Weight stigma is an often-overlooked contributor to poor patient engagement and weight gain over time. As healthcare providers, we should be conscious of how the language we use can potentiate the stigma that patients with obesity experience. During this session, we’ll review the existing evidence surrounding the impact of language and communication style on weight management outcomes and discuss best practices to minimize feelings of weight stigma and weight bias during patient interactions. The presentation will be rooted in evidence and will contain practical tips that can be implemented immediately.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize the impact of weight stigma and internalized weight bias on patient engagement and outcomes
Describe how language that healthcare providers use can contribute to the experience of weight stigma
Utilize best practices to minimize the occurrence of weight stigma during patient interaction