When you get weighed at a doctor's office...

[justjen]

... Do you think they purposely put the scale's larger weight one notch below where it should be to make you feel better? You know what I mean, right? There's the one that goes in, I think, 50-pound increments, and then the smaller one that zeroes in on your exact weight.

This happens to me every time, and as much as I'd love to think it's because I carry my weight fabulously (ha), I'm beginning to suspect this is all just a dog-and-pony show designed to stroke our delicate egos...

[Deleted]

File this under "things I've never thought about."

[bunch]

No, it's always where the last person left it.

[Kore]

Ha. All of my doctors have digital scales.

[justjen]

I've had like 3 doc appointments this week... Plus, I'm on maternity leave, so my brain is apparently itching for anything to keep it occupied...

[Deleted]

My old OB office did that & I figured they were just being nice. I have thought about it but I've been to the Doc/OB a million times in the past decade with 5 pregnancies.

[rubytue]

Can't say I've ever noticed that. But then again I'm pretty obviously over the 150 notch that I would laugh if they tried. Far enough below the 200 notch to not need to go up there.

[GailGoldie]

i have always laughed when they put it at the lower one first - i'm always saying "nope, go higher"

[Deleted]

I'd imagine since they weigh people all day, they are pretty good at estimating (at least give or take a 50 pound increment, particularly for women). And going too high makes weighing have more steps than going lower, so there's no incentive to guess high.

It may be hard to judge if a woman is 145 pounds rather than 155 pounds, but it usually isn't too hard to judge whether someone is closer to 110 pounds or 151 pounds.

[EmilieMadison]

Oct 1, 2012 18:05:33 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

File this under "things I've never thought about."

:Y:
And besides, dont they have to put it to the higher one if you are, in fact, above the weight of the lower notch? It's not like they can just put those weights wherever they feel like it...

[Deleted]

I always pull the weights higher, get the patient to stand and then go down.

[stingsharkruns]

I do it myself.. I know how much i weigh, there is no need for whoever is working me up to try & guess how much I weigh.

[justjen]

My scales always start at zero, and they walkways do it for me...

Say I weigh 120 (ha! I weigh nowhere near this; it's for illustrative purposes only), they should put that big weight on 100, then inch the smaller one up to 20. But they always put it on the notch analogous to 50 in this example, see that this is not enough, then bump it up to 100...

They're just being nice, yes?

(this example may have been overkill, but I wasn't sure I was clear before...)

[orangeblossom]

Oct 1, 2012 18:05:33 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

File this under "things I've never thought about."

This. I just think, ugh, I really do not want to see this number.

[Deleted]

Oct 1, 2012 18:26:00 GMT -5 justjen said:

My scales always start at zero, and they walkways do it for me...

Say I weigh 120 (ha! I weigh nowhere near this; it's for illustrative purposes only), they should put that big weight on 100, then inch the smaller one up to 20. But they always put it on the notch analogous to 50 in this example, see that this is not enough, then bump it up to 100...

They're just being nice, yes?

(this example may have been overkill, but I wasn't sure I was clear before...)

They have never done that to me. And it would not flatter me if they put it at 50 first to make me feel better about myself. I obviously weigh nowhere near 50 pounds.

[chia]

I've often wondered the same thing.
Glad I'm not the only one with this random thought!

[raangoli]

I just assume it's because the person before me weighed less. But they usually move it back to the lower notch sort of like resetting it when done.

[marshmallowevening]

Oct 1, 2012 18:11:32 GMT -5 GailGoldie said:

i have always laughed when they put it at the lower one first - i'm always saying "nope, go higher"

Haha, me too!

[Ashley&Scott]

Oct 1, 2012 18:06:27 GMT -5 Kore said:

Ha. All of my doctors have digital scales.

This.

[blueshirt2003]

I had a nurse recently do that. And I was thinking, really?! You can see t chart and you know I'm above the point you started from. She was weighing me from a scale that was on zero, fwiw.

[MadamePresident]

My doctor has a digital scale. What I would find more interesting is: Do they have you remove your shoes?

[Deleted]

Isn't the shoe removal thing for height purposes too? Why *wouldn't* they have you take off your shoes?

[Deleted]

I always remove my shoes, whether they ask or not. I don't need those extra two pounds!

My doctor never measures my height, just asks me what it is. I guess he doesn't trust me to report my accurate weight?

[aspentosh]

I always assumed it was just from the previous patient.

[jena]

I move the big weight to the right range before I step on.

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2012 12:26:44 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Oct 2, 2012 10:26:26 GMT -5 v said:

Isn't the shoe removal thing for height purposes too? Why *wouldn't* they have you take off your shoes?

My height is only ever measured the first time I have seen a doctor, and often they just ask what it is.

I always take my shoes off regardless. I am not signing up for a "bonus" two pounds.

Oh, see my doctors seem to be all or nothing -- either they both weigh and measure me, or they ask me to tell them both and I guess trust me.