Colourette Cosmetics founder and body positivity advocate Nina Ellaine Cabrera opened up about her struggles as a plus size girl in the Philippines.
In particular, she cited the discrimination she feels during doctors’ consultations.
As a plus size girl, I immediately get turned off when the initial conversation with the doctor starts with your weight and BMI. 🥲 As if everything that’s happening to my body is caused by my fatness when in reality it is the weight gain I want diagnosed.
— Nina Cabrera 💖 (@theninaellaine) February 15, 2023
“As a plus size girl, I immediately get turned off when the initial conversation with the doctor starts with your weight and BMI. As if everything that’s happening to my body is caused by my fatness when in reality it is the weight gain I want diagnosed.”
Cabrera shared her personal experience of having PCOS and hearing medical professionals immediately associate it with her weight.
I’m glad I pushed back earlier when my doctor just abruptly put my weight and height on her phone as she signaled na my BMI is the cause of all my problems. I then told her that I have a nutritionist, I work out, and what I want to find out is the root cause for my BMI being high
— Nina Cabrera 💖 (@theninaellaine) February 15, 2023
Her post prompted one medical professional to respond—something that immediately went out of hand.
Niina addressed the post targeted against her on her Twitter account for transparency.
I’m posting this here since they responded on their own account. The point here is when medical professionals refuse to look past behind the weight and just go straight to blaming it for everything that’s happening. Wala naman kami sinabing wag itanong, ang sabi is WAG YUN LANG. pic.twitter.com/6etxjcgmyH
— Nina Cabrera 💖 (@theninaellaine) February 15, 2023
Calling my feelings valid and me being oversensitive in the same breath is a bit contradicting no? It’s not that plus size people don’t want their truths but we want what’s behind them too. We know we’re fat so can we all sit and talk why that may be?
— Nina Cabrera 💖 (@theninaellaine) February 15, 2023
Many netizens expressed their support behind Nina and also opened up about their personal experiences similar to hers.
As a girl with PCOS I feel you. The only medical advice they tell me to do is lose weight. But it also manifests in hair loss, hyperpigmentation, anxiety… 😭
— Telly (@haileystones) February 15, 2023
Same thing sa thin girlies like me. Everytime na tungkol na sa weight yung topic, nakakaturn off.
Lalo pag susukatin braso mo or tatanungin ka kung kumakain ka pa ba? Malamang anong kala nyo gusto rin namin maging sobrang payat? 🤣
Anw, rant lang Ms. @theninaellaine luv u ♡— 𝐣𝐨𝐲 (@olfinduhjoy) February 15, 2023
This is so true. I changed my OB-GYN kasi ang lagi niya lang sinasabi sa akin is to lose weight, as in yun lang. Nakakalungkot diba. One point pa is bakit naka-focus lang tayo dun sa weight loss, what about the other symptoms?
— Allyssa Jane (@llyssajane21) February 15, 2023
Yung mga naooffend na doctor, gawain nila yan. Tinatamad gumawa ng prognosis. Yung doctor ko, pag check ng bmi ko, may follow up question sya abt my lifestyle bago nya sabihin na moderate obese ako, then, saka sya nagbigay ng medical advice.
— wreck-it raf (@wreckitralph_26) February 15, 2023
However, some also defended the medical community.
I'd be more concerned if the doctor didn't ask for your BMI and weight. That's one of the parameters to assess a patient.
— 💟 (@MadeOutOfSunset) February 15, 2023
Awareness and acceptance are important. Kung in denial ka you will find ways to digress and blame. Wag din masyado snowflake. Your doctor is there to tell you things you sometimes do not want to hear.
— Rich III (@RichIIILH) February 15, 2023
Hi miss Nina, BMI is needed for some medical interventions.. sometimes in medications too ❤️
— Mark (@angel_ofthesick) February 15, 2023
Ate, coming from a doctor's perspective, weight gain can be caused by PCOS mainly due to hormonal imbalance or the otherway around. Don't be offended when you are asked about your weight and height, since yan po ang parameters na ginagamit to compute BMI+
— twing | ilichil D-day (@jaejiwang) February 15, 2023
If you want to be diagnosed accurately kelangan malaman ang BMI. Like, how can the doctor diagnose you if the hindi nya alam ang BMI mo.
BMI is an indicator of how fat your body is. It can also be your starting point para sa goal mong BMI.
— YUZURU🐐 SASHA🚀 GiseoKING B2B💙🍀WINNER🍀 (@jeeneeewoo) February 15, 2023
