I specialize in the fields of two chronic diseases: obesity and diabetes. In each of these areas, stigma is a huge concern. There are dangerous and inaccurate stereotypes about people with obesity or diabetes, such as people being lazy, uninterested in their healthcare, or deserving of their disease because they brought it upon themselves. The truth is that genetic factors play a significant role in these diseases. Most people will need a lifetime of many types of therapies to manage their obesity or diabetes. With this in mind, we need to be thoughtful about the words we use whether talking about ourselves, our family members, our friends, or our patients with obesity & diabetes. I blogged about this for Cecelia Health. Choose your words wisely!