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Guilt, shame, self-consciousness, sense of failure

Learn about potential guilt, shame, self-consciousness, or sense of failure that patients may bring in with them to their consultations

Patients bring in their own relationship with their bodies and their weight to their consultations.

It is important to be sensitive to this, regardless of whether weight is going to be discussed. The following quotes provide some insight:³

“There’s so much talk at the moment about health and obesity that if you’re not really slim and really fit then you feel like there is something wrong with you”

“When I was really struggling with my weight I think seeing the gym-like environment – I probably would have felt a bit guilty”

“It keeps getting blamed on my weight. I think that made me a bit defensive about going to physiotherapy… I have a bad back and I’m fat. And that might make it worse but it certainly isn’t the cause or root of my back pain”