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The Problem Isn’t Just BMI: How Weight Bias Is Harming Kids in the Exam Room
If you’ve ever felt confused, judged, or overwhelmed by how weight is discussed at your child’s doctor’s visits? Whether your child is in a larger body, a smaller body, or somewhere in between this episode is for anyone who wants to raise healthy kids without harmful messaging.
I’m joined by Dr. Tommy Martin, a physician, educator, and passionate advocate for reframing weight and health conversations with compassion and clarity. Together, we explore why BMI was never meant to guide pediatric care, how weight bias shows up in medical settings, and what parents can do to protect their child’s body confidence without ignoring health.
We dive into:
Why BMI was never meant for individual kids and how outdated growth charts still shape care today
The lasting harm of weight bias in healthcare, from missed diagnoses to internalized shame as early as age 3
How to reframe conversations around health without numbers or labels and practical ways to advocate for your child
To connect with Dr. Tommy Martin follow him on Instagram @dr.tommymartin, check out all his resources at https://link.me/dr.tommymartin
We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you!
00:00 – Intro: Why weight conversations in pediatrics matter
02:10 – Meet Dr. Tommy Martin and his backstory
04:50 – Growing up in a larger body and the roots of weight stigma
06:45 – Subtle messages kids absorb at the doctor’s office
09:00 – Hurtful comments from family, peers, and culture
13:45 – Dr. Mona’s story: Smaller body, different pressure
15:30 – The impossible standards of body image
17:00 – Why pediatricians weigh kids and how Dr. Mona reframes it
18:30 – Dr. Tommy’s patient-first approach to weight discussions
21:45 – What BMI gets wrong (and how it still shows up)
25:20 – The harm of casual body comments
27:00 – Genetics, hormones, and the science of food noise
30:00 – The stigma and science behind GLP-1 medications
33:00 – How Dr. Mona talks to families about elevated labs without shame
40:00 – Why she never sets weight goals for kids
43:00 – Helping kids fuel for function, not aesthetics
46:00 – Modeling healthy habits in everyday life
48:00 – Weight bias in healthcare and missed diagnoses
50:00 – Long-term harm of labels like “obese” or “underweight”
Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk.
Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. Join the newsletter!
And don’t forget to follow @pedsdoctalkpodcast on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
View all episodes
By Dr. Mona Amin
4.9
14751,475 ratings
If you’ve ever felt confused, judged, or overwhelmed by how weight is discussed at your child’s doctor’s visits? Whether your child is in a larger body, a smaller body, or somewhere in between this episode is for anyone who wants to raise healthy kids without harmful messaging.
I’m joined by Dr. Tommy Martin, a physician, educator, and passionate advocate for reframing weight and health conversations with compassion and clarity. Together, we explore why BMI was never meant to guide pediatric care, how weight bias shows up in medical settings, and what parents can do to protect their child’s body confidence without ignoring health.
We dive into:
Why BMI was never meant for individual kids and how outdated growth charts still shape care today
The lasting harm of weight bias in healthcare, from missed diagnoses to internalized shame as early as age 3
How to reframe conversations around health without numbers or labels and practical ways to advocate for your child
To connect with Dr. Tommy Martin follow him on Instagram @dr.tommymartin, check out all his resources at https://link.me/dr.tommymartin
We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you!
00:00 – Intro: Why weight conversations in pediatrics matter
02:10 – Meet Dr. Tommy Martin and his backstory
04:50 – Growing up in a larger body and the roots of weight stigma
06:45 – Subtle messages kids absorb at the doctor’s office
09:00 – Hurtful comments from family, peers, and culture
13:45 – Dr. Mona’s story: Smaller body, different pressure
15:30 – The impossible standards of body image
17:00 – Why pediatricians weigh kids and how Dr. Mona reframes it
18:30 – Dr. Tommy’s patient-first approach to weight discussions
21:45 – What BMI gets wrong (and how it still shows up)
25:20 – The harm of casual body comments
27:00 – Genetics, hormones, and the science of food noise
30:00 – The stigma and science behind GLP-1 medications
33:00 – How Dr. Mona talks to families about elevated labs without shame
40:00 – Why she never sets weight goals for kids
43:00 – Helping kids fuel for function, not aesthetics
46:00 – Modeling healthy habits in everyday life
48:00 – Weight bias in healthcare and missed diagnoses
50:00 – Long-term harm of labels like “obese” or “underweight”
Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk.
Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. Join the newsletter!
And don’t forget to follow @pedsdoctalkpodcast on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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