A March 2020 study by Leeds University said,  

  • "…weight stigma and discrimination are common within healthcare settings and affects the quality of care that patients receive."

  • "Attributions of personal responsibility can lead to bias... with a person's health status perceived to be within an individual's control, which leads to fault and blame.

  •  Obesity is "...a complex, multifaceted health condition that can be caused by, for instance, by genetics, epigenetics, biological, environmental, and societal factors."

  • "The most striking difference is that the language used about cancer is positive, reflecting optimism and hope … When compared with obesity, the language is negative, reflecting pessimism, fear and unpleasantness."

The report’s proposals include

  1. Using “object descriptions such as "weight" or "excess weight"”

  2. Putting “people first - not using 'obese people' but 'people with obesity'”

  3. Being “accurate in the description of the complex causes of weight gain”

  4. No implying “there is a group of people who do not wish to manage their weight.”