Your Role in Obesity Treatment

If you and your provider decide to work together on managing your obesity, it’s essential to understand your role in the process and ensure your care is collaborative, respectful, and effective.

Talking About Obesity and Weight Loss With Your Provider

Give Yourself Permission to Speak Up

You deserve compassionate, informed care. Tell your provider you want help. Unlike other chronic conditions, obesity is often tied to trauma and provider bias, which can make many PCPs hesitant to bring it up first. If your provider makes you feel shame, guilt, or blame, you have the right to seek a provider who respects and understands you.

Prioritize Your Needs

If you want to discuss weight management in-depth, schedule a dedicated appointment. Standard visits are often only 15 minutes long, making it difficult to address such a complex topic. Advocate for the time you need to explore options and develop a plan that works for you.

Your Health Is Not Just Your Weight

Your health concerns should never be dismissed with generic advice to "move more and eat less." Even if weight loss could help a condition, your provider should offer actionable solutions that consider your lifestyle, finances, access to food, and exercise options. If they don’t, advocate for yourself or seek a provider who will listen.

Diet and Exercise Alone Do Not Always Lead to Weight Loss

Your struggles with weight are valid. If you have tried diet and exercise without success, it is not a personal failure. Obesity is a medical condition, not a reflection of willpower or laziness. If your provider fails to acknowledge this, they may not be the right fit for your care.

Make Your Needs Clear

Nothing creates a greater disconnect between a patient and provider than unrealistic recommendations—such as joining a gym, following an intense workout routine, or purchasing expensive, unprocessed foods—without considering physical abilities or financial realities.

Respect Your Culture

Your treatment plan should respect and incorporate your cultural food traditions. Asking for meal recommendations and food swaps that align with your preferences can make healthy changes sustainable for both you and your family. A supportive provider should help you find realistic, culturally relevant options that support your goals.

A good provider should work with you to find affordable, accessible, and practical solutions that fit your mobility level, energy capacity, budget, and daily routine. If an exercise plan is suggested, ask for alternatives considering your mobility, pain levels, and accessibility needs. Your treatment should be tailored to what you can realistically do—not an idealized version of what someone thinks you should do.

Take Control of Your Health With Phoenix Metabolic Health

At Phoenix Metabolic Health, we understand that obesity is a medical condition, not a personal failure. We provide personalized, science-backed treatment plans that prioritize your needs, lifestyle, and cultural preferences—without stigma or judgment.

💡 Struggling to find a provider who truly listens?

💡 Frustrated with generic advice that doesn’t work for you?

💡 Looking for real solutions that fit your life?

We’re here to help. Book a consultation today and take the first step toward compassionate, individualized care that works for you.