Why Weighing Patients Isn't as Simple as We Think with Dr. Cal Paterson
What if the simple act of stepping on the scales is doing more harm than good?
Dr. Cal Paterson challenges something we’ve all accepted as routine: weighing patients. We explore why weight and obesity aren’t the same thing, how the scales have become a measure of worth rather than health, and why this seemingly innocent medical procedure deserves far more thought than it gets.
Cal walks us through the changing landscape of obesity medicine, where patients with lived experience now sit on panels alongside doctors, and where the conversation is shifting from “what do you weigh?” to “how are you living?” We discuss the collision of the eating disorder and obesity worlds, the problems with BMI as our go-to measure, and why grip strength might tell us more about health than a number on the scales ever could.
If you’ve ever felt that tightness in your chest before a weigh-in, or watched a patient’s face fall when they see the number, this conversation matters.
Dr Cal Paterson has shared some additional materials:
- Cal will be hosting a webinar for IFSO later this month on the role of psychology in obesity surgery across the Asia-Pacific region. Details: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/4_1X1jtQTO6fug9OjMVRPA#/registration
- Cal’s paper will be published in the Journal of Public Health Ethics in the new year. Journal link: https://academic.oup.com/phe
- Why weight and obesity are two completely different things
- How weighing functions as a medical procedure that requires consent and care
- The role shame and stigma play in perpetuating poor health outcomes
- Why doctors rarely define success by weight, yet it dominates consultations
- Alternative ways to measure health and progress
- What patients can actually control versus what they’re blamed for
Dr Cal Paterson is a clinical psychologist working in Sydney. He has practiced as a clinician, teacher, and consultant in mental and chronic health since 1997. Cal has presented papers and workshops on obesity care, eating disorders, and behaviour change in Australia and internationally. Cal completed a Clinical Psychology Doctorate in 2007 with the acceptance of his thesis titled “Great Expectations; Applying common factors theory to practice in treatment for Anxiety and Depression.” He is a founding member of the Australian Clinical Psychology Association, and Vice-chair of the Integrated Health committee of the International Federation of Surgery and other Therapies for Obesity Asia-Pacific chapter. Cal is the author of papers and book chapters on topics ranging from child development, to CBT, to the role of placebo in psychology treatment. He most recently had a discussion paper accepted for publication by the Journal of Public Health Ethics, titled: “Should Weight be Given Less Weight in Obesity?”
Connect with Dr. Cal Paterson:
- LinkedIn | https://au.linkedin.com/in/cal-paterson-19891b26
- X (Twitter) | @obesitypsych
