AMA: Obesity is a disease

rosellasweet

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.

admegamo

“The suggestion that obesity is not a disease but rather a consequence of a chosen lifestyle exemplified by overeating and/or inactivity is equivalent to suggesting that lung cancer is not a disease because it was brought about by individual choice to smoke cigarettes,”

The last statment of the article. What do you think?

I don't know how I feel about it being considered a disease. I mean I understand both sides. I guess it's like how even if someone has been sober for 25 years, that person is still considered an alcoholic because if they are not continuously taking measures, that person can easily start again.

I read in some...either science or psychological mag that the longer you are obese the more your body and mind both literally fight you to lose it because it's out of the ordinary for your body. If you are able to succeed at losing the weight your body will not be the same as someone who has either been fit all their life or gained and then lost the weight in a smaller amount of time. Even the food you eat will still react differently to your body. The longer you are obese it becomes more than just a psychological situation and can literally become a fight between mind and body. Even though we've evolved in great measures, we are still hardwired to our primal nature. So even though we are told and know to eat better and be more active, if our bodies are used to being a certain way, it will continue to want to be that way and cause you to crave things before you actually think, "Hey I want [insert w/e bad food you think of]."

To the people that want to argue, I'm just repeating the article that I read.

The only way to lose weight is to eat less than you burn. To be healthy, you have to eat the right things less than you burn. You can be thin/the right BMI/fit and still get the same diseases that obese people can get such as heart disease, diabetes, etc if you're not eating the right things. There are still people who fall over from having a heart attack who have been runners for years. Or get their gallbladders taken out even though they've been thin all their lives. I know, I work at a clinic.

I do think that the biggest con to obesity being considered a disease is that, yes, there will be many people who fall back on that and do nothing about it. But you know what? I think that even if it wasn't a disease they were going to do that anyway.

I think that using sites and apps like MFP is great but I don't think it works for all people. Everyone who wants to be healthy has to find their fit, nothing in this world is one size fits all. I think that by considering obesity a disease that it can give opportunities to people who are not helped by sites/apps like MFP to afford going to facilities that specialize in weightloss that are non bariatric facilities.

I've never been accused of being a positive (or negative for that matter) thinker but I think that if our healthcare system cares enough, that there can be more good from this than bad.

I think this concept is more revolting to people who have never been obese or have but only for a short period of time because for minute they "let themselves go" and I know that there are many obese people are disgusted by it as well BUT I think that it creates more opportunities for people to do something about their health problems. I think it will allow obese people (especially the ones who have been so all their life) to be able to utilitze facilities without being embarrassed because fat people not only get harrassed for being fat but often they are harrassed for trying to get healthy too. I'm hoping that this will cause the majority of the harrassers (even or especially the ones who mean well) to take a step back and allow people who are working through their obesity to do it without making snarky remarks.

Sorry if there are any/many spelling/grammar errors, I was trying to write this quickly on my break.

neandermagnon

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.

1princesswarrior

"What I am trying to say that having a disease does require people to be accountable for why they have the disease in the first place... I also tried to say that it is much easier for men to lose weight than it is for women..."

So wait a minute, I'm bipolar, I was born bipolar. So now I need to be accountable for a chemical imbalance in my brain ... Really????

1princesswarrior

"What I am trying to say that having a disease does require people to be accountable for why they have the disease in the first place... I also tried to say that it is much easier for men to lose weight than it is for women..."

So wait a minute, I'm bipolar, I was born bipolar. So now I need to be accountable for a chemical imbalance in my brain ... Really????

You can't be accountable for every single disease process

UsedToBeHusky

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.

holly1283

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.

fatboy235

damn you fast food restaurants for "MAKING ME!!!!" eat your unhealthy food. Yes I am overweight and I approve this message. On a serious note, I am working with my doctor on trying to drop the excess weight and lower the blood pressure.

UsedToBeHusky

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.

CrazyTrackLady

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.

doowop713

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!

admegamo

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.

PomegranatePriestess

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.

The_Enginerd

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.

"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."

:facepalm:

ncl1313

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.

CrazyTrackLady

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".

mdt07

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.

moxiecowgirl

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.

jenbk2

I don't think alcoholisim is a disease either- but that could be another topic...

etoiles_argentees

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.