Do believe Obesity is a disease? If so or not Explain Why.?

Question

I do not think or even consider it a disease, it is something lol, that isn't caused by someone or something spreading it. Rather someone not being aware or caring about gaining weight.

Answer 1

Hmmm . . .  By Rebekkah's reasoning, then, a drug addict is just someone who doesn't have the willpower to stop using.

Whether obesity is a disease or not depends on how you define "disease".  Some people insist it must be communicable and caused by an identifiable pathogen (this is germ theory).  This means that things like arthritis, coronary heart disease, MS, etc are NOT diseases.  This also eliminates most mental health conditions.  Is schizophrenia a disease?  Just a "health condition"?  What?

The label doesn't really matter much, except to insurance companies who don't want to pay to treat your "disease" (by the way, many obese people benefit greatly from attentive medical intervention--is that enough to make it a disease?). The truth about obesity, however, is that many people have great difficulty controlling their weight for a variety of reasons--from food addiction to low metabolism to poor dietary awareness and so on.  Before you say they are "not aware or caring about losing weight", why don't you try attending an Overeater's Anonymous meeting?  It's easy to be smug about a problem you don't have--why not try for some compassion?

And no, I'm not obese.

Edit:  Rebekkah, if you were able to overcome your obesity by simply mustering your willpower, then I congratulate you.  You should know, though, that most obese people do not succeed where you have, and require intervention of some sort--just as addicts often do.  Intervention in this case might be as simple as attending "Weight Watchers" regularly to medically-supervised weight loss or occasionally more drastic measures.  Willpower, in and of itself, is usually not enough.

Answer 2

Supp man i have the answer YES its a Disease and NO its not a Disease. If you are born with it then **** ya its a disease if you get it genetically! But if you get it the fat *** way by eating not exercizing and getting fat without making an effort to be fit then its not a disease its and unwanted choice.

Answer 3

No, it's not. It is essentially a lifestyle, a deadly one. Just because some people are more pre-disposed to being heavy doesn't mean that they have a disease!!

Answer 4

Not a disease as much as a misdealing in the gene pool of life coupled with the self indulgent sin of gluttony

Answer 5

Nope. See in nature we be struggling to survive so it's natural that people crave bad foods with tons of calories; it is a basic survival instinct. Now we sit on couches and order pizzas so its no wonder why it is such a problem.  I read an interesting book on how if the mother eats unhealthy ( foods with little nutrients like junk food) in the first days of pregnancy that embryo may experience epigenetic changes because it is changing to adjust to a world with little nutriention. It will be more likely to gain as much as possible. Plus obesity has genetic factors with metabolism. All genes that make a person prone to being obese are amplified by current lifestyles- fastfood and a rather lazy society.

Answer 6

Obesity is LIKE a disease because it will kill you. If you need to lose weight then do. Plus you will look better and feel better.

Answer 7

Obesity occurs in people who do not have the willpower to eat healthier and exercise more.  Excepting those caused by other influences, such as a real health problem or medication.

edit:  danc, I used to be obese, so I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to obesity and willpower.

Answer 8

Our inherited DNA differs for every individual. Coded within this are many inherited susceptibilities. What makes one person vulnerable to diabetes and not another? Obesity is not just someone overeating. It involves the functioning of the organs, hormones, DNA coding and much more. Try not to be so judgemental. Other people don't have to live life the way you do. Your choices are only based on what suits you and your body.

Answer 9

If someone has like a weight gaining disease or soemthing wrong with them that makes them gain more weight even though they dont eat much then yes.

If they choose to eat and get addicted to fatty foods then no.

It makes me sad to see people that over eat =[.

Answer 10

I agree, it is not a disease. Even if you are predisposed to be "heavier" that doesn't mean that you are doomed to be obese the rest of your life. It is an unhealthy and deadly lifestyle that is voluntary and only exacerbated by the American way of life: driving everywhere and refusing to walk, eating fast food with little fresh vegetables, high processed foods, lack of exercise etc . . . ).

Answer 11

Now that you mention it, I guess not.  But not for the reasons you listed.  It is not a disease because by itself, it isn't harmful or fatal.  It is just that people who are obese often also have other problems that are harmful or fatal.  (High cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, increased risk for certain cancers, for blood clots...the list goes on and on.)  But there are some obese people without any of these problems.