Deconstructing Medical Weight Stigma: A Doctor’s Perspective on Weight-Inclusive Care
Going to the doctor shouldn’t feel like a body audit.
In this episode of the Millennial Body Image Project, we sit down with Dr. Mara Gordon—a family medicine physician, medical journalist, and fierce advocate for weight-inclusive care—to expose how deeply weight stigma is embedded in our healthcare system. From medical school training to insurance billing practices, we explore why so many providers still default to weight-first thinking, and what it would look like to truly prioritize patient trust and autonomy.
This conversation goes way beyond “don’t weigh me” and into the heart of how medical care gets coded, billed, and delivered.
We discuss:
Dr. Gordon’s shift from a weight-centric to weight-neutral approach—and what made her change
The hidden ways weight stigma shows up in your medical record (even when it’s never discussed in person)
Why insurance incentives push providers to code for “obesity”—and how that shapes your care
The complex dynamic of patients requesting GLP-1s (like Ozempic) from weight-inclusive providers
How doctors and patients alike can embrace a harm reduction model when it comes to body size and medical treatment
We also talk about what it means to demand better care—without assuming it’s your job to fix the healthcare system—and why informed consent, advocacy, and preparation are essential tools, especially for patients in larger bodies or those with eating disorders.
🎧 Hit play to learn how to protect yourself in medical spaces, have more empowering conversations with your provider, and navigate the contradictions of modern weight-inclusive medicine.
