Blind weigh-ins and how to say "no" to being weighed

Why you might want to decline being weighed

Research indicates that many people are less likely to go to the doctor because of their discomfort related to being weighed.¹ This can be a significant barrier to receiving timely, high-quality medical care.

However, you don’t have to consent to step on the scale if you don’t want to—it’s your choice. And people may have different reasons for declining to be weighed.

Weight stigma in medical settings

Approximately 40% of medical providers have admitted to holding negative attitudes about people living in higher-weight bodies, known as weight stigma, weight bias, or weight discrimination.²

Weight stigma can have harmful consequences on your mental and physical health, including:^3,4,5

• Poor self-esteem
• Poor body image
• Psychological stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Suicidality 
• Binge eating episodes
• Body dissatisfaction

Consequently, despite their good intentions, many medical professionals end up making their patients feel worse about themselves, which can deter future medical care.

If you have previously experienced weight stigma in healthcare settings, you may want to consider declining to get weighed at the doctor’s office, which may reduce the chance the nurse or doctor will bring up the number on the scale. Your explanation for saying no to getting weighed may also indicate to your healthcare provider that you don’t want to talk about weight.

Rejecting the myth that weight is a predictor of health

If you are working to challenge this myth and the influence it has on your happiness, then you may want to opt out of being weighed at the doctor’s office. Know your worth, and protect your mental health. If it’s really medically necessary to weigh you, ask that your medical provider explain why.

Scales are a trigger for disordered eating

If you are in recovery from an eating disorder or have a history of disordered eating behaviors, stepping on the scale at the doctor’s office could be a trigger for all types of harmful behaviors and experiences, such as:

• Negative self-talk and criticism
• Body dissatisfaction
• Poor self-esteem
• Shame
• Unhealthy weight-loss strategies, such as dieting, fasting, purging, and over-exercising

If you know that seeing the numbers on the scale could be triggering for you, do what’s best for you and your recovery and decline being weighed. Whether you simply say no or explain why you want to avoid the scale, your healthcare provider must respect your wishes.

Strategies to decline being weighed at the doctor’s office

Lately, your throat has been hurting, you’ve had a bad sinus headache and your nose won’t stop running. You haven’t been able to kick it with over-the-counter medication, so you decide to go to the doctor. You suspect it might be a sinus infection and that you need a round of antibiotics. When you arrive, they ask you to step on the scale. However, you feel hesitant and don’t want to be weighed today. And the thing is, in most cases, you don’t have to. You are free to decline being weighed, although if you have never done this before, it may be difficult for you to find the words to advocate for yourself.

It can be stressful to advocate for yourself out loud, which is why it may be helpful to carry a “blind weigh” or "closed weigh" card with you that you can hand to the medical staff. This card may have more lengthy explanations as to why you are declining to be weighed, such as:

• Weighing me every time I come to the doctor and focusing on my weight contributes to weight stigma and weight bias.
• I believe in health at every size and engage in healthy behaviors regardless of my weight.
• When medical professionals focus on my weight, I get triggered and stressed out.
• Most medical conditions and concerns can be treated without knowing my weight.
• I reject diet culture and the notion that a number on a scale can predict my health.

Medical conditions in which it’s medically necessary to weigh you

Sometimes a patient's weight may be medically necessary, such as when you are undergoing treatment for congestive heart failure or kidney failure since you can experience significant fluid retention, which indicates the worsening of your condition. In these situations, doctors must track your exact weight in order to adjust your treatments or medications.⁶

Other situations in which you may need to be weighed include:

• Before an operation to determine appropriate anesthesia dosing
• Dosing for other medications
• Certain stages of eating disorder recovery

When it is medically necessary to be weighed, you can still find ways to reduce your stress through closed weighing, such as by stepping on the scale backward so you can’t see your weight. Express to the nurse or doctor that you don’t want to know your weight so that they avoid saying it out loud or writing it where you might see it.

At the end of the day, your mental and emotional health is more important than a number on the scale. Do what’s right for you and advocate for your right to deprioritize weight.