Using the phrase ‘pig out’ is no longer acceptable as it makes obese people feel like animals, according to new guidelines.
Talking about a ‘war on obesity’ makes overweight people feel like the enemy, and they should be referred to as ‘individuals with higher weight’, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) said.
In the latest attempt to address ‘stigmatising’ language, dietitians have taken aim at ‘dehumanising’ words for overeating.
They caution against the use of phrases like ‘pig out’, ‘eating like a horse’ or ‘wolfing down dinner’ which, they claim, may make people feel like animals.
Dr Adrian Brown, from the Centre of Obesity Research at University College London, who helped to draw up the guidelines, has even expressed concerns about terms like ‘chubby’ and ‘morbidly obese’.
Using the phrase ‘pig out’ is no longer acceptable as it makes obese people feel like animals, according to new guidelines from the British Dietetic Association (stock image)
Critics today lambasted the ‘ridiculous’ guidelines issued to all BDA members.
Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘In producing “balanced guidelines” for their in-house communications, the authors have taken medical correctness to a slightly ridiculous level.
‘As health professionals, dietitians should never use language that anyone might deem offensive but to state that an obese person is an “individual with higher weight” beggars belief.
‘Overweight and obese are clear and universally recognised medical descriptions and should be used.’
The guidelines, published at the end of last year, warn that shaming people about their weight can mean they avoid seeking medical care.
They advise using language like ‘encouraging health-promoting behaviours’ and ‘supporting people with overweight or obesity’ while vetoing any mention of ‘fighting obesity’ or the ‘obesity crisis’ — despite figures showing almost two-thirds of people in the UK are overweight or obese, which raises the risk of health problems including type 2 diabetes.
They also suggest the term ‘individual with a higher weight’ may be appropriate in some instances and stipulate that images of obese people should not represent them as being lazy, unhappy or eating very poor diets, but should show them as human beings engaging in everyday activities.
Dr Brown, chair of the specialist obesity group of the BDA, said: ‘There are so many phrases around eating and obesity which are dehumanising, whether it is talking about ‘pigging out’ or ‘stuffing your face’.
‘People who are living with obesity are made to feel gluttonous, which is discriminatory.
‘Obesity is a long-term, progressive, relapsing condition with genetic, biological and social causes.
‘We should stop blaming people for their weight in a society where there is highly accessible cheap and calorific food which our brains are attracted to.’
He added: ‘People living with obesity should be protected from discrimination, but we see it everywhere, particularly on the television, from the character of Monica in Friends who was the butt of jokes when she was living with obesity, to Daddy Pig in Peppa Pig, who often has Peppa pointing at his belly and making comments about his weight.’
Dr Duane Mellor, a member of the BDA from Aston University, said: ‘Living with a higher body weight is too often judged by others, and deemed to be less good or less able, which is simply wrong.
‘We focus on weight and looks and not health and function.
In the latest attempt to address ‘stigmatising’ language, dietitians have taken aim at ‘dehumanising’ words for overeating (stock image)
‘So words like ‘pig out’ have the effect of making the person less human and more animal.
‘Similarly, phrases like war on obesity have the effect of appearing to put society against groups, who not by choice, but by a combination of genetics, environment and situation, happen to be living in a larger body.’
Lee Monks, from the Plain English Campaign, said: ‘Fat-shaming is a real issue, but the idea that we avoid factual, scientific terms in order to avoid reality – for whatever reason – seems unnecessary.
‘There is no cruelty in stating facts if this is done so in a neutral way.
‘Obesity is not a pejorative term but one which describes a medical condition. ‘Individuals with higher weight’ seems convoluted and fussy.
‘Pig out is a readily understood term for eating too much.
‘Again, context and tone is key, but umbrage generally in this case seems far-fetched.’