Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that affects one in three adults and one in six children in the USA (Tiwari & Balasundaram). Obesity has far-reaching effects, affecting not only individuals battling their weight but also the healthcare system, public policy, and societal perceptions. Therefore, it is important to explore the question of whether obesity should be labelled a disease to help bring more attention to the public issue. Obesity has become an epidemic in various regions, with rates reaching 60% and 40% in the U.S. and Italy, respectively (De Lorenzo et al. 6). These statistics call for an urgency to view obesity as a disease to help reduce the economic burden, change the perspectives of healthcare professionals, and to implement evidence-based guidelines to address the issue effectively.
Obesity can affect individuals from all walks of life, including people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities, making it one of the most prevalent health issues worldwide. It surpasses national boundaries, with urban and rural areas struggling with its effects. There are multiple factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic, including sedentary lifestyles and the proliferation of high-calorie processed foods (Da Lorenzo 8). Its prevalence highlights the seriousness of the issue and necessitates a thorough examination of its classification as a disease.
One of the most significant reasons obesity should be labelled a disease is its significant economic burden. Research continues to highlight the staggering economic impact of obesity in countries such as the United States and Italy, where obesity-related healthcare costs are skyrocketing. According to De Lorenzo et al. (6), the annual medical costs for obese and pre-obese individuals totaled over $1 trillion, accounting for 9.3% of the GDP in the United States in 2016. This shows how obesity-related costs have become a significant portion of the U.S. GDP, threatening the nation’s financial stability. The economic burden of obesity highlights the importance of treating it as a disease to reduce healthcare costs and enhance overall health.
Additionally, obesity should be perceived as a disease because of its effect on healthcare professionals and their treatment of the disease. Recognizing obesity as a disease would help significantly change the perceptions and actions of healthcare professionals. This specifically applies in terms of weight stigma and discriminatory practices. Health professionals have been found to have negative attitudes towards obese patients, blame them for their weight and health concerns, and offer inadequate weight management advice (Rathborne et al.). This reveals the urgency to acknowledge obesity as a disease and its other causes, including genetics, to help reduce weight stigma. It is important to strive for equitable healthcare and positive patient outcomes to help shape the attitudes of medical professionals towards obesity.
Finally, there is a need to have standardized obesity management guidelines to address obesity as a complex health issue. It is important to implement evidence-based treatment guidelines for chronic obesity since they help stress the importance of treating obesity and overweight individuals from a chronic disorder perspective requiring comprehensive care. An example is a comprehensive lifestyle program, including calorie restriction, physical activity, and behavioral support for treating overweight and obesity for at least 6-12 months (Semlitsch et al.). Such guidelines can provide a standardized framework for obesity management and emphasize its medical significance. Overall, standardized guidelines empower healthcare professionals to fight obesity comprehensively, thereby reinforcing the disease classification of obesity.
However, proponents of labelling obesity as a disease argue based on metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). They argue that metabolically healthy obesity blurs the boundary between health and disease, implying that not all obese individuals require intervention immediately and obesity can be managed and worked towards reducing without considering the health risks linked to it and thus should not be labelled a disease. Zhou et al. (1968) While the concept of “metabolically healthy obesity” is important to the discussion, it is essential to know that the health effects of obesity run beyond the metabolic factor, and therefore, the MHO factor does not assess the importance of dealing with obesity. The health consequences of obesity extend beyond metabolic markers, requiring proactive management.
Overall, it is important to acknowledge that obesity is a significant disease that creates a significant economic burden and creates disparities through the impact on healthcare professionals and the need for standardized guidelines. Failure to do so may prolong healthcare disparities, hinder effective management, and prolong the societal stigma surrounding obesity.
It is, therefore, crucial to consider the far-reaching ramifications of ignoring obesity as a disease. The classification of obesity as a disease is crucial to effectively addressing this global health crisis. Individuals must, therefore, advocate for a balanced approach that acknowledges the complexity of obesity and the urgent need to fight it as a major public health concern.
Works Cited
De Lorenzo, Antonio, et al. “Obesity: A preventable, treatable, but relapsing disease.” Nutrition 71 (2020): 110615.
Rathbone, Joanne A., et al. “How conceptualizing obesity as a disease affects beliefs about weight, and associated weight stigma and clinical decision‐making in health care.” British Journal of Health Psychology 28.2 (2023): 291-305. Retrieved From: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjhp.12625
Semlitsch, Thomas, et al. “Management of overweight and obesity in primary care—systematic overview of international evidence‐based guidelines.” Obesity Reviews 20.9 (2019): 1218-1230. Retrieved From: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.12889
Tiwari, Aditi, and Palanikumar Balasundaram. “Public health considerations regarding obesity.” (2021). Retrieved From: https://europepmc.org/article/NBK/nbk572122
Zhou, Z., Macpherson, J., Gray, S. R., Gill, J. M., Welsh, P., Celis-Morales, C., … & Ho, F. K. (2021). “Are people with metabolically healthy obesity really healthy? A prospective cohort study of 381,363 UK Biobank participants.” Diabetologia, 64(9), 1963-1972.
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