Preferences for Body Weight-Related Terminology for People Living with Obesity: Results from the ACTION-DK Study

Introduction: When discussing body weight with health care professionals (HCPs), people living with obesity (PwO) can feel stigmatised by specific terms. In English-speaking research settings, PwO have expressed preferences for "technical" or health-related terms (e.g., weight; body mass index [BMI]), as opposed to vernacular terms (e.g., fatness), but no such studies have been conducted in a Danish linguistic and cultural setting. The aim of the present study was to investigate preferences of PwO for weight-related terminology in conversations with HCPs in a Danish context.

The study utilised survey data from the Awareness, Care, and Treatment In Obesity maNagement-Denmark (ACTION-DK) study among Danish adults with a self-reported BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2.

A total of 879 Danish adults with obesity completed the questionnaire on preferred weight-related terminology, preferred HCP communication actions in weight loss conversation, and acceptability of HCPs raising the topic of weight. Respondents preferred technical or health related, person-first terminology; weight, overweight, high BMI, and higher weight were most preferred; fat, extra large, chubby, morbid obesity, and curvy were least preferred. A total of 71% respondents appreciated their HCP raising the topic of weight. When prioritising HCP communication actions in weight-loss conversations, PwO emphasised empathy and respectfulness over concrete actions.

The present study is the first to investigate PwO preference for weight-related terminology in a Danish setting, with findings overall in support of similar international studies. The identification of specific, acceptable terms, together with the proportion of respondents appreciating their HCP raising the topic of weight, indicate that respectful conversations between PwO and HCPs about weight are possible. However, HCPs should always enquire about an individual's preferences.