Reference no: EM133266551

Question: People-first language involves putting a person with a disability first instead of labeling them by their disease. What this means is that rather than calling someone an obese person, we would refer to them as someone who has obesity or is affected by obesity. Using this method of communication has been shown to affect attitudes and behavioral intentions toward people with disabilities. It has also been shown to influence these people about how to feel living with their condition and how likely they are to seek our primary care physicians and/or registered dietitians. Using people first gives them a sense of feeling human in an already scary environment. When healthcare providers utilize people-first language there is more of a chance for people to seek out their care as opposed to looking for other healthcare providers who stigmatize them about their weight. 19% of people reported avoiding future appointments because of the way their PCP spoke about their condition and 21% reported that they would seek out a new physician entirely if their original PCP stigmatized them for their condition. (People-First Language, 2021) "Stigma causes harm that rivals or exceeds the physical harm of obesity. The physical harm of obesity accumulates slowly over time and may not be seen clinically for years, but the harm that stigma causes is immediate and profound." (Stanford & Kyle, 2018)