Congratulations to Dr Liliia Bespala and Dr Charlotte Albury, whose poster “Mitigating Agency for Smoother Weight Loss Advice Interactions: a Conversation and Discourse Analytic Study” has been awarded best poster prize at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Science Conference, March 26th 2024, Oxford.
Summary: Official guidelines recommend that general practitioners provide opportunistic weight loss advice to patients living with obesity. However, unsolicited advice is a problematic type of talk as it potentially undermines the patient's desired public image or "face". Doctors can navigate these challenges through strategic linguistic construction of agency while delivering advice. Our analysis has identified various linguistic tactics employed by GPs to mitigate both their own and patients' agency. These tactics shape the discourse in the following ways: discard doctors' accountability for initiating the topic of weight; delay the initiation of the delicate topic; shift responsibility for living with obesity away from patients; reduce patients' responsibility for weight loss by attributing it to other agents.
Our research highlights the significant role language plays in the delivery of medical guidance. By mitigating agency in discussions on weight loss, doctors can offer opportunistic advice in a manner that is less face-threatening. This supports smoother interactions between healthcare professionals and patients and has the potential to enhance patients’ compliance with recommendations.