The words and pictures we use about bodies affect how people feel, whether they take part in research and how findings are received. This page sets out the principles we follow across our research on body measurement, shape and health, and brings together guidance and peer-reviewed evidence for collaborators, students and anyone writing about bodies.
Our approach. We put people before conditions, describe bodies neutrally, and ask people which words they prefer. We use “children living with obesity” in place of “obese children”, and we write about the people in our studies before their measurements. Shape is often more informative than size, so we describe what bodies are like as well as how large they are.
Preferences differ. Person-first language suits many contexts, but some communities prefer identity-first terms. Many disabled people in the UK prefer “disabled people”, and many autistic people prefer “autistic person”. We follow the preferences of the people we work with and say so in our methods.
Principles we follow
- Put people first. Describe a person as someone living with a condition, not as the condition itself.
- Use neutral words about weight. Prefer terms such as “weight”, “body size” and “higher weight” to labels that people widely find hurtful, and avoid words that imply blame or laziness.
- Ask, then follow. Ask participants and public contributors which terms they prefer, including for disability, ethnicity and gender, and use their words.
- Choose respectful images. Show whole people doing everyday things, with faces and dignity intact. Avoid headless, rear-view or close-up images of bodies, and use stigma-free image banks.
- Measure with care. Run sessions in private, explain each measure, avoid commenting on numbers, and offer people the choice of seeing their results where the study allows. Our 3D imaging protocols use untextured capture by default and remove faces before data are shared.
- Report without judgement. Present findings about weight and shape in ways that inform care and policy without blaming individuals, families or communities.
Examples
| Instead of | We use |
|---|---|
| obese children | children living with obesity |
| the obese, obese patients | people living with obesity, people with higher weight |
| morbidly obese | people living with severe obesity, or the BMI category stated |
| normal weight | healthy-weight BMI range, or the BMI category stated |
| the disabled, wheelchair-bound | disabled people, wheelchair users (or the person’s preferred terms) |
| suffers from, a victim of | has, lives with |
Guidance and resources
- UK: UK Government: words to use and avoid when writing about disability
Plain guidance on respectful disability language, including the use of “disabled people” as the collective term. - International: APA Style: bias-free language about disability
Explains when to use person-first and identity-first language and why to follow a group’s known preference. - International: World Obesity Federation: language guidelines and image banks
Links to people-first language guidance, media portrayal guides and stigma-free image banks. - International: UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health: weight bias and stigma
Resources on weight stigma for health professionals, families, policymakers and the media, with a media gallery and media guidelines.
Peer-reviewed evidence
- Consensus: Rubino F, Puhl RM, Cummings DE, et al. Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity. Nature Medicine 2020;26(4):485–97. doi:10.1038/s41591-020-0803-x
An international expert consensus, endorsed by scientific organisations, setting out the harms of weight stigma and a pledge to end it, including through respectful language. - Consensus: Albury C, Strain WD, et al. The importance of language in engagement between health-care professionals and people living with obesity: a joint consensus statement. Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology 2020;8(5):447–55. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30102-9
A UK consensus on the language health professionals use with people living with obesity, recommending person-first, non-judgemental communication. - Children: Pont SJ, Puhl R, Cook SR, Slusser W; Section on Obesity; Obesity Society. Stigma experienced by children and adolescents with obesity. Pediatrics 2017;140(6):e20173034. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-3034
A policy statement on weight stigma in childhood and its effects, with recommendations for clinicians that include people-first language. - Children: Puhl RM, Peterson JL, Luedicke J. Parental perceptions of weight terminology that providers use with youth. Pediatrics 2011;128(4):e786–93. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-3841
A survey of parents’ views on the words professionals use about children’s weight, showing that some common terms are seen as stigmatising. - Review: Puhl RM. What words should we use to talk about weight? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies examining preferences for weight-related terminology. Obesity Reviews 2020;21:e13008. doi:10.1111/obr.13008
A systematic review of the terms people prefer when weight is discussed, supporting neutral language and asking people their preferences. - Commentary: Kyle TK, Puhl RM. Putting people first in obesity. Obesity 2014;22(5):1211. doi:10.1002/oby.20727
The case for people-first language in obesity research, care and publishing. - Identity: Kenny L, Hattersley C, Molins B, et al. Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community. Autism 2016;20(4):442–62. doi:10.1177/1362361315588200
A UK survey showing that no single term suits everyone, and that many autistic adults prefer identity-first language, which is why we ask and follow preferences.
Training
- UK: Reducing Weight Stigma in Healthcare Practice: Person-Centred Approaches
A free e-learning module of about 45 minutes from Health Equalities Group and the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance Cancer Academy. - International: Obesity Canada: The Impact of Weight Bias and Stigma
A free, self-paced online course of about two hours in three lessons, with a certificate of completion. Written for health professionals and useful for researchers. - International: UConn Rudd Center: Understanding Weight Stigma and Strategies to Improve Patient Care
A 55-minute video for staff training and seminars, with further resources on the Supportive Obesity Care website.
Talk to us
Please contact the Morphology Research Group at to talk through language, imagery or measurement practice in your own research. See also our patient and public involvement page.
Last reviewed November 2026. We review this page each year.