‘Don’t Weigh Me’ cards aim to reduce stress at the doctor’s office

By CNN Newsource

Published December 22, 2021 11:17 AM

By Allegra Goodwin, CNN

A body positivity website has created free “Don’t Weigh Me” cards for patients who find stepping on the scale at the doctor’s office stressful.

The cards, created by California-based More-Love.org, are available for free to individuals, excluding the cost of postage. There is also the option for businesses to purchase the cards, at $35 per 100 cards.

The cards read: “Please don’t weigh me unless it’s (really) medically necessary,” adding “If you really need my weight, please tell me why so that I can give you my informed consent,” as shown in photographs on More-Love.org.

On the other side of the card is a list of reasons why it may not be medically necessary to weigh a patient. “Most health conditions can be addressed without knowing my weight,” is one reason, and “I pursue healthy behaviors regardless of my weight status” is another.

More-Love.org was founded in 2016 by Ginny Jones, according to its website, and describes itself as “an online resource that empowers parents to raise kids who are free from body hate, disordered eating, and eating disorders.”

The group supports a “Health at Every Size” philosophy, based around the assumption that “the current practice of linking weight to health using BMI (body mass Iindex) standards is biased and unhelpful.”

“Because we live in a fatphobic society, being weighed and talking about weight causes feelings of stress and shame” the website states. “Many people feel anxiety about seeing the doctor, and will avoid going to the doctor in order to avoid the scale.”

“We want you to be supported in requesting healthcare that is free of weight bias,” the website reads. “The point is that it’s an informed choice that we get to make. We don’t have to step on the scale just because someone tells us to.”

Cards for parents, which ask medical professionals not to talk about their children’s weight, are also available.