Let’s Talk: Diabetes Stigma in Marketing and Communications

A resource for professionals in the diabetes space

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Diabetes stigma refers to negative social judgments, stereotypes, and prejudices about diabetes or about a person due to their diabetes.1 Research shows that people who experience stigma also experience worse mental, physical, and social health outcomes.1

How we discuss diabetes in professional settings, even when people with diabetes aren’t in the room, can make a difference and help reduce stigma. Choosing the right words and phrases, considering biases, ensuring accurate and respectful representation, and refaming conversations are all approaches you can take today to facilitate more meaningful discussions about diabetes and its related challenges.2,3

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Make a difference by choosing stigma-free language

Diabetes stigma can negatively impact mental health and care outcomes. The words and phrases we use when talking about diabetes in marketing and communications can have an outsized impact. You can positively transform these conversations by choosing language that:

  1. Is neutral, nonjudgmental, and based on facts, actions, or physiology/biology.4,5
  2. Is strengths-based, respectful, inclusive, and imparts hope.4,5
  3. Is person-centered and focuses on the individual’s needs.4,5
  4. Fosters collaboration between people with diabetes and their support networks.4,5

Explore the dStigmatize Resource Library for more specific guidance on how to apply these language tips to topics like diabetes-related complications and diabetes technology.

Reframing conversations about diabetes

As marketing and communications professionals, you have the ability to shape the way people talk about and perceive those living with diabetes through framing. Framing refers to the choices we make about how to explain an issue or problem, what we emphasize, and what we say (or don’t say).2

Our prevailing cultural narrative portrays diabetes as a simple disease caused by “bad” or “lazy” personal health choices. By effectively framing diabetes and choosing words and phrases that are accurate, respectful, and empowering, you can help dismantle these underlying cultural narratives that contribute to diabetes stigma. Here are four framing tips to help you reduce diabetes stigma and communicate more effectively:

1. Make sure diabetes portrayals in media are accurate, respectful, and diverse.3

The way diabetes is currently represented on screen is often inaccurate, overly simplified, or based on stereotypes about what someone with diabetes looks like and how they manage (or don’t manage) their condition. By choosing accurate portrayals of diabetes that highlight each person’s unique experiences, you can help raise awareness among the general public, normalize diabetes management, and clear up damaging misconceptions.

2. Avoid fear-based and crisis messaging.2

These forms of messaging, commonly used as appeals to emotion in marketing, aim to convey the severity of an issue but often lead to a sense of distress, overwhelm, or fatalism. Instead, talk about how we can address diabetes together. Convey urgency while empowering people with concrete solutions.

3. Start with what you want people to know about diabetes instead of repeating damaging myths.2

When you list myths or frequently used stigmatizing or inaccurate statements in a “myth-busting” approach it amplifies harmful narratives. People often remember the first thing they read or hear (the myth), not the corrected information shared afterward. Instead, lead with the accurate, respectful, and empowering information you want people to remember to make a lasting impression.

4. Talk about what we all need to be healthy, while still acknowledging people’s specific needs.2

People with diabetes face significant challenges beyond managing their diagnosis that can stem from stigma and being blamed for their own condition. When we use messages that emphasize what we all need to have good health – like high-quality preventative healthcare, access to safe and exercise-friendly outdoor spaces, and healthy affordable food choices – we divert thinking away from individual blame and toward our common experiences.

For more detailed guidance and additional examples, explore this brief, co-created with the FrameWorks Institute.

Citations

  1. Speight, J., Holmes-Truscott, E., Garza, M., Scibilia, R., Wagner, S., Kato, A., … Skinner, T.C. (2024). Bringing an end to diabetes stigma and discrimination: an international consensus statement on evidence and recommendations. The Lancet Diabetes & endocrinology, 12(1), 61-82.
  2. FrameWorks Institute. (2020). Education is at a Crossroads. Washington, DC: FrameWorks Institute.
  3. The diaTribe Foundation, Beyond Type 1. (2022). A Guide to the Portrayal of Diabetes in Film and Television. dStigmatize resource Library. Retrieved on March 13, 2025 from https://www.dstigmatize.org/resources/a-guide-to-the-portrayal-of-diabetes-in-film-and-television/
  4. Dickinson, J. K., Guzman, S. J., Maryniuk, M. D., O’Brian, C. A., Kadohiro, J. K., Jackson, R. A., D’Hondt, N., Montgomery, B., Close, K. L., & Funnell, M. M. (2017). The Use of Language in Diabetes Care and Education. Diabetes care, 40(12), 1790–1799.
  5. J, S., T C, S., T, D., T, B., G, K., C, L., R, S., & G, J. (2021). Our language matters: Improving communication with and about people with diabetes. A position statement by Diabetes Australia. Diabetes research and clinical practice, 173, 108655.