Fat or obese?

[Lumpy1]

Just picked up a 'Diet and Arthritis' information booklet during a routine visit with OH. Noted that the booklet refers to obese people as 'fat' or 'very fat'.

Now I always thought that obese is a worse phrase, and seems more serious as medical terminology. Being called fat or very fat by a doctor just seems like playground bullying at best or will have a counter-productive effect on the patient at worse. Or is it just me?

 

[TRISTAR]

It sounds awful. Sadly fattism hasnt yet been outlawed like sexism and racism

 

[kimlo]

Yeah I agree.
Fat seems an immature term.

 

[Nini89]

(what are we doing up at this hour?! Haha) but yes I think obese is a more serious term. Fat is just a horrible mean word that bullies use and should not be included in medical terminology.