June 5, 2024 — Big change sometimes happens very quietly. For example, on April 5, the AP Stylebook added a new entry on “obesity, obese, overweight.” It goes into a great deal of detail about language for writing about obesity. But here is the heart of the matter, in the words of the Associated Press stylebook editors: “The phrasing […]
June 14, 2023 — Recent advances in the scientific understanding of obesity has led to more frequent public rejection of explicit weight bias, but implicit bias and stigma remains a serious impediment to health. Language is a potent tool that frames our understanding of obesity. But too often, even in scientific publications, it reflects bias against people with obesity […]
June 7, 2022 — Just about any medical diagnosis can be a bit dehumanizing. Even more so when a medical professional takes it a step further and explicitly labels a person with their diagnosis. For most diseases, health professionals have long understood that labeling people in this way – as an “epileptic,” for example – is bad form. But […]
April 19, 2020 — As it dawns on people that obesity really is an important risk factor for severe illness with COVID-19, we’re seeing more talk about taking obesity seriously. This is a mixed blessing. On one hand, taking obesity seriously as a medical condition really would be helpful. But on the other hand, talk about the “imperative” to […]
September 29, 2018 — The language of obesity is a tricky business. Nobody likes being called obese. But it doesn’t stop there. Common wisdom tells clinicians to be very careful about the O-word in any form. Obesity clinics don’t tend to have long lines of patients waiting at the door. Weight management clinics attract more clients. However, new research […]
September 15, 2018 — Language unites us and divides us. Certainly, this is true for the language of obesity. A new study in JAMA Surgery tells us that patients seeking bariatric surgery don’t like people calling them fat. Nor do they like people calling them obese. Instead, they give higher marks to the language of having a high BMI […]
August 29, 2018 — Respectful language is quite a challenge these days. Especially when language touches on issues of stigma and identity, it’s easy to offend people. So it’s no surprise that the language attached to obesity is a sensitive subject. And one thing is certain. “Obese” is a label that nobody likes. “Demented” or “eaten up with cancer” […]
December 11, 2017 — Maybe it’s progress. Five years ago social media was full of explicitly hateful fat-shaming content. More often than not, complaints fell on deaf ears. But Friday, we learned that Google now considers merely asking about the word fat to be distasteful and offensive. Google Surveys will no longer ask people what they think about the […]
August 6, 2017 — More and more, respectful language in health and wellness puts people first. Now, the new edition of the AP Stylebook includes guidance on writing about addiction that advises writers to use people-first language. Addiction is a disease. AP cautions against labeling people as addicts, alcoholics, users, and abusers. Language for Writing About Chronic Diseases This […]
June 30, 2017 — When words start spilling from the mouths of toddlers, parents get a thrill. The thrill turns to a bit of panic when an offensive word spills out. The toddler gets attention. Parents find themselves on a long road of teaching by example. Offensive words certainly grab attention, but then they just get in the way. […]
