#19 Current Controversies: Is obesity a disease?
Disease: a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.
- Google (Katt was lazy)
It fits the definition, but many people consider it a symptom, a preventable risk factor, rather than a disease in its own right. I don't understand why it can't be both. It IS both. Why is this even an argument?
Why It Matters: In 2009, obesity was the third leading cause of death with an estimated 300,000 deaths attributed to it. The US is the second most obese industrialized nation, coming in right behind Mexico. In 1994, all US states had an obesity rate at 19% or lower. Today none of our states can boast a rate that low, and several are over 30%. In 2008, it was responsible for 10% of medical spending. When the IRS began recognizing obesity as a disease in 2002, it opened the door for people to afford to get healthier. That is, it allowed tax breaks on weight loss expenses. No, not for everyone. Not for Jim down the street who wants to get buff or Suzy who think she's fat but definitely isn't. The weight loss has to be under the instruction of your doctor. Previously, this was only possible with the addition of another recognized disease. This recognition meant that obese individuals could work with their doctor to become healthy without having to get even sicker first! Since obese individuals are at a higher risk of fun things like stroke, diabetes, cancer, gall bladder disease, and more, this is super important! Especially when you factor in the fact that obesity is more common among poor folk, due to them having less access to nutritious food. Recognizing obesity as a disease rather than a symptom or risk factor also opens the door for coverage by insurance companies and medical care. It means that your treatment matters and should be affordable! Because eating less and exercising is actually not the "cure" for obesity. It's far more complex than that.
Causes: Obesity can be caused by many different things, and those who don't believe in calling obesity a disease are absolutely right when they call it a symptom (caused by another condition) or a risk factor (something that can cause another condition). According to currently accepted science, obesity is most often caused by a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits, but it can also be a symptom of Cushing's syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and other medical conditions. There may also be genetic, behavioral, and hormonal influences as well as sleep and stress levels. Oh! And did you notice my wording up there? Currently accepted science? Here is some research that challenges that. And here is an article that supports the theory that cause and effect may be reversed. That is, overeating doesn't cause weight gain. Weight gain causes overeating. I'll let you check those out on your own because otherwise this post is going to be way too long. Oh yeah, and here is an article about high-fructose corn syrup versus sucrose. Because it's interesting.
Conclusion: Obesity is not good. It decreases your life expectancy by about 3 years. Extreme obesity shortens your lifespan by 10 years. An estimated 300,000 deaths a year are attributed to it. It's also complex. We're still studying it. Still learning about it. One person's obesity is not another's. It's not about willpower or diet and exercise. It's about talking to your doctor, figuring out the cause, and reacting appropriately. It fits the definition of a disease. It is a symptom of others. It is a risk factor for all kinds of terrifying medical...things. It is all of those. Sometimes things fit into more than one box and I don't understand why that is an issue. Accepting it as a disease, for which it (again) does match the definition for allows treatment to be more affordable for those who need it. Obesity may or may not be a result of a lifestyle choice depending on the individual, but even if it is we legitimize other lifestyle related conditions (such as cancer caused by smoking) so everyone can calm the fuck down because this doesn't effect you (unless you're obese). (:
Here's an adorable panda .gif because I couldn't help it:
