Obesity diagnosis – how to tell the truth and not to hurt feelings; cross-sectional study exploring usage of terminology in healthcare and everyday surroundings

Abstract

Aim of the study: Terminology used during diagnosis of obesity is sometimes perceived as insulting, so the proper physician’s communication with the patient is of utmost importance. A study was conducted with the aim to provide a term that would gain consciousness about medical condition and avoid unnecessary discomfort. Subject and methods: A total of 500 participants (patients, physicians, nutritionists, medical students and students of humanities and social sciences) answered the online questionnaire. Four terms describing excess body weight were evaluated. Attitudes towards particular term which they considered as acceptable/insulting in healthcare vs. everyday setting were analyzed. Data were collected using only SurveyMonkey®tool. Results: Participants found terms ‘obese-pretio’ and ‘adipose-adipozan’ acceptable in communication in healthcare and everyday surroundings, mostly by physicians and medical students. Term ‘fat-debeo’ was considered inappropriate, mostly by nutritionists. Term ‘chubby-bucko’ was found the most unacceptable. Surprisingly, it was best accepted by the patients. Conclusion: When diagnosing obesity terminology should be used with caution. Having in mind the results of this study, the recommendation is to use terms ‘obese-pretio’ and ‘adipose-adipozan’, to avoid colloquial terms, and to be careful when using term ‘fat-debeo’.

Keywords

• obesity – psychology; terminology as topic; communication; physician-patient relations; motivation; attitude; surveys and questionnaires; cross-sectional studie