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Med Students Unaware of Their Bias Against Obese Patients
An anonymous reader sends news of a study which found that "two out of five medical students have an unconscious bias against obese people." The study, published in the Journal of Academic Medicine (abstract) examined med students from many different cultural and geographical backgrounds.
"The researchers used a computer program called the Weight Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measures students’ unconscious preferences for 'fat' or 'thin' individuals. Students also answered a survey assessing their conscious weight-related preferences. The authors determined if the students were aware of their bias by seeing if their IAT results matched their stated preferences. Overall, 39 percent of medical students had a moderate to strong unconscious anti-fat bias as compared to 17 percent who had a moderate to strong anti-thin bias. Less than 25 percent of students were aware of their biases. 'Because anti-fat stigma is so prevalent and a significant barrier to the treatment of obesity, teaching medical students to recognize and mitigate this bias is crucial to improving the care for the two-thirds of American adults who are now overweight or obese,' Miller said. 'Medical schools should address weight bias as part of a comprehensive obesity curriculum.'"
I don't really blame them ... it's just a lifestyle choice which doesn't really impact me.
Except when you blame them for destroying society.
Same as I blame you for destroying society by being such a god damned moron.
Do you even listen to yourself?
You're worse than those who say "not to be a jerk" -- then say some extremely dickish thing.
You go and say some real dickish thing then say, "but I'm not really a dick see?"
So don't bother speaking next time you think you have something to say.
Because you have nothing to say. Nothing at all.