The Importance of Language in Behavior Change

Abstract

Communication between health care providers and patients is important for behavioral treatment in lifestyle medicine. Ineffective communication can lead to patient dissatisfaction, demotivation, and discontinuation of treatment. It is important for health care providers to understand their biases, praise patients’ behaviors rather than health outcomes, and use language to prevent dichotomous thinking. These strategies may lead to sustained lifestyle behavior changes and better treatment outcomes among patients.