28% of adults in the UK are classified as obese, while 63% are overweight or obese, according to NHS statistics.(Representative Image: Pexels)  
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UK Health Officials Advised to Use Inclusive Language for Obesity and Other Conditions

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) has made a notable change in medical terminology by advising healthcare workers to avoid using the term "obese," opting instead for "people with obesity."

MBT Desk

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) has implemented a significant change in medical terminology, directing healthcare workers to stop using the term "obese" and instead use "people with obesity". New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has instructed UK health workers to avoid describing people as "obese". The directive is part of a comprehensive language initiative aimed at promoting sensitivity in healthcare communication.


The guide emphasizes that circumstances define what a person has rather than who they are. "Diseases are treated, not people. Conditions, not individuals, are monitored," the document states. Terms like "obese," as well as "diabetic," "schizophrenic," and "alcoholic" are also discouraged in favor of people's first language. Some of these are:

People who experience weight discrimination are 2.7 times more likely to become depressed, at an increased risk of suicidal behavior, and more likely to develop anxiety disorders. (Image from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) directive)

Criticism and Controversy

However, the guidance has sparked a backlash, with critics arguing that health care leadership is prioritizing language over tangible improvements in clinical care. Dr Alka Sehgal-Corbett, director of Don't Divide Us, criticized the move, saying NHS leadership appeared to focus more on the "language of policing" than on improving healthcare services.

Most of us know that a diabetic or an alcoholic is a person. The NHS leadership seem more interested in policing language than improving either healthcare or the quality of management and leadership.
Dr. Alka Sehgal-Corbett, Director of Campaign Group Don’t Divide Us
Obesity-related conditions contribute to around 30,000 deaths per year in the UK. People with obesity are five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and are at higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. (Representative image: Pexels)
A fat lot of help that will be, if I'm allowed to use that word. What a 'person with obesity' needs is not a nice new label, but a GP appointment so they can get a prescription for Ozempic.
Lord Young, Founder of the Free Speech Union

He further criticized the effort as an example of "obsessive language policing" by progressive bureaucrats.

This is not the first time NICE has faced scrutiny over its language guidelines. In 2023, the organization recommended replacing "pregnant women" with "pregnant persons" to promote gender inclusion, a move that also sparked debate. (Rehash/Muhammad Faisal/NDTV World)

Reference:

1. The Telegraph, "Do not call fat people obese, ‘sensitivity’ guide tells NHS workers" https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/01/do-not-call-fat-people-obese-nhs-sensitivity-guide/ Accessed on 4-Feb-2025

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal/MSM)

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