If you want to change the world, sometimes you have to change the words.
My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at eight years old and was instantly labeled as a “diabetic,” which always bothered me. To put my child in a box defined by a disease was shortsighted, hurtful, and confusing. To me, he was the same Sam who loved football, music and playing outside with his friends – yes, diabetes was a new part of his life, but it didn’t define his childhood or the life he has built for himself since. I was quick to change the narrative when this label was put on him. “No, he’s not a diabetic,” I’d say. “Actually, he is a person who has lots of qualities we can talk about…and also happens to have diabetes.” I also promised to work to find a cure for diabetes, keep people healthy until we did find the cure (we’re getting closer), and started a company to empower people with chronic conditions, like diabetes, to live better and healthier lives.
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What we learned about labeling people with diabetes, turns out, applies to other conditions we’re facing today across our health and care ecosystem. The last thing someone living with a health condition wants is to be reminded of it constantly or told that their condition defines who they are. It’s simply not true and it’s not fair. We can do better.
Change the words, change the world
Diabetes is just one of many examples where language matters. Words matter and shape not only our perceptions but also the experiences of individuals living with a health condition.
Some years ago, I was visiting some veterans recovering from injuries at Walter Reed. I asked one of them about PTSD—post-traumatic stress disorder. He said, “around here, we just call it post-traumatic stress.” When I asked him why, he said, “If you went through what we went through, you wouldn’t think it’s a disorder, you would probably think it was a normal response.” Wow. So, let’s not add “disorder” to an already challenging condition.
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Right now, the term “obesity” is dominating headlines. While it might seem like a straightforward descriptor for a medical condition, its implications run deeper, often laden with stigma and judgment. We can start with the origin of the word “obese,” as it comes from the Latin “obesus,” which means “having eaten oneself fat.” It’s time to rethink our language surrounding weight-related issues and advocate for a more compassionate and inclusive approach.
The connotations of the word “obesity” can affect people’s mental and emotional well-being and even exacerbate clinical bias and hamper their access to adequate health, care and support. The term obesity implies that health is determined by body size, lifestyle, or an individual’s physical appearance rather than clinical factors. How might we reframe the conversation around health and empower people to claim the support they deserve? Let’s start by eliminating the word obesity.
Weight health
There are people living in all body sizes who are seeking health support regarding their weight. Instead of fixating on a single indicator as the determinant of health, we would be wise to adopt a more holistic approach that prioritizes well-being over numbers on a scale. Rather than labels like “obese,” let’s instead talk about individual journeys to weight health. So, whether a person’s motivation is a medical diagnosis, genetic predisposition, comorbidity, eating disorder or just to live a more fulfilling life – they can access care they need without label. I believe that a comprehensive and inclusive weight health conversation can set the stage for change and help expand access to weight health care for all.
Now is the time to stop the stigma
By eliminating the term “obesity” in favor of person-centric language, we pave the way for a more equitable healthcare system that prioritizes the well-being of all individuals, regardless of their size or shape. Implicitly, we challenge harmful stereotypes and acknowledge that weight is influenced by many factors, including genetics, environment, and socio-economic status.
With new resources added to our arsenal to make it as easy as possible to focus on health, let’s do so without any stigma. Now is our time to embrace language in health and care that recognizes people before their disease and appreciate that no two health journeys are the same.
Let’s eliminate obesity and focus people on their weight health journeys and getting healthy. And, while we will still be facing weight related challenges next year and long into our futures, let’s make this the last World Obesity Week.
Photo: Peter Dazeley, Getty Images
Glen Tullman is the Chief Executive Officer of Transcarent, the first comprehensive, consumer-directed health and care platform that makes it easy for people to access high-quality, affordable health and care. Tullman is the former Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder of Livongo Health, the first at-scale consumer digital health company to truly empower people with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives using data science.
Before Livongo, Tullman served as Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts and of Enterprise Systems, taking both companies public.
Glen is a Founding Partner at 7wireVentures, one of the highest-returning venture capital funds in Illinois. Glen was honored in 2019 with a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award and serves as a Life Director of the Illinois Chapter of JDRF, the leading organization advancing life-changing breakthroughs for Type 1 Diabetes.
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