different levels of oppression. And so it was it's already it's already it's already been something that people are talking about. But I think Virgie well, maybe I don't know Virgie kind of put the two and two together for fatphobia. It was four years ago. So I would hazard to guess someone did it before her but I just want to say where I kind of got that concept from. And so the the four the three levels or three levels? Well, you know, let's talk about four.

21:05

Let's talk about five. Okay, there's a megaphone, let's go. But what Virgie talked about is three levels being the first level is in track, personal, in track personal. And so intra personal, is fatphobia, where you the beliefs you hold about your fatness, and how you perceive yourself due to those beliefs so that the intrapersonal is the beliefs you hold about your fatness, like the negative beliefs you hold about your fatness, and how you perceive yourself due to those beliefs, how you treat yourself to to those beliefs, the thoughts are that are running around your head. So some examples are of intrapersonal fatphobia is negative self talk, agreeing with fat phobic beliefs, and minimizing yourself. So minimizing yourself could be physically minimizing yourself or with your actions and with your, with your words, minimizing yourself because you believe that you're a bad fat person.

22:16

So as well, I have added in here internalized because this could, you know, intrapersonal fatphobia is internalized fat phobia, it's internalizing those fatphobia beliefs that society have about your fat body. Now I've seen I've seen people referring to internalized fat phobia is something that straight size people can experience. And I have kind of two different thoughts on their self. No, you can't internalize oppression if that oppression isn't about you. And so you're not experiencing internalized fatphobia you're just fat phobic. You know, the internalizes when you're putting it on yourself. But here's the other thought that I have as well, which is the idea that even if you're not fat, you're internalizing those beliefs, and you're holding a mirror up to yourself and seeing someone who is too big of a thing, people, you know, think that they're not fitting, right.

23:24

And all of you know straight size, people are like, Oh, I'm, I'm fat, I'm too big, but then rarely, they're not fat. And so is that internalized fat phobia? Just two different thoughts about it, I still kind of struggling with the idea of because you wouldn't think like with any other social justice issues, you wouldn't think I'm struggling with internalized ableism. If you haven't have an able bodied, you just say I'm ableist you wouldn't say I'm struggling with internalized transphobia. Or if you're a trans person, would you? Maybe you would, maybe so, okay, so that's intrapersonal and I've added on to their or internalized. Next we've got inter personal e n t e, not the end i NT er, personal. So, the first one is eat i letters r i n t r a personal the next is inter personal. And so inter personal is the beliefs other people have about you your fatness, when I say you, I mean you as a fat person, if you're straight size person, and it's fat people, and how they treat you or fat people due to those beliefs. And so that's that's personal, individual relationships. And so what that could look like is being shamed by loved ones being rejected as a romantic partner or being told to lose weight.

24:53

So, this, this image that I've created, if you think about a small circle, that's the smallest it's yellow, then X circle is, is just behind that. It's like a growing orbit type of thing. And so the next circle is, is bigger orange circle. And then the bigger circle is institutional, institutional fatphobia is the belief society holds about your fatness, and how it treats you due to those beliefs. And so some examples of institutional is not such a nice word tution or choose tional. Actually, maybe that's a British way of saying it. And we think how North American would say institutional, institutional, yeah, you'd say to, you wouldn't say Shoot, shoot, shoot, you'd say to, if you're a North American institutional to there's an S T, either an STI T is to institute now I can't even say institutional institution. Anyway. Examples of institutional fatphobia is medical fatphobia, job discrimination, access to resources, access, you know, access, access, you know, things like structural, going into a restaurant being upset going onto an airplane being able to fly, being able to access all the different things that streetside, people access, like clothing, like medical care, all of that. So any type of access and a sense of community belonging. So since the community

26:29

as a whole is, is not happy that you're there doesn't support you as a human. Yeah, so something that Nick McDermid, I'm going to link to Nick's Instagram page, Nick McDermott shared a couple of weeks ago, and I was like, Oh, and this is a new concept to me. But apparently Nikka said that the four eyes of oppression. So the fourth eye is the idea. So ideological, so ideological is so the way that I've done it on this post is, you got those three circles, one getting bigger, and then you have a kind of a bracket encompassing it all, and the bracket encompassing it all, is ideological, ideological. And so ideological fatphobia is the belief that fat people are ethically or morally inferior, and don't deserve dignity and respect, a social, cultural and political belief. And so an ideological, ideological fatphobia code look like? Everyone knows it's a case of eating less exercising more. If they can't do that, then they are lazy and unhealthy. Why do I have to pay for the choices of fat people?

27:46

So Nick says, This concept has been around for a while now in terms of the four eyes of oppression. The idea is that the ideological beliefs make their way into institutions in society, which then shows up in our instant interpersonal interactions with others, and thus we internalize a fat phobia. So you can see how fat phobia isn't just, I don't like my fat body. It isn't just I can't find clothes. It's, it's, it's woven into the fabric of our society at every single level. And it's like this group think in our society, that fatness is bad. And so things are set up to punish fat people. And fat people internalize those messages. Yeah, so I wanted to share that because I wanted to kind of dig in deeper about fat phobia in public health.

28:49

A lot of times when people think about fat phobia and public health, they think about kind of, they don't know about it, right? Because if you are a smaller body fat person, or if you haven't experienced certain types of medical conditions, or illnesses or whatever, you haven't had that experience of coming up against something. And and so I want you to make a list of all the different ways that we have fat phobia in in healthcare. The one one the one main one that people talk about, which is really important because it affects almost every fat person on the planet is being told to lose weight. Right so but it's so much more than that. It's so much more than that.

29:35

So at this point, if you don't want to hear all the different ways that medical fatphobia see it on the next episode, I'll har because I'm going to get into it and it's fucking so I've, I've come up with 30 ways and I didn't realize it certainly I just started rattling off some and then I did this over a few days and I was like, oh shit. And the reason why I was inspired to do this is because I watched an incredible presentation called fatphobia in public health and dietetics what dietitians need to know by Mikey, Mercedes and Monika Crete. So good. Go to Mikey Mercedes Instagram page and you might be able to find a link to it. I don't want to share the link directly because there is the option to donate so I want you to be able to donate if you do want to watch that presentation it's 2.2 hours two hours 10 minutes 15 minutes of just fucking Josue Enos and so I watched that I literally watched that over like a week it took me a week to watch it because I was I just kept wanting to like write notes like increase my list of medical fatphobia and and whatnot and just write down quotes from from Mikey and from want to cover because they were saying so many juicy things. Yes, I do. Don't be so long to watch because then I was let go back and listening and stuff. Actually, there was a there was an episode. I don't know if you didn't you watch there's a show.

31:05

What is it and mortician mortician so YouTube show? See? Caitlin Doherty. Caitlin Doherty. She's not Irish. But what is asking mortician that's what it's called. Anyway, Caitlin Dory for them. Oh, maybe it's not Dorothy. It's not dirty. It's dirty, dirty, dirty. I can't I say that in a British way. dhoti Anyway, whatever. Ask a Mortician. Sorry, Caitlin's listening. She wouldn't be listening. She's like a super famous person.

31:44

I'm gonna find this talk this. There's one piece that she did it. So she she's a mortician. Right. And, uh, she spoke about, oh, she speaks about, you know, people dying and viruses and, you know, things like that, you know, weird things. And there's one actually dying, dying fat. So that's really good. I'll link to that. But anyway, she did a she did a, I'll link to it. I can't remember the name of it. Right now. I'm looking on her YouTube channel. She also talks about, like, creepy things about, basically the racism in public health. And she went to these different places where, oh, like 1800s in San Francisco. They would have when when immigrants were coming in to San Francisco, and diseases started coming because of the terrible conditions that they they, you know, the Chinatown and, and what that looked like, and how many people were living in a house and how they didn't have sanitation. And Lola, and diseases started to spread. And why people were like, Oh, it's fine. It's fine. Because don't worry, we can't get diseases because we're not like we immune white people are immune from a diseases. So they didn't really care. They just kind of cordoned off Chinatown and was like, well, I'll just let them all die or whatever. And then, surprise, surprise, why people started getting sick, because turns out like white people can get sick, weird. And it's not just, you know, Chinese people, or anyone else who isn't white. That is, was getting sick. And then they took it seriously. And then they started doing things.

33:34

Anyway, so that was kind of some Mikey talked a little bit about that. She wasn't mentioned in this video, but it's it's in a book and I think Caitlyn spoke about that book too. And so good, so good. And talking about the idea about how public health so anyway, the reason why I told that story, is the idea that public health is not based in well, it's based in eugenics. It's based in really problematic ideas of helping white people. But you know, getting rid of the problematic anyone else. Something that Mikey and Monika were talking about in this presentation is that how public health promotes the eugenics of fat people. Now, you might say, that seems a bit extreme eugenics. Let me just tell you the definition of eugenics.

34:30

Let's see what Google tells me. Eugenics a set is a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic genetic quality of a human population historically, by excluding people in groups judged to be inferior, and promoting those judged to be to be superior. So that's what eugenics is. So bear that in mind, if that's kind of like a big shock. That concept that public health promoting the eugenics of fat people. Let me list out ways that medical fatphobia exists in the world. Okay. So, CT and MRI machines are made for fat are made for small bodies. Healthcare providers are trained to perpetuate weight stigma with their education. blood pressure cuffs are four straight sized arms. So when a blood pressure cuff is if they don't have a range of different sizes of blood pressure cuffs, it will give a false high reading. And so you can see how that is is problematic. Or they will be so small that they won't be able to even take someone's blood pressure.

35:57

For the prescription of eat less and exercise more without asking what we eat, or how we exercise in my doctor's visit. My doctor said that to me recently. And I was like, the fuck do you know what to eat? And you know, how I move my body. She was assuming because I'm fat. Healthcare providers are disgusted by fat bodies don't want to touch fat people or provide care. Their level of fat phobia exceeds the general population. How can you provide evidence based care when you hold massive amounts of bias against your patient? That was five, six praising of eating disorders if they result in weight loss, or the hopes of weight loss, the amount of times you hear the stories of of people saying I was deep in an eating disorder and my doctor was so thrilled with my weight loss frustrate sighs person came in with, you know, the same symptoms and said I'm eating nothing and I'm moving this or I'm eating this. And Lola the doctor would be like, listen, that's not so good for you.

37:07

But whether it's a fat person, then it's like fuck yeah, I can carry on with that seven relentlessly monitoring weight of patients with weigh ins every appointment, but no monitoring of weight stigma. So that that monitoring of weight is we don't we don't monitor other things in the same way of you know, weight stigma is what causes one of the things that causes poor health outcomes in fat people. But, uh, no one is measuring that they're just measuring the weight of fat people. You know, and for a lot of people, it's just a standard thing, you go into the doctor's and they want to weigh you. Luckily, my doctor doesn't do that she only wants to do that on the yearly exam. But even then a yearly exam What's it got to do with anything, it's got nothing to do with anything. Eight examine surgical tables with weight limits. Imagine that imagine a you know exam table, you go into the doctor's office.

38:09

First, you can't sit down because they don't have any chairs with without arms. Then you get into the, into the into the office, and you can't sit on the exam table or there's no chair in there without arms and you're just left there standing. It's so fucking fat phobic and ableist. And often people are turned away because they have a a table to perform surgery, which is really, really small, literally, the faculty can't get on it. And have you noticed, you know, if you're going for a massage, anyone who's gone for a massage who has a fat body will know that though, you're having to tuck your arms under your body because your arms don't fit on the table. And it's just ridiculous. It's ridiculous.

38:55

So anyway, you know, you're not going to get the massage but even more importantly, not be able to get surgery. Nine being given inaccurate dosages of drugs, and drugs, drugs that don't work effectively on fat people. So for example, so Han Fei, drugs are very often not tested on fat bodies. They're tested on straight size people who they claim they strike they tested on quote unquote healthy people and to be quote unquote, healthy. They only want to pick straight size bodies. And so that's what happens is drug tests are tested on straight sides, people, how do they work? In fact, people who knows example really good example is the morning after pill or or plan B. That only works effectively in people under 160 something pounds, which is really small, which is straight sized right?

39:52

For it to work effectively, you need to be under 160 pounds. So that's tiny. Yeah, next time Being diagnosed 10 Health being diagnosed by our body size and not with actual evidence based diagnostic tools that thin people have access to. So, you know, a straight size person goes in and says, Oh, you know, I don't feel well, versus a straight sized person and straight sized person is more likely to have tests run for the doctor to investigate what the what the issue is. Whereas if that person is being diagnosed by the doctors, perception of their health with no diagnostic tools, just

40:39

by looking at their body 11 having to pay higher insurance premiums or being denied any coverage at all, we often see this literally being denied coverage at all through your work policy. And luckily, in the UK, you know, people aren't denied access to the NHS as a whole. Now they are denied access to lots of different things within the NHS, but not being able to have insurance. So luckily, the NHS is not charging fat people to access basic services. In the in other countries that have in health insurance, then you know, a lot of people can't even get insurance even if they're willing to pay. And if they are willing to pay, you bet your bet. Yep. And if they are willing to pay, you bet they are paying more.

41:34

So 12 vaccines being administered with needles that are too short, as I mentioned, in an episode a couple of episodes ago about COVID vaccines, some vaccines need to go into the muscle, some need to go into the fat example for COVID needs to go into the muscle, someone who is over about around 200 pounds, which again, is not fat really needs to have a longer needle. That is the recommendations for most health care authorities around the world is that someone who has over 200 pounds assess woman needs a longer needle. And how many are given a longer needle? Probably not Alocs 13 Fat people really been denied assistance with I VF so they cannot become pregnant. The cut offs for fat people getting IVF are so low. Imagine that. If you want to have a child, you want to become pregnant, and you are being told that you cannot because you are too fat. And the stats around it are just absolutely heartbreaking because, you know, they say oh, the risk of this doubles. And what was it like?

42:51

Go back to listen to the episode with Nikola salmon who talks about fat fertility, the risk of diabetes, what do they call it in? If you get diabetes in pregnancy, gestational diabetes doubles, it doubles from something like naught point four to naught point eight. And so they're like, Oh, well, the risks are doubled. And it's like yeah, but let's look at the information. Yeah, and and why is that? Why is it because they have more fat in their body? Or is it because they're experiencing weight stigma, poor health care. And yo yo dieting? Yeah. 15 when a patient has a higher weight, doctors report liking their jobs less and having less patients. Patients with a see patients as in, I'm losing my patience and desire to help the patient as in human.

43:50

So when a patient has higher weight, doctors reported liking their jobs less and having less patients 16. Doctors see Dr. Singh fat patients as inherently high risk and therefore don't want to perform surgery. In case their insurance premiums go up. In times of adverse outcomes. Pressure is put on doctors by the seniors to not take high risk surgeries or surgeries that they deemed to be high risk. They say a fat person they say higher risk, not going to do it. And so literally fat people are turned away because of the the weight stigma. The weight bias that the doctor holds that their belief that they are inherently more risky. And because they don't want to have their insurance premiums increase their boss is telling them don't do it because we might have to pay more money. 17 drug trials are being performed on straight size people only.

44:48

Luckily a lot of drug trials with things like the COVID vaccine were were done with mostly fat people actually. And that is because 70% of the fat part of the population is He's fat. So who I mean, you can't get, you know, most of it's done on fat people basically the population which is great, but drug trials are often done on straight sides before who they deem as healthy 18 waiting room chairs with arms, so fat people cannot sit which means making visits to the doctor. impossible for some fat and disabled patients

45:28

19 Fat people are less likely to have cancer detected early and get effective treatment for it. So chemo drugs are often dosed for smaller bodies, and the same dose given to fat people. Fat breast and ovarian cancer patients have worse outcomes. But when given the correct dosage, their risk was the same as straight size people. So, oh, turns out if you give them the right medicine dose, they're actually okay. Like the risk is the same. But it's too hard to mess it measure measure a measure medicine dosage, just give them the same thing that that straight size people get. 20 the experience of visiting a healthcare provider being so traumatizing that fat people suffer in silence, and are delayed or denied important health care. I mean, every fat person listen to this, I'd say you know, pretty much every fat person says would say that they have fear going to a doctor.

46:30

They've had a bad experience. It'd be very, very lucky if that person who has not had a bad experience going to the doctor or being told her look at you fat, you lose weight. I mean 21 gowns and wheelchairs don't fit. I mean, how often have you gone to get you know, some type of an exam and they give you an a gown, and it's like, it's covered half my body. You know, basic things don't fit 22 being forced to crash diet to lose weight temporarily to get treatment. So some people, they don't have a choice, they need to get the treatment that they're being denied. And so they are forced, they don't have the just they don't have the freewill. They are forced to temporarily lose weight to go on a diet which is bad for their physical and mental well being to temporarily lose that weight, get the treatment and then the weight comes back on because that's what happens. I mean, it's absolutely ridiculous. 23 you're less likely to receive an organ transplant as you're seen as high risk and left to die.

47:41

There are not enough organs in the world. Adopters choose who is the best candidate. If you're fat, they your is labeled higher risk. 24 50% of primary care physicians viewed fat patients as awkward, unattractive and non compliant. 1/3 said that they are weak willed, weak willed, sloppy and lazy. 25 Doctors reluctant to do pap smears if the patient is fat. So pap smear we call it an England smear. But doctors are reluctant to do it. Study show if the patient is fat 26 being denied surgery due to weight at very low cutoff points, including lifestyle saving surgery like John gender confirmation surgery. I mean, can you imagine? 27 yet stomach amputation or squeezing surgery surgically is magically safe. And then 28 being coerced and forced to have your stomach surgery surgically amputated or restricted in order to get treatment for an unrelated condition 29 Only to be blamed when the surgery doesn't result in long term weight gain.

49:19

There was a episode that I did on weight loss surgery in quotation marks because it doesn't often result in weight loss. I'm showing that it's very similar to diets is that there isn't a lot of long term follow up with with patients. They lose weight and at about the 18 month mark which is also the same for diets at the 18 month mark is when they start putting the weight back on. And yeah, surprise surprise there's no follow up with people long term to see if they are fat or not. And finally 30 Missed diagnosis or late diagnosis resulting in death so are you more on board with me saying that the way that public health is structured is modern day eugenics and as a society, we're aiming to eradicate fat people and stop us from reproducing. We're aiming to to kill fat people. People are seen seen as higher risk less deserving, noncompliance denied life saving surgeries, but then given organ transplants instead. Organ organ amputations. I mean, yeah. So if you weren't aware of kind of, I mean, these are just 30 things off the top of my head, right? The list is endless. I mean, I can You can imagine the amount of issues that you just think how is this a thing? How are they saying? Because because they want fat people to go away to die to not exist to stop being fat?

51:22

They will it's like they think they are dangling a carrot of well, if you lose way then we'll then we'll help you out. And one that's fucked because people should be able to access health care exactly whatever way they are. And to there is not one single study ever to show any method. Any diet is going to result in weight loss for any more than a tiny percentage of people. And so they're dangling carrot. And that carrot is just fucking a piece of piece of shit. unethical, not science based not evidence based. I mean, it's just horrific.

52:06

So if you are a straight sized bit of as a person I'm wondering and I want to maybe just go to the fact people go to the doctor and Lola you know yeah, they get told to lose way and yeah, why don't they just lose way and we know it's everywhere it's everywhere you turn it's it's it's just an environment of knowing that people who see you in a health care as a health care provider are judging you and assuming that you are non compliant lazy disgusting. unintelligent wonder do anything to help yourself and I mean, that is not fun. And it kills people kills fat people kills fat people all the time. So anyway that's the episode I'm not gonna say I hope you enjoyed it because I'm it's was fucking just fucking depressing. Isn't it gone?

53:11

Maybe you enjoyed the story about my bad day. I think you enjoyed that. But thank you for hanging out with me today. I really appreciate it and I will see you in the next episode of the first banner broadcast. All right, the Alanna brain fears fatty Academy which is my signature program where I teach all about how to overcome your fat phobic beliefs and learn to love your fat body. Then go to first party.com forward slash waitlist again that is phase fatty.com. Forward slash waitlist to get your name on the waitlist. For when first party Academy my signature program opens

Transcribed by https://otter.ai