# “I think the humanity just gets lost over and over again”: A phenomenological study of the experiences of higher-weight medical students

## TL;DR

This study explores the challenges faced by higher-weight medical students in the UK and suggests ways to improve inclusivity in medical education.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the lived experiences of higher-weight medical students and their intersectional encounters with weight stigma.

## Key findings

- Higher-weight medical students face logistical and environmental barriers like lack of larger uniform sizes and inadequate seating.
- Participants experienced weight-related stigma from peers, teachers, and the public.
- The study suggests that inclusive education and accessible environments can improve experiences and patient care.

## Abstract

A growing body of research has found weight stigma to independently drive both morbidity and mortality, regardless of actual weight. This has, however, yet to translate into medical education and practice. Studies have shown doctors to be common sources of weight stigma, which may be driven, in part, by their medical training. Higher-weight doctors may be best placed to understand and support the health needs of higher-weight people. However, significant levels of implicit anti-fat bias towards higher-weight colleagues lingers in the medical profession. Inclusive practices and more holistic education around weight are therefore needed to support and retain higher weight doctors within the workforce, starting within medical schools. This may improve both staff experiences and patient care. This study aims to explore the experiences of higher weight medical students in the UK. This is an interpretive phenomenological study. Three higher-weight medical students (two women, 1 man, all 2nd year medical students, BMI range 31–50 kg/m2) underwent loosely structured interviews over Microsoft Teams. These were audio-recorded. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and underwent an interpretive phenomenological analysis. Participants reported logistic and environmental issues, such a lack of provision of larger uniform sizes or narrow small lecture room seat sizes. They also reported negative experiences with peers, teachers, and the general public in relation to their size. Despite this, higher-weight doctors were indeed felt to be important to advocate for higher-weight patients. Negative experiences seemed to stem from wider sociocultural issues and reflect the intersectional nature of weight stigma. To improve matters in the longer term, medical schools should review and update their weight-related teaching, alongside considering the accessibility of their physical environments. Medical schools could consider weight stigma as part of their current efforts to decolonise medical curricula.