Several posts to an obituary for Ellen Maud Bennett express support and admiration for her final message that “women of size” stand up against weight discrimination by the medical profession. Bennett was a 64-year-old cancer patient and the obituary says she wanted to share a message about fat-shaming that she endured.

“Over the past few years of feeling unwell she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue,” reads the obit.

Some doctors ascribe a patient’s health issues to their weight without fully investigating other possibilities, said Dr. Yoni Freedhoff to the Globe and Mail. (iStock)

Medical staff ‘should confront their biases,’ says expert

Obesity expert Dr. Yoni Freedhoff told the Globe and Mail that studies show people with obesity get substandard testing and treatment, and medical professionals should confront their biases so that all patients get proper care.

Of those Canadians 18 years and older, 20 per cent are obese, according to government statistics for 2014. That’s 5.3 million adults.

Of adult men, 40 per cent reported they were overweight, as did 27.5 per cent of women.

In 2014, 54 per cent of Canadians classified themselves as overweight or obese, according to government statistics. (iStock)