To refuse to be weighed by my GP/nurse?

[jessicalivesnextdoor]

I have to go to the doctors and whenever I'm there he always wants to weigh me and take my blood pressure. Am I allowed to refuse to be weighed? Will he tell me off or give me a lecture? Or refuse to treat me?

I know how much I weigh and I don't need anyone else to tell me.

I'm planning on refusing mesuring my height has never been the same in the 5 times its been taken at the GPs surgery. I always take my shoes off and my posture is fine.
That's not even going into them weighing me when pregnant but never giving a crap when I loose loads in pregnancy even though I'm very high risk.

unless you have mental issues which means that weight is a difficult subject for you, I really don't see a problem. It is a fact about you like height, age and so on.

Of course they can't refuse to treat you. Some meds do require blood pressure monitoring though, tbh I am struggling to understand why you wouldn't want your bp checked.

It is 100% your right to ask why you're being weighed and not at all rude

And yes it may be due to a dosage or other specific reason but is often simply used to calculate BMI, and then potentially tell you that your weight puts you at risk of certain conditions and therefore weight loss would be beneficial

And to all the odd posts saying it's odd/defensive to not want to be weighed clearly haven't heard some of the downright offensive statements that can be made to patients with a bmi >25kg/m2.

I work in healthcare by the way and often have patients repeat 'advice' they've been given by medical professionals to 'help' them lose weight. It's often factually incorrect and delivered in a manner lacking empathy surrounding potential barriers to weight loss or reasons for lack of motivation. This often results in a lowering of self esteem and can forget compound the 'problem'

My BMI is 19 BTW if that's relevant to anyone judging the rationale for my post

Wow, I'm really quite surprised at the comments along the lines of 'records need to be kept' and implying it is rude to ask a doctor why they are weighing you!

No wonder the nanny state has the power it does - it appears we have just handed it over!

OP, if you don't want to be weighed, then decline. You are paying your doctor, albeit indirectly, to do a job for you. You get to determine how much or little they do for you. I find the levels of deference to anybody in a white coat deeply concerning.

Stillwishihadabs this is going to sound stupid but I really hate having my blood pressure taken and want to avoid it unless necessary. I used to be quite phobic about it and that's why I avoided going to doctors for years in case they wanted to take my bp. I just hate the way it squeezes your arm and I can feel my pulse...makes me feel all queasy.

I rarely weigh people unless talking about their weight. There is no need unless you are worried about their weight whether high or low. These GPs must have too much time on their hands if they have the time to weigh people. Blood pressure is important as it's the silent killer. We don't get paid for weighing you either. Well not in Scotland. England and Wales might be different though

Jessica I am afraid I would consider it necessary maybe once every couple of years, but if it is a big deal your GP or nurse should be considerate of that.

Tell them no.

The GP gets a bonus if a certain % of patients are weighed and their BP checked. Feel free to decline. It's not compulsory. A little flag comes up on your record to remind them to do it.

Some illnesses can be associated with changes in your weight, including depression - your GP may wish to monitor that.
Some medications can cause weight gain, including antidepressants - they may be looking for that.
They may have other reasons - you should be free to ask, then determine your response depending on the information you are given.

doi - work in health care but not a GP

Unless you are clearly not overweight I think they are just trying to keep a record.

If someone came in every six months and had gained a stone each time, how would they know that, they can't be expected to remember. But that would be obvious cause for concern.

I think the best way to see most minor medical things like Blood Pressure or being weighed is that they are very quickly over and so best not to worry about them.

If you're on anti-depressants they may need to keep an eye on the side effects. If weight gain is a side effect, then it's something to keep an eye on.

I'd ask the doctor why he needs your weight. If it's just part of the routine, you're free to skip it. Though, to be honest, I don't see why you'd opt out of something like that. What if you get sick and one of the symptoms is weight gain or loss. You want to know what your baseline was before to know if it's a drastic change or not.

It's just good to have on file.

Also, don't be afraid to ask your doctor questions. I've probably exhausted my poor pediatrician with all the stupid questions I've asked them. They've been cool about it though.

Is it good practice to keep an eye on someone's weight whilst they're taking antidepressants? I've never heard that before. Was anyone else here weighed regulary while on them?

I also hate looking at the number on the scale (even though I know how much I weigh). It's just so awkward while your standing on the scales like a ninny and you're both just watching the numbers climb. I try not to look but I can't help but look down.

I'll have to ask him next time though.

This is a slight tangent but hope it's ok (it is the same topic) - does anyone else have trouble getting them to say why they're asking for weight/BP and what yours means? I've often had mine taken and have no issue with it, and they've always said something non-comittal which I, perhaps wrongly, assumed meant it was all ok. Then I went in and the GP made a point of saying my blood pressure was 'much better'. I had had no idea anything was wrong with it. I asked what had been wrong and got fobbed off. I'd have pushed, only I was in the middle of a very embarrassing sobbing session as I'd gone in for depression meds.

Why wouldn't they have said before that it was bad? And why not tell me straight out how it's better?

If you are at a healthy weight for your height - which you clearly are then there's really no need to be weighed, unless it is to check correct dosage for your meds (and some anti-D's do need to be done on a weight basis). I'd just ask why and make your decision based on the answer.

The BP one however, I think YABU. I know you've said you don't like the way it feels but there are so many medications (anti D's, contraceptives etc) that can have an adverse effect on BP and it's better to have it kept an eye on.

I have to have blood tests every month when I go to the docs - think yourself lucky!

Which antidepressants are they - can you look up requirements for selecting dosage and possible contra-indications that your dr might have to check for. I doubt they're doing it for fun.

What an odd question.

Your weight is a piece of basic factual information about you, as is your height, the colour of your eyes, the size of your feet and whether you are right or left handed.

Why on earth would any rational person be concerned about their GP weighing them?

Probably not many jess but I'm not feeling very rational right now

When I was on anti-depressants I was also losing a fair amount of weight (part of my depression), so yes it was a useful piece of information for my doctor to have.

As in all things there are good gps and bad ones, I'm sure if you explain that you'd rather not and there are no concerns from them about your weight it'll be fine. Also if you know your weight and you look like you weight what you say you do they have very little reason to do it there and then

I have at times not wanted to be weighed just because of the treatment I've recieved because of it. Weight is a fact and it is an important insight into your health but it can also lead to hurtful and downright stupid or offensive comments

For example when being weighed and needing to lose weight I had no problem with the gps that I saw who advised I lose weight who asked what my plans were to do so and who mentioned how bad for me my weight was (though I was rarely given any actual advice on how to do so). I did have a huge problem with the (admittedly few) who berated me for my weight and especially the one who told me to get off my lazy bum and move more. Whilst I was sitting in my wheelchair it was also assumed by those ones that my being bed/wheelchair bound was because of my weight when a brief glance at my notes could have showed them it wasn't, and the fact that I found it harder to lose weight because I did zero exercise and very little moving under my own steam was completely dismissed. I was also told off in no uncertain terms once because I refused to get on the scales even though it was because I couldn't get myself out of my wheelchair

Sorry that turned into a bit of a rant but YANBU op and I can see why this is a big issue for some people

I don't like knowing my weight either OP and like you I suffer with mental health in terms of Depression. I did suffer from an eating disorder as a child but am now clearly a healthy weight, I'm 5"6 and a size 12. But its left me not wanting to know what i weigh. Actually this has worked for me as my eating disorder hasn't returned and more importantly its my choice.

However I am now 37 weeks pregnant and I know they have to weigh me to assess risks for for DVT etc. Its helped me to just know it in kgs rather than lbs and oz.

Your GP must be asking to weigh you for a reason and you have every right to ask why. However if they are concerned that you appear under weight, they will base any judgments as to your health on other factors like a subjective opinion on your appearance.