A couple weeks ago the American Medical Association released a statement declaring obesity a disease. There has been significant resistance and discontent with this decision on blogs and in social media. In a country with a third of its adult population classified as obese one would think a more serious approach to the issue would be welcome. Obesity is the second highest preventable cause of death in America, second to smoking.
The most outspoken voices have not been doctors but obese people themselves who feel offended that their physical condition is now a disease. Many people claim they are happy with their weight and therefore medical judgments should be withheld. It is sort of ridiculous to think that this classification should be reconsidered simply because it offends them to think of themselves as sick. However, this idea is pushed forward by those best identified as belonging to the fat acceptance movement.
The fat acceptance movement has been around for decades and has fought to prevent the discrimination against those considered larger than normal. Obese people face discrimination in the workplace, in social stigma and are often an object of ridicule in media. This discrimination is extremely harmful to society and is definitely worth fighting. However the fat acceptance movement fails the obese when it attempts to deny the negative health effects of obesity. The medical community has spoken out about the claims that obesity can be healthy and have accused the movement of misrepresenting scientific data.
While it may seem like obesity is not a traditional disease like malaria or cancer it still fits within the definition of disease. The major cause of obesity is over-eating and lack of exercise. Because these conditions are considered within a person’s control it is argued that obesity should be a considered a choice rather than a disease. However many diseases can be compared to this: a significant portion of cancer deaths are said to be preventable with better lifestyle choices. Even while over-eating and lack of exercise may be considered a choice, psychologists note that it is extremely hard to overcome these desires and make lifestyle changes.
Obesity could be compared to alcoholism. The individual chooses to make choices that lead to the condition whether it’s drinking excessive alcohol on a regular basis or eating a large amount without exercise. In both cases the individual is usually aware that what they are doing is unhealthy yet continues to do so. Both cases require great willpower to overcome alone. Conditions such as alcoholism are already considered diseases and obesity should be no different. If support groups similar to Alcoholics Anonymous were as commonplace for obesity perhaps it would be easier for people to overcome obesity.
A medical approach to dieting and exercise may be taken more seriously than fad diets and Bowflex. Treating obesity as a disease can allow doctors to more aggressively tackle the problem before the symptoms become severe. A wider range of treatments could be implemented. Additionally this will allow the government to actively encourage action against obesity similar to the campaigns against smoking. Possibly it may open the doors for other common yet deadly behaviors, including living a sedentary lifestyle.
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