Healthy Weight

Preventive health services include patient-centered conversations about healthy behaviors with people (at any weight) and may include discussions about the relationship of weight to one’s overall reproductive health and fertility. 

People with a higher body weight or those in larger bodies may encounter weight stigma and discrimination in health care settings, which can negatively affect health outcomes. Providers can reduce this stigma and improve outcomes by moving away from a focus on weighing patients and counseling about weight loss and toward healthy behaviors for people at any weight. If obtaining an individual’s weight is required for continuity of care, ask for the patient’s permission to discuss the topic before addressing weight-related issues, and become aware of strategies to guard against weight-related stress some might have in health care settings.

When applicable, patients should be provided the information that body size (both high and low weight) can affect their fertility.