Psychologists report states obesity stigma must stop

[DCUK NewsBot]

Healthcare professionals are being urged to avoid weight stigmatising and insensitive remarks when it comes to treating people with obesity. A report published by the British Psychological Society has stated that although obesity can be linked to behaviours it does not always involve choice, personal responsibility or a lack of willpower. The authors have recommended clinicians look at improving sensitivity of language. One of the ways recommended is to use terms such as "people living with obesity" rather than labelling someone as obese. They said: "It is important to avoid language and explanations that locate the 'problem' of obesity within individuals." 29% of UK adults are living with obesity according to figures from 2017. Having obesity is one of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. The report stated: "Obesity is not simply down to an individual's lack of willpower. The people who are most likely to be an unhealthy weight are those who have a high genetic risk of developing obesity and whose lives are also shaped by work, school and social environments that promote overeating and inactivity. "People who live in deprived areas often experience high levels of stress, including major life challenges and trauma, often their neighbourhoods offer few opportunities and incentives for physical activity and options for accessing affordable healthy food are limited." Diabetes Digital Media is one of the organisations that is helping people to develop lifestyle changes that can help towards significant weight loss. The Low Carb Program has shown that people that complete the program lose 7.4kg on average after one year. Dr Angel Chater, author of the report, said: "If the treatment for obesity was easy, we wouldn't be here and wouldn't have written this report. "You might have the best willpower in the world, but if you don't have access to the right food, the right environment, the best start in life... it will be tough."

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[Hotpepper20000]

Having obesity is one of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

 

[Pipp]

Oh for goodness sake.
My significant other lives with obesity. (Me being the obese one). I don’t. He is of normal weight. I am the fat one!
Now feel like I have been stigmatised as having a poor start in life, not taking exercise, and not having access to healthy food, but hey, its ok. I don’t lack willpower.
Thanks British Psychological Society.

 

[Brunneria]

Thank you for the posts above.

I had to click away from this thread before I said something very unbefitting a mod!

 

[Chelseagirl 2]

When I was diagnosed as T2 I weighed just over 8 stones at 5’8”. Hardly overweight. The thing that bugs me is how T2s are always associated with obesity when this is not the case.

 

[Pipp]

Thank you for the posts above.

I had to click away from this thread before I said something very unbefitting a mod!

Aww, I would have loved to see your take on it.

 

[Brunneria]

Aww, I would have loved to see your take on it.

You can

** *** ***** ****. **** * **** ** ******* ******* ********* *******.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

You can

** *** ***** ****. **** * **** ** ******* ******* ********* *******.

I chose to give you a funny rating to light the mood, but it really isn’t.
Not sure how so called professionals can still get it so wrong!!!

 

[zand]

I wonder if any of these experts have asked obese people how they feel about the subject? And having asked, actually listened to the reply? They could try seeing us as individual human beings not just a set of characteristics.

 

[Member496333]

Having obesity is one of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Mary mother of Jebus. Any chance we can have NewsBot reprogrammed to STOP parroting this damaging misinformation?

 

[Dark Horse]

Mary mother of Jebus. Any chance we can have NewsBot reprogrammed to STOP parroting this damaging misinformation?

It's not misinformation, it's true. People who are obese are more likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who are not obese. Possibly your objection arises because you think that 'obesity is a risk factor for diabetes' is synonymous with 'obesity causes diabetes'? Saying that something is a 'risk factor' tells you nothing about cause and effect. For example, diabetic retinopathy is said to be a risk factor for kidney disease. That does not mean that diabetic retinopathy causes kidney disease - both are more likely with prolonged hyperglycaemia.

 

[Member496333]

Possibly your objection arises because you think that 'obesity is a risk factor for diabetes' is synonymous with 'obesity causes diabetes'?

Yes, because that is what everyone thinks when they read it. Mostly because that is the general belief. Hence my objection. You are right.

 

[jpscloud]

"The report stated: "Obesity is not simply down to an individual's lack of willpower. The people who are most likely to be an unhealthy weight are those who have a high genetic risk of developing obesity and whose lives are also shaped by work, school and social environments that promote overeating and inactivity."

Ok this bit has some value, but the link also needs to be made to the proliferation and normalisation of snacking on sugar - I would lapse less if it wasn't shoved in my face by advertising and presented to me on pain of social disapproval at work (coffee mornings, birthdays etc).

 

[zand]

It's not misinformation, it's true. People who are obese are more likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who are not obese. Possibly your objection arises because you think that 'obesity is a risk factor for diabetes' is synonymous with 'obesity causes diabetes'? Saying that something is a 'risk factor' tells you nothing about cause and effect. For example, diabetic retinopathy is said to be a risk factor for kidney disease. That does not mean that diabetic retinopathy causes kidney disease - both are more likely with prolonged hyperglycaemia.

Hmmm 'cause and effect'. Good point. Well there's certainly a correlation between obesity and T2. There is a simple reason for this. T2 is often characterised by insulin resistance. Insulin resistance often occurs many years before T2 diagnosis. Insulin resistance causes obesity. So T2 causes obesity, so of course there's a correlation! I am not sure you can really call obesity a risk factor for T2 when the patient probably already has had T2 for years, and their poor overworked pancreas has done a stellar job at keeping BG levels at 'non diabetic' levels until it finally can't keep up.

I would say that what causes T2 is the failure of the medical profession to test IR and insulin levels at the stage where the patient first begins to put on weight. Just a couple of tests early on would save the NHS a lot of money and save the patient a lot of suffering. If only I had had these test 30 years ago....

 

[Mr_Pot]

Hmmm 'cause and effect'. Good point. Well there's certainly a correlation between obesity and T2. There is a simple reason for this. T2 is often characterised by insulin resistance. Insulin resistance often occurs many years before T2 diagnosis. Insulin resistance causes obesity. So T2 causes obesity, so of course there's a correlation! I am not sure you can really call obesity a risk factor for T2 when the patient probably already has had T2 for years, and their poor overworked pancreas has done a stellar job at keeping BG levels at 'non diabetic' levels until it finally can't keep up.

I would say that what causes T2 is the failure of the medical profession to test IR and insulin levels at the stage where the patient first begins to put on weight. Just a couple of tests early on would save the NHS a lot of money and save the patient a lot of suffering. If only I had had these test 30 years ago....

What would the patient do having had the tests? If they did anything effective it would be to eat less carbs, but they could do that anyway without having a test. It is not the lack of testing but lack of suitable advice to those putting on weight that is the problem.

 

[Member496333]

Insulin profiling at regular health screenings would be a good place to start in tackling obesity and all the other common symptoms of metabolic syndrome. If cost is a factor then it could be done in lieu of fairly meaningless cholesterol testing. But this is not going to happen in my lifetime because it opens pandora's box on several decades of disastrous dietary advice.

 

[zand]

What would the patient do having had the tests? If they did anything effective it would be to eat less carbs, but they could do that anyway without having a test. It is not the lack of testing but lack of suitable advice to those putting on weight that is the problem.

Well when I was finally told that I had fatty liver and that 'nothing could be done for it' , I went away and looked up fatty liver and its
causes and within a month my ALT test was vastly improved. I learnt that fizzy drinks and carbs and fructose cause it and that it goes hand in hand with insulin resistance. If only I had known that before!

The biggest effect of these tests though would be to make HCPs finally understand IR and T2 and hopefully change their dietary advice.

Well a girl can dream...

 

[NicoleC1971]

I think we're all agreeing here that obesity is a symptom rather than a cause and possibly obesity in itself is not sufficient to cause diabetes without insulin resistance, but think the thrust of the argument by the psychologists was that fat shaming in an increasingly fat or obese world makes having the condition of obesity, a moral failing and this isn't helpful.
Since it is the British Psychological Society and they have no knowledge or authority to discuss the hormonal theory of obesity, they have not given us many ideas on why people get fat other than the usual socioeconomic ones.
Unfortunately there are people who take it further than the BPS by encouraging acceptance of obesity e.g. Fit At Any Size and the concept of thin privilege OR campaigners who object to a medical term (obesity) being linked to the big C etc. etc. As obesity and identify politics continue to grow I am guessing 'people living with obesity' will become the new victim group.

 

[Pipp]

I think my initial objection was the implication that anyone who is obese should be treated like a delicate snowflake who must not be made to feel upset by the reality that they are obese.
The term ‘living with obesity’ seems ridiculous and a somewhat inedequate politically correct term so as not to offend.

 

[lucylocket61]

"Living with"

I live with obesity. I live with diabetes. I live with ME.

I negotiate my life around their effects, they are with me 24/7. But they do not define me as a human being.

Just my take on the term.