
Diabetes Stigma
Diabetes stigma can manifest as blame, shame, judgement, or negative stereotypes toward people because they have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. This problem extends to the healthcare setting, and some physicians who treat patients with type 2 diabetes stereotype these patients as lazy, lacking motivation, and non-compliant with treatment. In this module, we explore the role healthcare professionals play in addressing the health harms of stigma in their patients with type 2 diabetes and strategies to provide them with supportive and compassionate care.
Addressing stigma to improve patient care for people with type 2 diabetes
A summary of strategies that healthcare professionals can implement to reduce these forms of stigma in clinical practice and improve supportive healthcare delivery to patients with type two diabetes.
Intersecting harms of diabetes stigma and weight stigma
People with diabetes can experience stigma both because of their diabetes and because of their body weight. This video examines both diabetes stigma and weight stigma, and their harmful impact on individuals with diabetes.
Diabetes stigma and its harm for people with type 2 diabetes
Several key factors are necessary to reduce stigma in clinical practice and improve care for patients with type 2 diabetes. These include addressing healthcare professionals’ assumptions about diabetes and obesity, promoting respectful communication, and creating a welcoming and appropriate clinic environment for patients.
Content Referenced in this Module
How can we improve healthcare for people of all body sizes?
Professor Puhl highlights how we can adapt our attitudes, language, and environment to provide satisfactory care.
Communicating with compassion and respect to dispel stigma
Learn what forms of communication to use (and avoid) for optimizing supportive conversations with patients.
A patient’s perspective of weight bias: Insights from Patty Nece
Patty describes what it is like to be a patient experiencing weight stigma in the healthcare setting.
How weight bias hinders healthcare: Observations from Dr. Jaime Almandoz, M.D.
A discussion with Dr. Jaime Almandoz, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, & Division of Endocrinology, UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Guided self-reflection on weight stigma in healthcare
Become more aware of your views about body size, interactions with patients, and strategies for ongoing, reflective practice.
Motivational interviewing
How to use motivational interviewing, an evidence-based approach for guiding behavior change, with example scripts for patient interactions.
Reflective listening
How to use reflective listening strategies to improve the quality of your communication with patients of diverse body sizes.
Patient-centered language
A summary of how to use patient-centered language when talking about body weight.
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