What terminology is recommended when describing obesity in physical therapy communications?

• A. A person with obesity
• B. The obese patient
• C. Obesity condition
• D. Patients with obesity

Answer: (A)

In healthcare communication, focusing on person-first language is essential. Describing someone as “a person with obesity” puts the person first and treats the condition as one aspect of their health, not their entire identity. This approach reduces stigma, supports a respectful, collaborative relationship, and helps patients feel seen as individuals who are more than their diagnosis.

Using “the obese patient” labels the person by their condition, which can carry bias and diminish their individuality. Describing the condition as just “obesity” or as “an obesity condition” can reduce the person to a diagnosis and sound clinical rather than person-centered. While “patients with obesity” uses person-first structure, it shifts toward a general group rather than addressing a specific individual; for talking with or about a single patient, “a person with obesity” is the most appropriate and respectful choice.