Should Obesity Be Classed As A Disease?

[Deskdiary]

It has been suggested that obesity should be considered a disease.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/03/obesity-should-classed-disease-doctors-say/

How would describing 'normal' fat people (i.e, ignoring those who are fat because of an underlying medical condition) as a victim of a disease help them? I suspect it will simply provide the fatties with an excuse for their size? "My obesity is a disease and therefore it's not my fault"

Should smokers be described have having a disease? If not, why not? I see no difference between a compulsion to smoke and a compulsion to shove food down the neck.

[spathiphyllum]

many medical reasons why people have excess weight, hormones for one.

Steakhouse syndrome, no i've never heard of it. Sounds like a horrid disease though

[Kromovaracun]

//Simply by eating healthy won't make you slim, if you're consuming more energy than you're using then it's going to be stored as fat.//

Actually, exercise has very little to do with weight. Your weight is overwhelmingly determined by your diet unless you're extremely active:

https://www.vox.com/2018/1/3/16845438/exercise-weight-loss-myth-burn-calories

Of course, exercise is still vital to remain healthy - e.g. staving off heart disease. But obesity is overwhelmingly influenced by diet.

[Sqad]

spath.

"many medical reasons why people have excess weight, hormones for one. "

I can't think of many....and what hormones?

[Sqad]

Good post by Kromo^^^^ I agree.

[Old_Geezer]

Obesity can have numerous causes, and often a combination of many. Assigning guilt and blame works only in a minority of cases where the main cause is obvious. Accepting latest scientific study into the issue and accepting we are all different and not all bring foolish, but have extra barriers to staying light, is a sensible way forward.

[spathiphyllum]

cortisol, leptin even oestrogens.. So many hormones can affect weight / fat / metabolism.

[bhg481]

I find it interesting that in a family living nearby, husband, wife, 1 boy and 2 girls, all the males are "normal" weight and all the females are grossly overweight. It would seem to rule out lifestyle.

[spathiphyllum]

usually the imbalance of hormones.

[Sqad]

spath......i doubt that very much and in my opinion NEVER cause obesity.....maybe a little weight increase in some cases but not obesity.
Most if not all cases of obesity are tested for hormonal abnormalities and very few are identified as a cause for overweight.

[jakep]

If we accept anorexia as a mental health induced eating disorder ie disease, then surely we should accept obesity as a disease.
Rowan is, of course, correct. A great percentage of overeaters do so because of low self worth.
Yes there are those who are just lazy, but many are not.

[ummmm]

Some drugs can cause a real increase in appetite.

When I worked at the hospital some patients came in really slim and within months they were over weight. It could have been the meds or just boredom.

[spathiphyllum]

fair Sqad, i will trust you on that.

[ummmm]

I'll add to what Jake says...although my sister and niece

[ummmm]

*blinking laptop*

Although they are obese they aren't lazy.

[ChillDoubt]

Your case aside ummmm, that’s the problem:
Everyone has got an excuse.

[dunnitall]

There is an inherited fat condition, fat as in type of fat which is different to normal over eating fat...yes it exists! However although known about from the 1940's very little research was done on it and even today a lot of doctors and clinicians haven't heard of it and so not much is done for those who encounter these medics!

There isn't a cure for it and no prevention as it's an inherited condition or disease. It can come on at puberty, or when a woman is pregnant or has the menopause... The fat appears from the waist down, hips, legs not feet. It can occur in the arms too but the top half of the body is relatively of normal appearance, it doesn't affect the hands or face.

So, whilst people seem to label every obese person with a greed or love affair of food, perhaps people should maybe research fat diseases first because this is a real affliction and as you get older the lipo goes through stages and can stay with you into old age/death.

Just thought I would add this to the mix of answers and perhaps make some people more aware of other things.

[dunnitall]

bhg at 10:40,,,, that could well be Lipodedema you are describing re the family you know. Females are mostly affected more than males and if all the females there are grossly overweight, you could have found the reason.

[bhg481]

dunnitall - thanks.

[ummmm]

Chill - I'm not sure it's an excuse. Any stress in my life I lose my appetite...My sister is the opposite. I'd have a glass of wine, she'd get a takeaway. It's often about numbing feelings. When an overweight person looks in the mirror they often don't like what they see and food gives them comfort. It's a mindset.

[pastafreak]

Lymphoedema might be what you are thinking of, dunnitall. I know of a lady who might have this, though it seems all the various consultants she's seen are still scratching their heads over it. Very distressing for her.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lymphoedema/