Cards to Help Fat Patients at the Doctor’s Office – English, French, and German Versions

I originally created these cards as part of a post about what to say at the doctor’s office to help get the appropriate evidence-based care you should be getting in the first place from doctors and other healthcare professionals. They have been shared around a lot, and I love hearing from people about how they used them and how much they helped (even though they shouldn’t be necessary to begin with, but that’s a subject for another post!) If you’re looking for a little more support, I have a video workshop specifically about techniques for Dealing with Fatphobia at the Doctor’s Office, there’s a pay-what-you-can option and you can find it here! Then recently Marilou Morin contacted me and asked if she could translate them into French. Of course I immediately said yes. So below you’ll find the English and French versions. These cards are intended to be helpful, but are not for every situation (and if you are looking for one link to give to your healthcare provider, I recommend this one) I’m not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice, just what has helped me to get appropriate healthcare as a fat patient. You’ll also need to use your own judgment as to whether you want to hand the cards to your healthcare provider, or just use the information from them to talk to your healthcare provider. Update: I was contacted by Dorothée at @largerliving who has done a German translations! A reminder that nobody is obligated to engage in activism at any time, but especially at the doctor’s office where there can be an extreme power imbalance. While medical fatphobia becomes our problem, it is not our fault – the problem is not fat people existing, it’s healthcare providers who are working from a place of weight stigma. While there are clear arguments whenever a healthcare provider says that a health issue is caused by being fat. you can also do what you have to do to get the healthcare you need.

German, translation by @largerliving

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