does your practice welcome weight diversity?
Do you and your staff welcome all clients?
Is your office equipment comfortable for everyone? Comfortable designs include:
Is your office equipment comfortable for everyone? Comfortable designs include:
Have you and the staff in your practice had training in recognizing bias? Do you think obesity is a disease or simply over-eating?
Do you assume that clients with high weights eat too much or the wrong foods? Do you dictate weight gain or what to eat during your health care visits?
Clients want information and support in making their own h
Have you and the staff in your practice had training in recognizing bias? Do you think obesity is a disease or simply over-eating?
Do you assume that clients with high weights eat too much or the wrong foods? Do you dictate weight gain or what to eat during your health care visits?
Clients want information and support in making their own health care decisions. Can you talk to them comfortably about nutrition and physical activity without judgement?
If you refer your clients to another health professional-nutritionist, physician, midwife, physical therapist-do you know how size friendly their practice is?
Is your office equipment comfortable for everyone? Comfortable designs include:
Is your office equipment comfortable for everyone? Comfortable designs include:
Is your office equipment comfortable for everyone? Comfortable designs include:
Hallways and doorways are comfortably wide
Waiting room chairs are armless and will hold 350 pounds (158 kg). Wide bariatric chairs with arms that hold 500 pounds (226 kg) are available.
Area for measuring weight is private. The scale weighs up to 500 pounds (226 kg). Scales that weigh up to 500 pounds (226 kg) are available online for less
Hallways and doorways are comfortably wide
Waiting room chairs are armless and will hold 350 pounds (158 kg). Wide bariatric chairs with arms that hold 500 pounds (226 kg) are available.
Area for measuring weight is private. The scale weighs up to 500 pounds (226 kg). Scales that weigh up to 500 pounds (226 kg) are available online for less than $50 ($70 Canadian). Clients are encouraged to weigh themselves. The scale is placed so that clients can see their own weight.
Do your exam rooms have large equipment?
Is your office equipment comfortable for everyone? Comfortable designs include:
Do your exam rooms have large equipment?
Chairs in exam rooms should be bariatric chairs or armless and will hold 500 pounds (226 kg)
Exam table has stable step that rests on floor and won’t tip. Exam table is placed so that clients can easily move around it. Exam table holds 500 pounds (226 kg)
Plus size gowns are available
Large blood pressure cuffs are available wherever bloo
Chairs in exam rooms should be bariatric chairs or armless and will hold 500 pounds (226 kg)
Exam table has stable step that rests on floor and won’t tip. Exam table is placed so that clients can easily move around it. Exam table holds 500 pounds (226 kg)
Plus size gowns are available
Large blood pressure cuffs are available wherever blood pressure is measured. Staff leaving a room to search for large equipment is disrespectful.
Toilet room is large enough for comfortable movement. The commode has room on both sides for comfort. Urine collection hats are available for specimen collection.
resources for clinicians & clients
RESOURCES FOR CLINICIANS
Want to know what your clients want in their care provision? Try Plus Size Mommy https://plusmommy.com/plus-size-and-pregnant/
Challenge yourself and your practice team to take a Health at Every Size (HAES) approach! HAES principles are found here: https://asdah.org/haes/
Do you need to know more about weight stigma? Counseling?
The Obesity Society provides US based information and education for health care professionals of all kinds https://www.obesity.org/about-us/
Balanced View https://healthymindslearning.ca/courses/balanced-view/ sponsored by the Province British Columbia, Department of Health; the Provincial Health Services Authority and BC Mental Health, presents three learning modules on unbiased, evidence-based attitudes on weight and health. Case scenarios and different learning styles are embedded in the modules. These modules can be taken for continuing education credit.
Obesity Canada has a wealth of information, guidelines, and a photo bank: https://obesitycanada.ca/about/ Want to learn more about obesity and weight stigma? Obesity Canada has more than 50 online courses-many free-with information about weight counseling, motivational interviewing, and health for those living in large bodies: https://education.obesitycanada.ca/
RESOURCES FOR YOUR CLIENTS
Plus Size Mommy https://plusmommy.com/plus-size-and-pregnant/
The United States abandoned its MyPlate nutrition site in January 2026; however, it was taken over by a private, not-for profit agency that has published MyPlate materials that are free for all to use. My plate materials are available for pregnancy and breastfeeding at https://myplate.food/myplate-for-pregnancy The site contains nutrition information designed for individuals, teachers and clinicians. There are over 1,000 recipes and six quizzes about the elements of nutrition: protein, vitamins, dairy, that could be used for individual self-study or as questions for students. Individualized meal plans can be tailored to a person's height, weight and age.
Canadian guide for a healthy pregnancy: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2018/aspc-phac/HP5-33-2017-eng.pdf
Advantage Counseling-Resources for Clinicians
Evidence-based support for clients
Clients of all weights can be supported to make the most of their health advantages starting during prenatal care and continuing through labor and birth. The articles below have evidence-based information and techniques for clinicians. All are linked to open access full copies.
Ketchum K, Jevitt CM. Evidence-Based Eating Patterns and Behavior Changes to Limit Excessive Gestational Weight Gain: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024; 21(1):15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010015.
Ketchum K, Jevitt CM. Evidence-Based Eating Patterns and Behavior Changes to Limit Excessive Gestational Weight Gain: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024; 21(1):15. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10815062/
Jevitt, C., Holistic Assessment of Obesity in Pregnancy: considering metabolic health. Medical Research Archives, 2026.14(2), https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v14i2.7256
Jevitt, C.M. Management of Labor and Delivery to Reduce Risk for Cesarean Birth in Women with Obesity. Curr Obstet Gynecol Rep (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13669-023-00361-y.
Weight bias and preconceived notions about health push clinicians to make health care visits weight focused. Mitigating Weight Bias in the Clinical Setting: A New Approach to Care gives clinicians evidence-based strategies for supporting people of all sizes to have their best health. Olson SM, Muñoz EG, Solis EC, Bradford HM. Mitigating Weight Bias in the Clinical Setting: A New Approach to Care. J Midwifery Women’s Health. 2024 Mar-Apr;69(2):180-190. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13578. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38087862/
Malhotra N, Jevitt CM, Stoll K, Phillips-Beck W, Vedam S; RESPCCT Study Team. Weight-based disparities in perinatal care: quantitative findings of respect, autonomy, mistreatment, and body mass index in a national Canadian survey. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024 Nov 8;24(1):737. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06928-8.PMID: 39516762; PMCID: PMC11549742.
The amount of information-good and not so good-on social media is overwhelming! Want an idea about what your patients see outside your office? Read this study! Social Media and Nutritional Guidelines During Pregnancy. Drummond N, Miller A, Kramer M, Zielinski R. Social Media and Nutritional Guidelines in Pregnancy. J Midwifery Women's Health. 2024 May-Jun;69(3):doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13645. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766882/353-360.