Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
Int J Obes (Lond). 2013 Apr;37(4):612-9. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2012.110. Epub 2012 Jul 10.
Research demonstrates that health providers express negative attitudes toward overweight and obese patients that can be conveyed through weight-related language, yet little is known about people's perceptions of weight-related language used by providers. The current study examined public preferences and perceptions of weight-based terminology used by health-care providers to describe excess weight.
A national sample of American adults (N=1064) completed an online survey to assess perceptions and preferences associated with 10 common terms to describe body weight. Participants rated how much they perceived each term to be desirable, stigmatizing, blaming or motivating to lose weight (using five-point Likert scales), and how they would react if stigmatized by their doctor's reference to their weight.
The terms 'weight' (3.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.35-3.50) and 'unhealthy weight' (3.24, 95% CI 3.15-3.33) were rated most desirable, and the terms 'unhealthy weight' (3.77, 95% CI 3.69-3.84) and 'overweight' (3.51, 95% CI 3.43-3.58) were rated most motivating to lose weight. The terms 'morbidly obese', 'fat' and 'obese' were rated as the most undesirable (95% CI 1.61-2.06), stigmatizing (95% CI 3.66-4.05) and blaming (95% CI 3.62-3.94) language used by health providers. Notably, participant ratings were consistent across socio-demographic variables and body weight categories. A total of 19% of participants reported they would avoid future medical appointments and 21% would seek a new doctor if they felt stigmatized about their weight from their doctor.
This study advances our understanding of why individuals prefer particular weight-related terms, and how patients may react if their provider uses stigmatizing language to refer to their weight. It also offers suggestions for practical strategies that providers can use to improve discussions about weight-related health with patients.
研究表明，医疗服务提供者对超重和肥胖患者表现出消极态度，这种态度可以通过与体重相关的语言来传达，但人们对医疗服务提供者使用的与体重相关的语言的看法知之甚少。本研究调查了公众对医疗保健提供者用来描述超重的基于体重的术语的偏好和看法。
一项针对美国成年人（N=1064）的全国性样本完成了一项在线调查，以评估与 10 个常见术语相关的看法和偏好，这些术语用于描述体重。参与者使用五分制量表评估他们认为每个术语的可取性、污名化程度、指责性或减肥动机，以及如果医生提到他们的体重而感到被污名化时他们会作何反应。
“体重”（3.43，95%置信区间（CI）3.35-3.50）和“不健康体重”（3.24，95% CI 3.15-3.33）这两个术语被评为最可取的术语，而“不健康体重”（3.77，95% CI 3.69-3.84）和“超重”（3.51，95% CI 3.43-3.58）这两个术语被评为最能激励减肥的术语。“病态肥胖”、“肥胖”和“超重”被评为医疗服务提供者使用的最不可取的术语（95% CI 1.61-2.06）、污名化术语（95% CI 3.66-4.05）和指责性术语（95% CI 3.62-3.94）。值得注意的是，参与者的评价在社会人口统计学变量和体重类别上是一致的。19%的参与者表示，如果他们因为医生对他们的体重感到污名化而感到不适，他们将避免未来的医疗预约，21%的参与者表示他们将寻求新的医生。
本研究增进了我们对为什么个体更喜欢特定的体重相关术语的理解，以及如果患者的提供者使用污名化的语言来指代他们的体重，他们可能会作何反应。它还为提供者提供了一些实用策略的建议，这些策略可以用来改善与患者讨论与体重相关的健康问题。
