Is obesity a disease or a condition?

1. 69

   alexandriaruthkposted 10 years ago

   Is obesity a disease or a condition?
   
   This has implications on insurance and how medical world sees ot?

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2. 60

   bobmeyerposted 10 years ago

   Unless, you have a definite medical condition contributing to your obesity, it's a condition and even then obesity is only a symptom of your disease. Most people are overweight because of lifestyle choices; such as lack of exercise, overeating and poor nutrition. You know, a person can choose to show some control over his thoughts, feelings and actions. You can create your circumstances or allow life to create them for you.

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      Insane Mundaneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly!  I guess now they think eating 12 double cheeseburgers a day is a disease...  Disability Benefits here we go...  Com'on folks, lets all eat our way to disability!

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   2. 39

      ChristinSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I completely agree with this assessment. Having obesity itself labeled a disease to me seems to lend to people making more excuses for self-sabotaging behaviors.

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   3. 59

      Shadow-Kissedposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with this so much! but then I also think what causes them to want to eat so much? is it greed or a lack of mental/emotional problems? I think that is where the fine line is whether its a condition or a disease?

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   4. 60

      IDONOposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If obesity is not diagnosed as a direct result of an underlying problem, it should not be considered a symptom. It should be considered a consequence.  Just like a smoker, which I am, lung disease would be a consequence, not eligible for benefits.

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3. 89

   Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years ago

   While the AMA House of Delegates has written its intention to recognize Obesity as a disease, I wonder if it will be a disease that qualifies for SSDI disability payments? If so, this status would allow multiple millions more of Americans to receive SSDI.
   
   How many would receive full disability?  I think it would be a large number and that full disability would pull a large number of people out of the search for jobs, solving part of the unemployment problem. They would likely receive Medicaid because of Obesity, unless they had a spouse that made too much money.
   
   My state was the first to award SSDI for ADD/ADHD and I think it might jump at the chance to award payments to Obesity. At the same time, the disability authorities at SS re-examine cases every year to determine who can be removed from the payment rolls, so recipients are under constant stress and threat to income.
   
   Disability payments for Obesity might allow some obese people to stop, or never start, trying heathier living. With the additional stress of yearly re-examinations, a larger percentage of the obese might die yearly as well.   
   
   The AMA may feel overall that more obese people will receive help if the condition becomes a disease ("disease" carrying less perception of personal responsibility), but that status may actually become, unintentionally, a population thinning device while it overloads the SS disability system.

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4. 89

   Click2Connectposted 10 years ago

   According to Wikipedia, "Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems."
   
   The confusion probably comes from when the obesity stems from a disease. In that case the obesity is a condition/disorder which is caused by a disease.

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      IDONOposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Then Wikipedia should define my cigarette smoking the same way, right? Addiction is considered a disease.

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   2. 89

      Click2Connectposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      @IDONO
      I'm not really sure what you're saying with that statement at all. Are you saying obesity is an addiction and therefore a disease? Please be more specific, I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on this matter.

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5. 95

   cat on a soapboxposted 10 years ago

   It can be both, and I find it foolhardy for the AMA House of Delegates to name it as a disease only. I guess it's far easier to lump the causes than make the distinctions. Obesity can be the result of medical conditions ie. endocrine imbalances, genetics, thyroid problems,  side-effects to medicine, etc. The obesity epidemic today also stems from poor diet, stress, and sedentary lifestyle. The bottom line is that obesity leads to a host of ills incl. depression, diabetes, cardiovascular stress, hip and knee breakdown, and assorted GI problems. It will cost the system billions when half the cases could be fixed with lifestyle changes.  For many, obesity is a hopeless and irreversible condition because there is no quick fix. Prevention should be our nation's focus.

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6. 61

   LensMan999posted 10 years ago

   Obesity cannot be considered as a disease. It is a condition that forms in a person due to his habits, especially food habits. Obesity is usually seen in children who are overfed.
   Chubby children are loved by almost all people and parents try to make their kids chubby by feeding them too much. But chubby children are found to have a lot of problems later in life. Heart diseases are seen in people who used to be very chubby. This is because of the fat that gets accumulated in their body.

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      krisaclarkposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I was thinking the same thing. It's sad to watch parents (sometimes obese and other times not) overfeed their children knowing it is unhealthy for them.

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7. 56

   OutWestposted 10 years ago

   If obesity is a disease than McDonalds is the illness.

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