All people with overweight and obesity have the right to receive timely, effective obesity screening, counseling and treatment delivered by all members of the integrated care team in a considerate and respectful manner.
Toward this end, people with obesity have the right to:
- Demand treatment without discrimination or bias regardless of their size or weight.
- Expect the same professional conduct and access to care for their obesity as is routine for other chronic conditions.
- Ask questions about their weight status during all healthcare visits and receive answers and appropriate referrals in a timely manner.
- Receive information from their health providers in “patient-first” language, which puts a person before a diagnosis, describes the condition the person “has,” and gives the person a sense of dignity when selecting a treatment plan and interacting with members of the care team.
- Speak in confidence with members of the care team and have the health information protected.
- Expect a clinical setting that allows for privacy and maintains the person’s dignity.