Term 'Obese' better than 'fat' ?

[Eri]

Reading over the below article I got to thinking. At this point in time, to me at least, obese has worse connotations than being fat. If you get called fat, you could be slightly over weight, huge, or whatever is in between. However, if you get called obese, than it is automatically assumed you are on the high end of fat, way past chubby. In the article they call for calling obese people fat, so they take more personal responsibility. Will it really though? Fat to me seems more "okay" than hearing someone is "obese". What do you think?

GPs and other health professionals should tell people they are fat rather than obese, England's public health minister says.

Anne Milton told the BBC the term fat was more likely to motivate them into losing weight.

She said it was important people should take "personal responsibility" for their lifestyles.

But health experts said the word could stigmatise those who are overweight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10789553

 

[Omikron009]

I am not fat or obese, but I would rather be called fat. Fat people can be slightly chubby, whereas obese automatically implies being very overweight. Sure, saying someone is fat isn't very nice, but it's nicer than saying they're obese.

 

[Mechsoap]

fat is okay, obese is kinda neglective, i rather hear a doctor say fat isntaed of obese becouse then i know hes honest atleast instead of hiding behind scientific words
oh and btw

...thought it fit well with the subject

 

[dex-dex]

when people think of fat they of ten or twenty pounds overweight.
when someone describes someone as obese you think of fifty or more pounds.
it a way of describing.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

I am not fat or obese, but I would rather be called fat. Fat people can be slightly chubby, whereas obese automatically implies being very overweight. Sure, saying someone is fat isn't very nice, but it's nicer than saying they're obese.

This. I used to be one of the Chub-Club, and people calling me fat never bothered me, but whenever I heard the term Obese being used anywhere, I always shuddered in disgust and reassured myself I'd never get to that stage.

 

[Simple Bluff]

It's amazing how different words impact our minds even though they both essentially mean the same thing. You're essentially brainwashing people (for lack of a better word - see what I did there?)

I also get the impression that "obese" people are fatter that "fat" people. It sounds a lot more harsh and... well, medical. And medical terms always sound super serious. Is it the word itself that gives us these impressions or are they something we just grew into as humans (sorta like swear words)? Interesting stuff, this.

 

[El Poncho]

Fat varies really, people call them fat when they aren't/ are just a little chubby. Where as Obese is always seen as people with a very large circumfrence.

 

[Tyburn Cross]

I don't see a big point in sugar coating this. Political Correctness is bull, and I will never see it any other way. You can play word semantics all day long, but in the end fat, obese, overweight... It all means the same damn thing. If you think that any of these terms are better than any other, it is because you are tricking yourself into thinking they mean radically different things.

Just my two cents.

 

[Kurokami]

Reading over the below article I got to thinking. At this point in time, to me at least, obese has worse connotations than being fat. If you get called fat, you could be slightly over weight, huge, or whatever is in between. However, if you get called obese, than it is automatically assumed you are on the high end of fat, way past chubby. In the article they call for calling obese people fat, so they take more personal responsibility. Will it really though? Fat to me seems more "okay" than hearing someone is "obese". What do you think?

GPs and other health professionals should tell people they are fat rather than obese, England's public health minister says.

Anne Milton told the BBC the term fat was more likely to motivate them into losing weight.

She said it was important people should take "personal responsibility" for their lifestyles.

But health experts said the word could stigmatise those who are overweight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10789553

I agree that obese is worse, in a more general sense. But if a doctor comes up to you and tells you you're fat, well it seems much more personal than obese, I think anyway.

 

[Rakkana]

I think the nicer way of saying it is calling them "big." Some people become obese when you call them things like fat or obese so I try to be as nice as I can on the subject.

On topic: obesity is linked with real health risks where fat is a term for fatty acids and glycerol. Fat isn't always bad but obesity always is.

 

[Amsus]

I think perhaps that "fat" confronts people with the ,possibly for some, shameful fact of them being fat in a too direct manner to be comfortable. Most people probably have less of a relationship with the word obese therefore making fewer negative connections when that word is said about them thus making that word more comfortable. also in my expeirience fat is often derogatorily while obese is usually connected less with mocking and more with scientific and official settings. But really i don't know.

 

[Natmonkey]

Obese sounds worse than fat, yes. I mean, obese sounds more unhealthy than fat, and fat sounds more insulting than obese.

 

[Sayvara]

"Fat" is an insult and general description... "obsese" is a medical term your doctor uses to tell you that you are so much overweight that it can be scientifically proven that you have shaved off 20-40 years from your expected life span.

I wish this was just snark but, no, it isn't. When you are "obese", that's when it stops being funny and people get genuinely worried you're gonna drop dead.

Speaking of which...


...rest in peace Iz. Why'd you have to have a bigger body than you had voice...

*sighs*

/S

 

[Tharwen]

Obese sounds condescending to my ears. It's basically admitting to the person that you think they're fat but don't want to be cruel about it.

 

[dancinginfernal]

personally the term 'very obese' should be replaced with 'baby elephant' so the person know just how much of a fatty they are.

That made me laugh. Kudos to you.

OT: Obese sounds more articulate as not to offend Fatty McFatFat when the doctor breaks the news. As if Fatty didn't already know.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

"Obese" is not only an ugly-sounding word, but patronizing, as well. I'm fat, and prefer to be called fat. To call me anything else would be talking down to me.

 

[DeathsHands]

Obese tends to have harsher implications than fat in most cases.

 

[The Procrastinated End]

Fat usually means somewhere between a little overweight to wherever you want to well, a lot more overweight, while obese refers to just the latter so it depends on what will motivate the said person.

 

[Plurralbles]

Um... that's downgrading the severity. hell, to sticks I'M fat... Obese is a medical condition that will lead to the patient's death.

 

[Dags90]

Both are fine descriptors. They can both be used with qualifiers for more descriptive accuracy. Someone can be "kinda fat" or "borderline obese" and on the other extreme is "morbidly obese" and "fatty fatty two by four, can't fit through the kitchen door."