Communication, bias, and stigma
Communicating with children, teens, and families about obesity can feel like walking a tightrope between the responsibility to promote health while also preventing harm. Providers use weight and BMI to guide screening, diagnosis, and treatment decisions. At the same time, there are real potential harms if conversations with children and families focus solely on weight and weight loss due to pervasive weight bias and stigma. Children and families benefit when providers treat obesity using a weight-inclusive approach with a holistic view of health and an understanding of the complex pathophysiology of obesity. Providers are challenged to find effective ways to support patients and encourage health behavior change without causing harm. In this chapter, providers will learn: (1) the definitions, prevalence, and consequences of weight bias and stigma; (2) how to identify and critically evaluate personal and professional biases; (3) recommendations for setting up a weight-inclusive clinical practice; and (4) motivational interviewing techniques that can be used to help empower patients and families to engage in positive behavior change without inducing stigma.
