Framing obesity: disease status, language and stigma

Abstract

The way that health professionals talk about conditions is crucial to patient-centred care. Hilda Mulrooney explains how obesity is a condition that is often framed in negative language that needs to be changed in order to improve healthcare quality in primary care The language and images used to describe those living with obesity are often stigmatising. They can contribute to the perception that those with obesity are responsible for their own condition. Much of the rhetoric around excess weight emphasises actions that individuals can take. This ignores the complexity of how weight is gained and retained, and the roles of genetics and environmental factors. In the UK, those advocating for obesity to be recognised as a disease suggest that this may reduce levels of weight-related stigma. The use of non-stigmatising images and people-first language are recommended to help change perceptions of blame around obesity.