The importance of language in engagement between health-care professionals and people living with obesity: a joint consensus statement

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic condition that requires long-term management and is associated with unprecedented stigma in different settings, including during interactions with the health care system. This stigma has a negative impact on the mental and physical health of people with obesity and can lead to avoidance of health care and disruption of the doctors-patient relationship. There is significant evidence that simply having a conversation about obesity can lead to weight loss which translates into health benefits, however, both health-care practitioners and people living with obesity alike report apprehension in initiating this conversation.We have gathered stakeholders from Obesity UK, physicians, dieticians, clinical psychologists, obesity researchers, conversation analysts, nurses, and representatives from NHS England Diabetes and Obesity. This group has contributed to production of this report on how people living with obesity wish to have their condition referred to, and provides practical guidance for health care professionals to facilitate collaborative and supportive discussions about obesity. The expert stakeholders consider that changes to language used at the point of care can act to alleviate the stigma of obesity within the health care system and support better outcomes for both people living with obesity and for the healthcare system.

Developing Integrated Clinical Pathways for the Management of Clinically Severe Adult Obesity: a Critique of NHS England Policy

“…This will require concrete action from policy-makers, improve obesity education in undergraduate curriculums and educate healthcare professionals about obesity and how to avoid stigma. In an attempt to address the latest point, a consensus statement from multiple obesity experts and patients from the UK was issued [89].…”

Weight stigma and health – Repercussions on the health of adolescents and adults: integrative review of the literature

“…That was observed in studies that found that physical therapists 88 , occupational therapists 89 , physicians, nurses, and other professionals of a university hospital 90 , maintained harmful attitudes and stereotyped beliefs about obesity. Acording to these studies, this professionals use to judging patients according to negative adjectives as often as the general population, and this could result in the non-involvement of people living with obesity with the health system 91 .…”

Regional Variation in Unmet Need for Metabolic Surgery in England: a Retrospective, Multicohort Analysis

“…First, at the patient level, this study has shown that eligible adults are more likely to have poorer educational attainment and higher deprivation indicating a form of inverse care law. Second, stigma surrounding obesity treatment and willingness or ability to meet strict criteria for accessing weight management services, or indeed capacity within these services, in England may present a barrier to uptake [12,13]. Third, studies on primary care practitioners in the UK suggest there is limited awareness of the role of metabolic surgery and perhaps even a level of bias against the provision of this treatment to patients who are obese [14].…”