Is obesity a illness, or just from someone constantly overeating?

Question

My mom and I were debating about this, and i said it was just from people overeating, and she said i was so wrong and it's a illness. then she just dropped the conversation. so who is right, me or my mom?

Answer 1

It depends on the person!

Either way it is a illness b/c they can't stop eating, and they can't get the fat off!

But again it depends on the person, their biology and eating habits!

Answer 2

what you both mean is that obesity eventually causes mental illness and that those suffering from it should stop complaining and do more exercises, lazy fat b******s, after all it was their choice to cram a quadruple big mac burger into their stretching yawning cavernous mouth, nobody forced them. We should re-open a disused soviet gulag and send them there for dietary education and body re-alignment.

Answer 3

There are different ways to achieve obesity... but ALL can be counteracted.

Brandon

Answer 4

Depends on if they eat  out of boredom or have a illness like having a bad thyroid or something else. You both are.

My mom gained a ton of weight after a kidney transplant. It had nothing to do w/ food. I eat one time a day normally & have put weight on the past few months from meds. So it isn't always food related.

Answer 5

Just like gambling, it's an illness. An addiction to food. maybe Eating makes them feel better. Drug addiction is a disease. It is a mental and emotional disorder that needs to be addressed.

Answer 6

It is an illness.  There are times when people cannot control their weight, no matter what.  My sis has thyroid problems, she gained over 50 pounds in a year, not from overeating.  It had nothing to do with eating.  She eats much healthier than anyone I know.

Buuuut, it can be caused from overeating.  

Answer 7

from what i watch & read, i think its an illness.

even if a person becomes obese from over eating, theres usually some kind of under lying reason for the person eating, mental or emotional.

Answer 8

It starts out from someone constantly overeating, then develops into an illness because you can't control it and it shortens/takes over your life.

Answer 9

Mom's right.  It is an illness.  Some of it from early training at home, some of it from glandular problems.

My SIL weighs nearly 300 lbs, yet, she eats very small portions, not very often, and no sweets.  It is glandular.

Answer 10

well, people that overeat do have an illness. A mental illness . They turn to food for comfort and some people are just addicted to food just as someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol and they do need counseling to get them through it. People do go to overeaters anonymous which is just like AA

Other people do have physical illnesses leading to obesity. I suffer from Metabollic syndrome. That is where the body overproduces so much insulin and it cannot burn fat as it should so I have to be very very careful about what I eat otherwise I will end up being overweight again.  

Answer 11

It is an illness and there can be many factors and combinations of factors:

Heredity

Thyroid

Nervous conditions

Social drivers

To say it's merely due to overeating completely overlooks the various contributing factors, and it is very difficult to overcome for many, if not impossible.

Answer 12

It could be either one. Some ppl eat out of boredom, my son does this at times(he's autistic, ADHD, hyperactive). Some eat when they"re depressed about something like unemployment or no gf/bf(I've been there)  

Answer 13

Its some kind of mental illness as some people can stop themselves from becoming obese and some dont seem to be able to  

Answer 14

It's because of laziness and overeating.  People now days rarely exercise for more than an hour a day.  That's what you need to do to stay fit...and no, I don't mean going to the gym for an hour sitting around talking to friends.  I'm talking about running some miles, lifting some weights, doing some swimming laps.

People also like convenient foods, which means extremely unhealthy foods.  Anyone, no matter who you are, all you need to do to lose weight and be healthy is to eat the right amount of food and drink at NO MORE than 2,000 calories a day and 1 hour of rigorous exercise.

Answer 15

in many cases it's an illness/disease. food is their addiction, but others gain weight due to other diseases such as diabetes or thyroid problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity

Answer 16

some people have glandular problems that cause obesity, some get it genetically just as skinniness or blue eyes comes from genetics and some it is overeating without care or proper nutritional knowledge of their body and some from overeating stemming from mental issues. there are many varieties of obesity.