AMA: Obesity is a disease
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The definition of a disease is too lax, thus being easily manipulated you can make it cover any unsavory condition connected to humanity. After all even Merriam-Webster is non specific essentially saying it is 2) a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, Essentially one could argue that because over eating leads to health conditions that affect the human body, it is a disease.
Personally I think it's just another way to charge more money to people with health plans, which is now going to be everybody in the USA, therefore promoting more income. Smokers and obese people, I am sure us people that are alcoholics (determined by drinks a week) will be next.
Follow the money. ^_^
Agree, wholeheartedly.
In addition, some folks DO have medical issues which lead to obesity, and genetics can play a role, but it's nature/nurture, most of the time. You can let it happen or you can educate yourself, be proactive, or if you've let yourself reach obesity (Like i did) you can make the necessary changes in your lifestyle and mindset to shift the scales. Even if you have medical issues causing it, there are almost always meds that will help balance your internal chemistry, which allows you the clarity or sanity to get in shape!0 -
My ONLY issue with this is I suspect this will make it easier for the people seeking SSI because of their morbid obesity to actually get those payments.
Sorry I actually AM a sympathetic person. And actual quite liberal about many things. But I do NOT approve of ANY tax dollars paying someone because they are "too fat to work".
This is already a common practice. Doubtful that this will make it more common as you either are or are not given the necessary paperwork by your physician. They were able to give that before. This doesn't change that. Being obese is not automatically making people physically disabled... there are people out there with cancer and everything else who are not on disability. I'm working with one as we speak.
Also, I know people who are on disability for various health reasons. It's barely enough money to get by. I wouldn't want to be on it even if I fit the criteria; it would not come close to supporting my lifestyle. I don't think it's something people are excited to get on, know what I mean?
I agree, my mom was "forced" onto disability. It was either apply or not be allowed to work with nothing to support her self on. All she wants to do is get back to work and has been doing everthing she needs to hopefully get the doctor's approval to work at least part time. SSI is nothing compared to working and getting a paycheck.0 -
No personal responsibility any more.
Really? After people sued the cigarette manufacturers, and the drive thru where they got the coffee they dropped on themselves, and the mall they walked into when they slipped in a bit of rain someone tracked in two minutes before them, you think the AMA decision heralds the end of personal responsibility??
for the record, the coffee burn on that woman's lap that people like to talk about and use an example of people not taking personal responsibility... actually scalded her with 3rd degree burns on her thighs and nether-regions that required serious medical intervention, the coffee was hotter than it was supposed to be (the woman was in the hospital for days and required skin grafts), and she only sued because they refused to cover her medical treatment, which is all she asked for originally.
Very true. Read the facts: http://www.caoc.org/index.cfm?pg=facts
That's corporate responsibility, not personal. How was she supposed to know the coffee was almost 200 degrees? I've had some pretty hot coffee, but it's never been that hot. There's a difference between this case and the "McDonald's makes me fat!" case.
My point still stands.
The AMA decision is hardly the end of personal responsibility that some people are making it out to be. That ship has sailed.0 -
After reading some of the comments here, I can see the rationale behind it. I still don't personally agree with calling it a disease though.
:facepalm:"A reason often given for making the declaration is that it would help remove the stigma that obesity is a result of eating too much or exercising too little."0 -
nope. You cant pop pills and make obesity go away. Its not a disease.
This. It's too easy to say "it's not my fault, I have a disease". We need to make people more not less responsible for their health.
There is another perspective. When people go to the doctor and learn they have emphysema (sp?), they stop smoking. When they learn that they have bipolar disorder, they take meds. When they learn that they have arthritis, they change their habits to alleviate the pain.
Who is to say that if people are told that obesity is a disease that will kill them and make them uncomfortable, they won't suddenly find the motivation to get treatment?
Sure, they should know that already, but by calling it a disease, it may have more impact on the individual to get it treated. The point that people are missing is that this was done with the intent to instigate changes that will lead to some positive outcomes. Granted that there are pitfalls, but with every decision, there are pitfalls. However, something has to change if we expect the problem to change, and maybe all that is needed is for society to change the way that it looks at the problem.
Except a person with emphysema may or may not stop smoking (you'd be surprised how many still smoke, oxygen tubes in their noses which is HIGHLY stupid). A person with bipolar can choose not to take their meds. A person with arthritis can choose to take pain meds or not. Meaning that, diagnosed with a disease or not, a person still has a choice whether or not to take action. A person with cancer doesn't have to undergo chemo treatments. A person with HIV doesn't have to take antivirals. An obese person doesn't have to choose to lose weight. I don't understand how classifying something as a disease automatically removes personal responsibility from the picture. You either choose to treat your illness or you don't.
Besides, there are many other diseases that are caused by poor personal practices. What about gingivitis? Most often caused by poor oral hygiene, usually easily treatable by changing personal habits, or a person can just decide they don't care and will eventually lose all their teeth. Still a disease, though.0 -
Hmm...another thought: Type 2 Diabetes is a disease, right? Well, many of those who suffer from it, and have gone on to lose weight, start eating better and exercise, have actually reversed their situation and are no longer suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
I think obesity should NOT be classified as a disease, because it is reversible. There are curable, incurable and manageable diseases out there. The ones that can be cured through lifestyle management are, in my opinion, not really "diseases", but "afflictions".0 -
I do not think that obesity is a disease. There are many people who are classified as obese simply because of weight. I am considered obese but I do not have all the markers of an unhealthy person. No diabetes, no high blood pressure, my cholesterol is in the normal range. Resting heart rate is in the 70's. My doctor whom I adore says I am fit but fat. I’m working on the numbers on the scale so I can have the obesity label removed from my chart but if they did not look at the number on the scale they would have no clue that I was overweight. Also everyone is not meant to be a size small . I think it is important to be healthy and we should work towards that.0
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nope. You cant pop pills and make obesity go away. Its not a disease.
And if we follow that logic, neither are HIV, diabetes, or cancer.
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this classification. I think obesity is more likely a secondary symptom of a broader spectrum disorder. I do believe it needs to be classified for treatment accessibility purposes, I'm just not sure that this classification is the right one. That said, it's better than simply dismissing it as "eat better, work out more, and you'll be fine." It's just not that simple for everybody.0 -
I don't think alcoholisim is a disease either- but that could be another topic...0
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June 18, 2013
Consumer Group Fires Back at American Medical Association Vote to Declare Obesity a Disease
Washington, D.C. – The nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) criticized a vote by the American Medical Association (AMA) today at its annual conference that classifies obesity as a disease.
J. Justin Wilson, CCF’s Senior Research Analyst, released the following statement regarding the misguided decision:
Labeling obesity a “disease” does a disservice to the millions of Americans trying to lose weight. It only serves to set them up for failure, as they blame their newly-defined affliction, rather than their own lack of personal responsibility. No one denies that the obesity equation is relatively simple: if you eat too much and exercise too little, you’ll put on weight.
This is the only disease that I’m aware of that can be cured by going for a long walk. Obesity is, fundamentally, an issue of personal irresponsibility, period.
If we’re going to win the “war” on obesity, we cannot afford to have overweight individuals say to themselves, “I can’t help it, I’m sick.” It was a lack of personal responsibility that caused them to put on the pounds, and as study after study demonstrates, only personal responsibility will help them lose it.0 -
Is obesity contagious? If so, I think I caught it from my friends. Damn them!
In all seriousness, I can see vague arguments for obesity being a disease. But I didn't get this way because I developed something or contracted it. I thought, "Hey, I really like fried chicken. Let's have some of that!" Many of our eating habits are linked with the way we think. So please explain to me why anorexia nervosa is a mental illness/eating disorder and obesity is a disease.
^^ nailed it.. it is very much a mental disorder. it deserves funding to get to the root of the problem. We need to figure out the WHY....0 -
i don't think diet and exercise can cure aids or cancer?
Actually, there's evidence that capsaicin (the compound in peppers that makes them hot) can destroy tumor cells. In other words, eating hot peppers may have the potential to "cure cancer".
Also, the only treatment for Celiac is diet.0 -
Being lazy and uneducated about a healthy lifestyle = Obesity.0
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No personal responsibility any more.
Really? After people sued the cigarette manufacturers, and the drive thru where they got the coffee they dropped on themselves, and the mall they walked into when they slipped in a bit of rain someone tracked in two minutes before them, you think the AMA decision heralds the end of personal responsibility??
for the record, the coffee burn on that woman's lap that people like to talk about and use an example of people not taking personal responsibility... actually scalded her with 3rd degree burns on her thighs and nether-regions that required serious medical intervention, the coffee was hotter than it was supposed to be (the woman was in the hospital for days and required skin grafts), and she only sued because they refused to cover her medical treatment, which is all she asked for originally.
Very true. Read the facts: http://www.caoc.org/index.cfm?pg=facts
That's corporate responsibility, not personal. How was she supposed to know the coffee was almost 200 degrees? I've had some pretty hot coffee, but it's never been that hot. There's a difference between this case and the "McDonald's makes me fat!" case.
My point still stands.
The AMA decision is hardly the end of personal responsibility that some people are making it out to be. That ship has sailed.
Simply because it seems to be what's happened already, doesn't mean it needs to continue. Things need to be turned around.0 -
So I can get disability for not exercising? :drinker:
PMSL
c'mon people... obesity is not a disease! It's a symptom of something else that MAY be medical OR it may just be pure greed and laziness...
Whatever....0 -
No doubt that obesity is a disease and an epidemic at that. Turning things around begins with the individual. I stopped blaming myself for the situation I was in and started doing something positive about it. The medical community treats the physical symptoms of obesity but obesity also has mental health implications. I'm fortunate enough to be treating both the physical and mental side which not only makes the journey feasible, but enjoyable.0
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You all make me angry.0
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I don't think obesity in and of itself is a disease. BUT just like alcoholism it does have its addiction. There are chemical changes when you eat obviously to metabolize what you eat. AND the the old adage does apply for you are what you eat. Now don't get your panties in a knot. We didn't start out wanting to get overweight but the need to anesthetize, cope, pleasure,etc. just kept it going. Those of us who have had lots of weight to lose know that our psychological reasons outweigh our need to eat. So the addiction becomes our illness. No matter what it is very hard to overcome the psychological reasons for eating. It can be a best friend and our worst enemy all in one.
Oh... it is a huge pet peeve of mine when people compare overeating to addiction. I respect your opinion, but as a recovering addict AND someone who has been in the range of morbid obesity, these two are not the same. There is a psychological aspect to the compulsion to overeat, however, addiction is a physical change in the brain. Very few chemicals found in food have the same effect. The ones that do have an insignificant effect or are completely illegal.
I totally agree. Of course there are some people who do have food addictions but generally overeating has much to do with lack of education.
As a kid, we were accustomed to having 2-3 servings of our dinner. Then we would have ice cream every night, not a scoop or two but a fully packed cereal bowl. I followed the lead of my parents. Naturally, my stomach adjusted to the large mass of food I put in it and unless I was painfully full, I thought I was still hungry. Now of course I have trained myself to feel full on ONE serving of dinner and ice cream is usually 2-3 small scoops that fill about half the bowl, once a month or so.0 -
Just a quick question to those that think Obesity shouldn't be classed as a disease as it's a result of the " sufferer's " own actions.
Just to play Devil's Advocate here.
If a person contracts Aids due to a promiscuous lifesyle, unprotected with multiple partners - does that mean HIV / AIDS is no longer a disease?
If a person has Heart Disease caused by a lifetime of eaing unhealthily - does tha mean the Hear Disease is no longer a disease?
If a mother catches Measles looking after her infected child - is the measles no longer a disease?
If a person has Liver Disease caused by too much alocohol - is it not a disease anymore?
If 2 peope gte Lung Cancer 1. a heavy smoker and the other a non-smoker, is 2 suffering from a disease and 1 isn't?
Whether Obesity should be classified as a disease or not is definitely arguable.
But saying something shouldn't be classed as a disease because the sufferer caused it by their own lifestyle choices doesn't really hold any water as a logical argument.
^^^ that's exactly what I was thinking.
Just because it's caused by lifestyle choices doesn't mean it's not a disease. You can cure scurvy by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and it's caused by eating a really terrible diet. Does that mean scurvy is not a disease? It's been well established for well over 100 years that a bad diet can make you ill, the British navy in the 1850s was adding lime juice to sailor's rations to prevent scurvy on long sailing trips. That's why USA people call us Brits limeys. If someone got scurvy because they adamantly refused to eat any foods that contain vitamin C, and then the doctor tells them "scurvy is a disease" - does it follow that they'll say "I can't help it if i have scurvy" and carry on with their dodgy diet... or would it be more likely that a doctor would say "you are ill, you have a disease, because you refuse to eat vitamin C. If you don't start eating fruit and veg you will die" - wouldn't this make someone take more responsibility for the lifestyle choices that have resulted in them getting ill....?
Granted if doctors are actually saying "you poor obese thing you're ill, you can't help it" that would be a problem --- but does it really logically follow that that would happen as a result of obesity being considered an illness, as opposed to doctors saying "you have a disease that's caused by your lifestyle choices and if you don't start changing your eating and exercise habits you're going to die"
there are potential issues with this, the main one that springs to mind is that you'll probably get doctors diagnosing extremely fit people with low body fat percentages and a high lean body mass for their height with an illness just by looking at a BMI chart. That IMO is a bigger danger, i.e. doctors pedantically diagnosing healthy people with a medical condition they don't have based on poorly thought out criteria, than people using it as an excuse. If anything, being told that your lifestyle choices have caused you to get a disease ought to wake a few people up to the severity of the issue. On the other hand, if the classification of obesity as a disease results in more specific and reliable criteria than a BMI chart then that would improve things for fit people with a high lean body mass for their height.
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you can't pop pills and make cancer go away either0
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I don't think obesity in and of itself is a disease. BUT just like alcoholism it does have its addiction. There are chemical changes when you eat obviously to metabolize what you eat. AND the the old adage does apply for you are what you eat. Now don't get your panties in a knot. We didn't start out wanting to get overweight but the need to anesthetize, cope, pleasure,etc. just kept it going. Those of us who have had lots of weight to lose know that our psychological reasons outweigh our need to eat. So the addiction becomes our illness. No matter what it is very hard to overcome the psychological reasons for eating. It can be a best friend and our worst enemy all in one.
Oh... it is a huge pet peeve of mine when people compare overeating to addiction. I respect your opinion, but as a recovering addict AND someone who has been in the range of morbid obesity, these two are not the same. There is a psychological aspect to the compulsion to overeat, however, addiction is a physical change in the brain. Very few chemicals found in food have the same effect. The ones that do have an insignificant effect or are completely illegal.
lol no. It's pretty basic. Dopamine and serotonin are the main two brain chemicals associated with pleasure. They can be released with eating as well as with drug use. The level to which a person is affected has to do with genetics and mental state. If a person is depressed (meaning having low levels of serotonin) they are going to enjoy that food soooooo much more! This is why it is possible to have behavioral addictions- sex, gambling, internet, love, etc. It depends on the person how they react to a certain behavior that increases happy brain chemicals.
It is definitely possible to have a mental addiction to food. There doesn't need to be a special drug in the food for it to happen.0 -
Perhaps they could make natural and healthy foods cheaper than the sugar and chemically based crap.
It can be a side effect of other diseases and disorders, but as a whole laziness is not a disease. IMO0 -
The financial implications of this boggle my mind.
If obesity in and of itself is a disease, everything that is currently being sold to fight obesity (effective or not,) is going to be covered under health insurance.
So my health insurance is now going to be used to buy my gym membership, my "it works!" wraps, my HCG, my Jenny Craig, my Nutrisystem, my Thighmaster, my Weight Watchers, my raspberry ketones, my green tea extract......the list is long.
How much are we prepared to pay for health insurance? The insurance companies are sure to pass along their increased costs in the form of higher premiums.
Weird, I thought the exact opposite. Some insurance companies will refuse to ensure anyone with a "pre existing" condition. If an obese person gets a new job and applies for insurance, what is preventing that new insurer from saying "Well, since obesity is classified as a disease, and you were obese before you signed up, you have a pre-existing condition. Sorry, we don't cover pre-existing conditions, therefore you're out of luck here."
I see it as more of a hindrance to insurance than a help. Insurance companies can deny people for a myriad of "pre existing" conditions. I know one person whose father had Huntington's Chorea. The guy I knew refused to get tested, because if it came back he had it, his insurance company would have refused to cover any costs associated, should he end up contracting it later in life. It was, in their eyes, a pre-existing condition.
"Pre-existing condition" exclusions are severely limited under the Affordable Health Care Act in the US. If you have one, you'll possibly be in a higher risk pool (aka, will have to pay more), but as of 2014 it will almost impossible to deny insurance on the basis of pre-existing conditions.
Which is why this is going to get very interesting, and why the AMA's decision is very interesting. It has everything to do with the AHCA.0 -
The financial implications of this boggle my mind.
If obesity in and of itself is a disease, everything that is currently being sold to fight obesity (effective or not,) is going to be covered under health insurance.
So my health insurance is now going to be used to buy my gym membership, my "it works!" wraps, my HCG, my Jenny Craig, my Nutrisystem, my Thighmaster, my Weight Watchers, my raspberry ketones, my green tea extract......the list is long.
How much are we prepared to pay for health insurance? The insurance companies are sure to pass along their increased costs in the form of higher premiums.
Weird, I thought the exact opposite. Some insurance companies will refuse to ensure anyone with a "pre existing" condition. If an obese person gets a new job and applies for insurance, what is preventing that new insurer from saying "Well, since obesity is classified as a disease, and you were obese before you signed up, you have a pre-existing condition. Sorry, we don't cover pre-existing conditions, therefore you're out of luck here."
I see it as more of a hindrance to insurance than a help. Insurance companies can deny people for a myriad of "pre existing" conditions. I know one person whose father had Huntington's Chorea. The guy I knew refused to get tested, because if it came back he had it, his insurance company would have refused to cover any costs associated, should he end up contracting it later in life. It was, in their eyes, a pre-existing condition.
Obamacare will not allow excluding anyone for a pre-existing condition. So that argument falls right apart in a few months when full implmentation occurs.
But I don't blame you for not knowing that, even the lawmakers who passed it had to vote first and then find out what was in it.............:ohwell:0 -
nope. You cant pop pills and make obesity go away. Its not a disease.
Not that I agree with obesity being a disease, but no matter how many pills you pop, you can't get AIDS, HIV, herpes, most cancers, Alzheimers, Parkinson's, Arthritis, MS, Hepatitis C, etc to go away either.0 -
I believe Alcoholism has already been determined to be a disease0
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Lung cancer is a disease that is primarily caused by smoking...agreed?
Stigma induces shame induced more overeating...
Shame has no place in my life.
On the other hand, I don't want to feel like I'm in some victim role...
Undecided.0 -
I work in Human Resources; just think of the disability cases.....0
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I don't think obesity in and of itself is a disease. BUT just like alcoholism it does have its addiction. There are chemical changes when you eat obviously to metabolize what you eat. AND the the old adage does apply for you are what you eat. Now don't get your panties in a knot. We didn't start out wanting to get overweight but the need to anesthetize, cope, pleasure,etc. just kept it going. Those of us who have had lots of weight to lose know that our psychological reasons outweigh our need to eat. So the addiction becomes our illness. No matter what it is very hard to overcome the psychological reasons for eating. It can be a best friend and our worst enemy all in one.
Oh... it is a huge pet peeve of mine when people compare overeating to addiction. I respect your opinion, but as a recovering addict AND someone who has been in the range of morbid obesity, these two are not the same. There is a psychological aspect to the compulsion to overeat, however, addiction is a physical change in the brain. Very few chemicals found in food have the same effect. The ones that do have an insignificant effect or are completely illegal.
You might want to look into the science of how the processed junk food is made. It's actually made to trigger a reaction not unlike other addictive substances (by triggering the reward pathways in our brains, then reinforcing them with continued use). Sugar and caffeine are also addictive substances in that they create physical changes in brain and body to cause a person to feel a compulsive need to consume more of the substance. Anything that stimulates the brains reward paths has the potential to short-circuit them and become physically addicting.0 -
Obesity is a disease people.
Like a lot of things:
Lazy is a disease
Ignorant is a disease
Overeating is a disease
Couch Potato is a disease
Driving loops in parking lots for the best spot is a disease
Taking the elevator instead of the stairs is a disease
And
Trying to ensure that no one feels like anything is "their fault," is a disease.0
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