The Glass Palace Organization

aRE YOU A PROVIDER THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO our DIRECTORY?

About

The Glass Palace Organization is a free directory/listing of healthcare professionals committed to treating people of size in the most dignified and comfortable setting as possible.

Plus-size patients are faced with discrimination, preconceived speculations of health, denials of care, persuaded to lose weight, etc., as soon as they walk into the waiting room, with some not even making it that far due to previous upsetting medical visits. “The stigmatization of obesity is pervasive, damaging, and threatens core public health values.” (Puhl & Heuer, 2010).

People are dying. Dying from conditions that could have been prevented or treated, all because they are frightened, embarrassed, uncomfortable, nervous, self-conscious, etc., due to the everyday reactions, response, treatment, and experiences that they have received from providers.

People of any size deserve a holistic, dignified, caring, and fair approach to their healthcare, which is exactly why we have started this directory. We are creating a list of providers where plus-size patients will be treated with the upmost respect and care in a safe setting, that will assess their true health concerns, and not physically be judged or diagnosed by their appearance with an automatic response of it being attributed to their weight with the inevitable next step of weight loss.

statistics

The following findings are alarming, disheartening, and need to stop.

*“In addition to reinforcing unhealthy behaviors, weight stigma poses a significant threat to psychological and physical health.” (Puhl & Heuer, 2010)
*“Studies of U.S. physicians in practice have found that 1/3 characterized patients with obesity as sloppy and lazy, 45% had a negative attitude toward individuals with obesity, and only 56% perceived themselves as competent to treat obesity in their medical practice, “ (Alberga, Nutter, Macinnia, Ellard, Russell-Mayhew, 2019)
*“For women at the highest levels of obesity, 68% reported that they delayed seeking health care because of their weight, and 83% reported that their weight was a barrier to getting appropriate health care. When asked about specific reasons for delay of care, women reported disrespectful treatment and negative attitudes from providers, embarrassment about being weighed, receiving unsolicited advice to lose weight, and also reported that gowns, examination tables, and other medical equipment were too small to be functional for their body size.” (Puhl & Heuer, 2010)
*“It is also important to note increasing research documenting a considerable percentage of overweight and obese persons who are metabolically healthy and non-overweight individuals who exhibit metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors…The recognition that there are obese individuals who are metabolically healthy and non-overweight individuals who are metabolically obese challenges weight-based stereotypes and reinforces the heterogeneous nature of obesity.” (Puhl & Heuer, 2010)
*“There is also research indicating that providers spend less time in appointments and provide less health education with obese patients compared with thinner patients…Obese patients also indicate that they feel disrespected by providers, perceive that they will not be taken seriously because of their weight, report that their weight is blamed for all of their medical problems, and are reluctant to address their weight concerns with providers.” (Puhl & Heuer, 2010)
*“Weight discrimination is associated with a nearly 60% increase in overall mortality risk.” (Sutin, Stephan, & Terracciano, 2015)

The Glass Palace Organization

aRE YOU A PROVIDER THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO our DIRECTORY?

About

statistics

The following findings are alarming, disheartening, and need to stop.

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