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Weight and Health

People come in many different weights, shapes, and sizes. Your weight alone does not give a full picture of your health. While weight can play a role, your health depends on many factors, including:

How much muscle you have
How much fat you have
Where your body tends to store fat

Your overall health is also shaped by other important factors, such as:

Social conditions like income level, racism or other forms of discrimination
Access to good health care and healthy, affordable food
Genetics (traits and risk factors you inherit from your family)
Individual habits such as diet, physical activity, and sleep

“Weight bias” is a term that refers to negative attitudes or unfair treatment towards people because of their size or weight. This discrimination is wrong and can harm both mental and physical health. No one should be treated poorly because of their weight or size.

The Role and Limitations of BMI and Weight in the Clinical Setting

BMI is a number that compares your weight to your height. It does not take into account how much fat or muscle you have or how it is distributed. Knowing your BMI can be useful because higher BMI is often linked to increased risk for conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Not everyone with a higher BMI has these conditions, and people with lower BMI can have them too. Having a BMI classification of underweight can be linked to conditions like growth delays in children, loss of bone mass, a weakened immune system, and infertility.

This is why your health care team may want to know your weight or calculate your BMI. Your BMI can give them some information about possible health risks, but your weight or BMI alone is not enough to assess your health.

Health care providers should look at your metabolic health, which includes blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

Reasons why knowing your weight may be important at a health care visit:

You are taking a medicine that can cause weight loss or weight gain.
You are taking a medicine that needs different doses for different body sizes.
You have heart or kidney problems that make you retain water.
You have a history of being underweight.
You are trying to change your weight as part of preventing or managing a health problem.
It can alert your health care provider to a health condition that causes unplanned weight loss, such as cancer, anxiety, or depression.
For children, tracking height and weight over time helps ensure they are growing at a healthy rate.

Staying Healthy

There are many things you can do to support you and your family’s health without focusing on weight. Here are some helpful resources to get started:

Find tips on how to move more every day and increase physical activity.
Explore healthy eating, including resources for affordable food and healthy recipes.
Help understand what affects your mental wellness and how to support it.
Learn how routine health care visits keep you and your family healthy. If you don’t have health insurance, you may be eligible for low- to no-cost care. Call our counselors to find out more.

If you are concerned about how your weight may impact your health, talk with your health care provider. You can also talk to them about your health goals without focusing on your weight. They should be able to give you more information about your full health status and provide you with the care and resources you need.

Weight Bias

Weight bias is very common in the United States. It can cause larger-sized people to be treated unfairly in the workplace and social settings. Weight-related bullying is one of the most common reasons for bullying among children and adolescents. Experiencing weight bias can affect a person’s mental and physical health.

In the media, the portrayals of people in larger bodies as unhealthy, unfit, and inactive can contribute to the spread of weight bias and stigma.

Weight Bias in Health Care

If weight bias exists in health care, it can affect the quality of care the person receives. Health care providers should consider other causes before assuming that weight is the reason for a health problem.

Facing weight bias can make it hard for a person to trust their health care provider and may lead some people to skip health care visits. If you feel that your concerns are not being heard, it is OK to speak up or find a different provider.

If you don’t want to be weighed at a visit, ask if it is necessary. Your provider may not need to check your weight at every visit. You can also ask not to be told your weight. For children, you can request that your child’s height and weight be recorded without discussing it in front of them.

Know Your Rights

The New York City Human Rights Law protects New Yorkers from discrimination based on height and weight. For example, it is against the law for business owners to turn a patron away or for landlords to refuse to lease or rent to someone because of their height or weight.

You can report discrimination online. Contact the Commission at 212-416-0197 to file a complaint or leave an anonymous tip.