OBESITY IS A DISEASE, doctor's group says (article)

[john the jet]

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/obesity-disease-doctors-group-says-6C10371394

The American Medical Association officially designated obesity as a disease on Tuesday – a disease that requires medical treatment and prevention.

The organization doesn’t have any kind of official say in the matter, but it’s influential nonetheless, and the vote of the AMA’s policy-making House of Delegates is one more step in the evolution of social attitudes towards obesity.

“Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans,” AMA board member Dr. Patrice Harris said in a statement.

One third of Americans are obese – and that’s on top of the one-third who are overweight. Obesity is more than just a matter of carrying around too much fat, says Dr. Michael Joyner, an exercise physiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

“The fat cells themselves we thought of for a long time as just warehouses for energy,” Joyner said in a telephone interview. But they also secrete chemicals, including chemicals that can cause inflammation, raise blood pressure and that down the road help harden the arteries.

“More widespread recognition of obesity as a disease could result in greater investments by government and the private sector to develop and reimburse obesity treatments,” the AMA said in one statement on the issue.

“Employers may be required to cover obesity treatments for their employees and may be less able to discriminate on the basis of body weight.”

The downside, the AMA says, is that people may expect that should be able to take a pill and “cure” obesity.

That clearly isn’t going to happen, Joyner says. Pharmaceutical companies have tried and tried, but just a very few drugs are approved for weight loss and even they don’t produce spectacular results.

“It is very, very difficult, once people get fat, to lose fat and keep it off,” Joyner says. “We live in a low-physical-activity, high-calorie, high-food-variety environment,” he added. “We are bombarded with images of food.”

But designating obesity as a disease could make it easier for policymakers to make changes. This has happened before with public health – once with smoking, and again with driving safety.

With smoking, first the U.S. Surgeon-General declared that smoking could cause disease, then gradually workplaces and then public places began banning smoking. Taxes on tobacco and restrictions on who could buy tobacco products helped – and smoking rates plummeted from above 40 percent in the 1960s to 18 percent now.

With traffic safety, first speed laws, then requirements for vehicles to have seat belts and air bags helped reduce deaths, Joyner said.

Now something policy measures are needed for obesity, the AMA says.

“It changes the ways society looks at things. It gives people maybe a new set of tools,” Joyner says.

Well, there you have it.

Discuss

 

[bennyice47]

This thread appeared right above the "Watermelon Oreos" thread... Outstanding.

 

[shiznut123]

But but but i have a thyroid problem!

 

[T Lo Sweater]

it is rightfully so

 

[calypso chanta]

Personally I don't agree. Pricing on sugary non-healthy snacks are cheaper than healthy alternatives. Compiled with the growing societal shift to kids playing video games 24/7 and not going outside and exercising, american obesity is only gonna get worse.

Of course you have people with legit thyroid issues and other medical reasons, but I feel like they are in the minority.

These are just gut reactions, without any statistical proof.

 

[timbo109]

“More widespread recognition of obesity as a disease could result in greater investments by government and the private sector to develop and reimburse obesity treatments,”

This is all well and good, but the government and private sector should focus more of their efforts on prevention rather than treatment.

 

[heliumclinton]

The price is eating healthy is steep, I can't keep up

For starters I think they need to start selling stuff in 1 serving. What good is it to buy something healthy eat the whole box to realize that was 3.5 servings

 

[timbo109]

The price is eating healthy is steep, I can't keep up

For starters I think they need to start selling stuff in 1 serving. What good is it to buy something healthy eat the whole box to realize that was 3.5 servings

Don't buy things in boxes. Packaged food is rarely a good idea. As you seem to realize, serving sizes are generally not proportional to packaging. In addition most packaged foods are caloric dense and nutritionally void. You should be focused on purchasing fruits, veggies, and meats. Do the whole lap the outside of the grocery store approach. You'll be pleasantly surprised in terms of how affordable it is. Prepare your own food.

 

[lacrimestopper]

lol i thought its been known that

 

[jjs]

lol i thought its been known that

 

[ootherocoo]

Obesity and HIV..............the only diseases you can choose to have.

Eh, if it helps our society in a positive way, i'll take it.

 

[ksteezy]

“More widespread recognition of obesity as a disease could result in greater investments by government and the private sector to develop and reimburse obesity treatments,”

This is all well and good, but the government and private sector should focus more of their efforts on prevention rather than treatment.

in return the treatment of obesity by surgery and meds that come along with it and preparing for it plus hospital stay brings in more money than the actual prevention part im sure....at the end of the day is all about $$$$ you dont need anything other than your will power to prevent your own obesity.

 

[sundoobie]

With smoking, first the U.S. Surgeon-General declared that smoking could cause disease, then gradually workplaces and then public places began banning smoking. Taxes on tobacco and restrictions on who could buy tobacco products helped – and smoking rates plummeted from above 40 percent in the 1960s to 18 percent now.
With traffic safety, first speed laws, then requirements for vehicles to have seat belts and air bags helped reduce deaths, Joyner said.

Interesting!

I wonder if places like Burger Kings and McDonalds may be forced to ban/discriminate obese people from eating there or add an obese tax on food purchased there?

 

[jaypiff]

I guess that the AMA realizes that Americans no longer have the self control & willpower to manage their diets responsibly. All I hear when I ask people about weight management are excuses about why they can't do it. Not that there's anything wrong with being a lil chunky, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

 

[rell826]

Now it gives them an excuse especially when it comes to "discrimination".
 

 

[Comparison Ford]

The price is eating healthy is steep, I can't keep up

For starters I think they need to start selling stuff in 1 serving. What good is it to buy something healthy eat the whole box to realize that was 3.5 servings

Don't buy things in boxes. Packaged food is rarely a good idea. As you seem to realize, serving sizes are generally not proportional to packaging. In addition most packaged foods are caloric dense and nutritionally void. You should be focused on purchasing fruits, veggies, and meats. Do the whole lap the outside of the grocery store approach. You'll be pleasantly surprised in terms of how affordable it is. Prepare your own food.

Exactly.  I'm getting tired of hearing about how eating healthy is too expensive.  Like ksteezy once said, boneless chicken breast, brown rice, and frozen veggies aren't exactly luxury items.  Every major fast food chain has salads on the menu.  At this point it's nothing but an excuse.

 

[jordan23dotcom]

So does this make you go to McDonald's against your will and make you order and eat enough food that they have to give you the large bag for your food alone?

 

[bjamez20]

**** is ******g ridiculous

next up, laziness is going to be considered a mental disorder

The fat cells themselves we thought of for a long time as just warehouses for energy,” Joyner said in a telephone interview. But they also secrete chemicals, including chemicals that can cause inflammation, raise blood pressure and that down the road help harden the arteries.

oh, so being fat makes you fat and is bad for your heart? glad they did a study to find that out...

Employers may be required to cover obesity treatments for their employees and may be less able to discriminate on the basis of body weight.

how is someone's irresponsible lifestyle choices the responsibility of their employer? they should just replace the standard office desks/chairs with standing desks and treadmills. problem solved.

 

[freeze]

fat people are irresponsible and have bad judgement. it's that simple.

 

[heliumclinton]

Exactly.  I'm getting tired of hearing about how eating healthy is too expensive.  Like ksteezy once said, boneless chicken breast, brown rice, and frozen veggies aren't exactly luxury items.  Every major fast food chain has salads on the menu.  At this point it's nothing but an excuse.

So the cost of eating healthy isn't more expensive for the average person? I'm talking about the people who work more than 40 hours a week and have a family to take care of. Sure if I was single, lived by myself and had minimal responsibilities I could dedicate more time to that lifestyle and be more discipline. Not saying it's impossible but it's tough.

Btw most of the time a salad is top 3 expensive item on the menu @ a fast food place

 

[bjamez20]

So the cost of eating healthy isn't more expensive for the average person? I'm talking about the people who work more than 40 hours a week and have a family to take care of. Sure if I was single, lived by myself and had minimal responsibilities I could dedicate more time to that lifestyle and be more discipline. Not saying it's impossible but it's tough.

Btw most of the time a salad is top 3 expensive item on the menu @ a fast food place

then don't buy salad at a fast food place. how much is a head of lettuce at the grocery store?

yes, eating healthy is less convenient, but it is definitely cheaper than fast food.

 

[jordan23dotcom]

So the cost of eating healthy isn't more expensive for the average person? I'm talking about the people who work more than 40 hours a week and have a family to take care of. Sure if I was single, lived by myself and had minimal responsibilities I could dedicate more time to that lifestyle and be more discipline. Not saying it's impossible but it's tough.

Btw most of the time a salad is top 3 expensive item on the menu @ a fast food place

Why are you at a fast food place to make healthy choices anyway? If you have a family I don't care how tired you say you are, take 20 mins out of your day and get in the kitchen. Feeding your children garbage to eat should be a punishable offense and is nothing more than negligence. People buy fast food because they're too lazy to cook themselves. If you have time to take a shower, time to watch TV, time to talk to a friend, then you have time to take care of yourself and your family.

I don't think some of y'all realize, being healthy isn't just eating better, it's a complete lifestyle change.

 

[DeadsetAce]

it is a disease...it's also known as laziness

 

[cincoseisdos]

Former fat *** checking in,

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

View media item 43498 325
View media item 194061 ~182ish

Not a disease

 

[Comparison Ford]

Exactly.  I'm getting tired of hearing about how eating healthy is too expensive.  Like ksteezy once said, boneless chicken breast, brown rice, and frozen veggies aren't exactly luxury items.  Every major fast food chain has salads on the menu.  At this point it's nothing but an excuse.

So the cost of eating healthy isn't more expensive for the average person? I'm talking about the people who work more than 40 hours a week and have a family to take care of. Sure if I was single, lived by myself and had minimal responsibilities I could dedicate more time to that lifestyle and be more discipline. Not saying it's impossible but it's tough.

Btw most of the time a salad is top 3 expensive item on the menu @ a fast food place

A salad will cost you as much as a meal.  Not a gigantic price difference by any stretch of the imagination.  If you think there's a shortage of cheap, quick, nutritious meals you're really just lacking creativity.  A couple days out of the week I'll open up a can of black beans, mix in a scoop or two of salsa, throw it in the microwave, season it to my liking and eat it.  Mix up some frozen veggies in egg whites, make a bowl of steel cut oats and slice up a banana in it, buy a tub of greek yogurt and throw some fruit and honey in it.  It's really not as hard as you're making it out to be.