Weight Stigma & Obesity Bias
Special thanks to David Wiljer, Ian Patton & Sanjeev Sockalingam
Content generated as part of the Critical Dialogues For Action Series session on December 4, 2024.
Background
There has been a shift in how society and the health system has viewed obesity. Clinical Practice Guidelines now recognize obesity as a chronic disease with many national and international health and medical organizations acknowledging the same.
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This has implications for how we address and manage this chronic disease, including access to necessary treatment modalities, such as medications, procedures, and psychological supports.
Despite this, Individuals living with obesity continue to face bias and stigma both within society and even within our health system. This impacts accessibility to the physical infrastructure of our health system (for example, waiting room chairs, examining tables that do not accommodate individuals, weighing patients in the hallway, etc.) and also the sense of belonging.
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Everyone deserves respect and dignity in their care. Thus it is incumbent upon health care professionals to advocate that we are demonstrating consistently both compassion by design and universal design in all aspects of our health system.
Key Definitions & Concepts
Language Concordance
“Language concordance occurs when patients and providers communicate in a shared language, whereas language discordance occurs when patients and providers cannot communicate in a shared language.” (reference)
Interpretation
Interpretation deals with spoken language in real-time (in-person, over the phone, or via video). Delivered immediately, prioritizes understanding and communication over perfection. Interpreters must be fluent in both the source and target language as they typically are translating in both directions immediately without assistance from reference materials.
Translation
Translation focuses on written content. Have time to ensure accuracy. Professional translators typically work in one direction: into their own mother tongue.
Plain Language
"Plain language (also called plain writing or plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it...Language that is plain to one set of readers may not be plain to others." (reference)
Chronemics
The study of peoples’ interactions with and interpretation of time, is something obvious when you think about it but is overlooked or goes unnoticed.
Articles & Books
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= EqHS Lab members
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Francophones en contexte linguistique minoritaire au Canada: défis et répercussions sur la santé mentale
H Archambault et al.
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English summary:
"Immigration experiences of Francophones in minority linguistic communities in Canada: challenges and impacts on mental health."