Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that 35.7% of Americans are obese. Fast food restaurants, processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and a reliance on quick-fix remedies are some of the main contributors to America's war on obesity. Thus, it should come as no surprise that over one-third of Americans are losing the 'battle of bulge'.
In an age of information at the click of a button, the perils of obesity should be obvious to all Americans regardless of educational background. Television shows, news reports, and pop culture magazines all warn of the health risks associated with obesity. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and mobility issues are primary risk factors associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) numbers exceeding 30.
Is obesity a lifestyle choice? Can a person combat fat by exercising more and making better nutritional choices? According to the American Medical Association (AMA) the answers may not be that simple. In June 2013, the AMA officially recognized obesity as a disease.
Classifying obesity as a disease will ultimately affect medical research, public policy, health care, and insurance rates. Will the new disease designation aid in the fight to get Americans fit and healthy? It's too early to tell, but we must be proactive in this war on obesity.
Take a stand --- let us know what you think about classifying obesity as a disease!
In regards to the AMA classifying obesity as a disease, this could potential help those who are obese both physically and emotionally. Now that obesity is classified as a disease, obese individuals do not have to be ashamed of their weight or feel guilty about it. It will also allow those who are obese to seek treatment, and insurance companies will now have to help pay for that treatment. For children under the age of 21 enrolled in Medicaid, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit already covers all medically necessary services, which can include obesity-related services. This can include counseling and treatment for young obese individuals struggling with the disease. Classifying obesity as a disease will also focus more research attention towards finding initiatives to limit obesity. Today nearly 50 different research-funding solicitations are offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and hundreds of clinical studies are available, both of which are striving to attack obesity.
ReplyDeleteObesity in America has become a huge problem for people of all ages. Labeling obesity as a disease may just be the AMA’s smartest move. There are countless amounts of information available for Americans today about the dangers that stem from obesity. In an article by Arizona State University they stated, “Obesity can lead to other illnesses from chronic to acute, some very severe and deadly, such as Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Vascular Disease, Heart attack, stroke, and even cancer.” People seem to just not take any of these warnings seriously. On the flip side, people who are diagnosed with diseases such as cancer or heart disease seem to take their condition much more seriously since they view these as “life threatening.” I think labeling obesity as a disease may put things more in perspective for people. It will give people more of a reason to seek help. Morgan Downey, an advocate for obese people, thinks that physicians will start taking obesity more seriously now that it has this label saying, “I think you will probably see from this physicians taking obesity more seriously, counseling their patients about it.” Whether it is a true disease or not, maybe the labeling of obesity as a disease will start to spark more of much needed attention.
ReplyDeleteI think classifying obesity as a disease is one of the best options for attacking our nation’s obesity epidemic. Classified as a disease, obesity will receive the proper medical attention and like other diseases might be cured. Finding a cure to obesity might be the most significant discovery in modern medical history. I believe that calling it a disease will put an even more negative spin on obesity making people more likely to avoid it. People will avoid obesity the way they avoid cancer or AIDS for instance just like men wear condoms fearing AIDS, they will put down that second or third helping of ‘taters and gravy’ out of fear of catching obesity.
ReplyDeleteNow that obesity is being labeled a disease, this can now help patients start receiving proper medical attention, receive better care, and want to fear being obese just like they would want to avoid any other dangerous diseases during their lifetime. With AMA making this announcement, the current number of 90 million obese people should start taking a slow decline since insurances should now start covering this disease. Since one third of Americans are obese, this should wake America up and have them start taking obesity more seriously than in years passed. Many consider obesity to be a “choice” but with it now considered a disease maybe parents will now begin to educate their kids on being healthy and help them learn the health risk of obesity.
ReplyDeleteI think by classifying obesity as a disease brings much needed attention to the issue. The term "disease" gets people's attention. Also, when I think of a disease I think of something negative that can be inherited and in this case I think it has clearly gotten to this point; may it be either genetically or through the influence of friends and family. "More than 33.3% of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity." What is also very disappointing is "more than 50% of American adults don't get the recommended amount of exercise to achieve needed health benefits." We have to be the positive role models in these kids lives and so far we have failed. This reminds me of the quote, "the ones whom you associate with, are the ones you will become." The power of influence is very strong, both positively and negatively and our duty is to influence these kids to make a change that may ultimately change their lives.
ReplyDeleteWith obesity rates in America at an all time high, it is appropriate the American Medical Association declared obesity as a disease. Once a person becomes obese, it can be almost impossible to return to a healthy weight. This is especially alarming because 16.9% of American children and adolescents age 2-19 are obese according to the CDC, as well as 35.7% of all Americans. There are different health issues that can cause obesity, even if the individual lives an otherwise healthy lifestyle. It does not matter if an individual’s obesity was caused by preventable issues, it should still is considered a disease. Obesity can lead to many health issues or even death. Since lives are at stake, it is time for America to try and do something about this. Some individuals become morbidly obese and cannot afford to get the healthcare they need to stay alive. Now that obesity is classified as a disease, these individuals will be more likely to get the healthcare they deserve. The increasing rates of obesity in America are very alarming. Obesity is a disease epidemic, and should be treated as one.
ReplyDeleteI believe a great deal of the data collected on obesity in America is very inaccurate and is not as big of an issue as we are making it. The reason being is that according to this article, what is used to determine whether someone is overweight or obese is the use of BMI which is often times extremely misleading. BMI is simply an inaccurate method of determining an individual's body composition because it doesn't take into account a person's muscle mass. BMI solely looks at height and weight of an individual and from this uses a blanket statement to say a person of a certain should height "should" weight a certain weight. Another reason I am against the decision of classifying obesity as a disease is that our nation is already in serious debt and rising approximately 2.4 billion dollars per day. Someone is going to have to pay for an obese person's medical bills being that of the American tax payers since obesity is now considered a disease, in turn continuing to drain our economy of medications and the like. Obesity is not a disease! It is a choice!
ReplyDeleteObesity in America is a disease according to the American Medical Association. This is a major disease in America and if we actually move to recognizing the condition as a disease, perhaps we can actually get to a point were improvement steps can be taken to save some lives in our country. The article make a great point to the arguments against this topic by saying that obesity is not just the cause of certain other diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but that obesity is a disease in of it self. It is no different than the argument of lung cancer is cause by over smoking. If we can recognize this condition as a disease, perhaps we can save lives in America.
ReplyDeleteClassifying obesity as a disease is one of the most ridiculous stands I have heard. Obesity is a choice. If obesity is being labeled a disease, then explain the statistic that “almost one quarter of ‘normal weight’ people also have metabolic abnormalities, and more than half of ‘overweight’ and almost one third of ‘obese’ people have normal profiles.” Yes some people who are obese do have a genetic abnormality, but a significant portion of obese individuals just make poor lifestyle choices. With obesity now being labeled a disease, it will only hurt our economy as well. It costs about $1,400 more a year to treat an obese patient as compared to a person of healthy weight. These medical bills will just continue to grow as more and more American’s continue to be obese. Rather than encouraging better decisions, the AMA has given these individuals yet another excuse to blame their weight on rather than take responsibility for their choices that put them into the obese state.
ReplyDeleteObesity being labeled as a disease is an absolute ridiculous statement to me. Diseases are something that has to be treated with medication and or surgery in order for them to get better. Obesity is something that will not get better with just medication or surgery. In fact, the only way to cure obesity is to change a person’s way of life through diet and exercise. Dr. Dean Ornish says, “Obesity can be prevented in almost everyone simply by making sufficient changes in diet and lifestyle. We don’t have to wait for a breakthrough in technology or a new drug; we just need to put into practice what we already know.” I also think that some people’s mindsets will use this labeling to their advantage as a reason to eat unhealthy. People knowing that their health insurance covers the necessary medications for obesity will give people more of an excuse to eat junk food and not care as much. It just gives people another way to cheat the system. People knowing that they will have a safety net of health insurance that covers obesity will not be as concerned with changing or even preventing its occurrence. According to the Center for Disease Control’s statistics, roughly over one third of America’s population is obese which will lead to this number being labeled as “sick.” In the end medicine and surgery costs will sky rocket for this nation.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that obesity should be labeled a disease. Being obese is a choice the only exception is child-hood obesity. If I could contract obesity from being around fat people then I would agree however since the only way for me to become obese is to engorge myself for long periods of time with fat greasy food and stop all physical activity. By these guild lines Intelligence could be considered a disease. Another key reason why I disagree with obesity being labeled a disease is that it gives obese people an excuse. They can now say, “It’s not my fault, I have a disease!” allowing them to continue the self-destructive lifestyle that has given them this ‘disease’. This makes me very uneasy; I see this becoming more of a problem then a solution. For example, knowing Americans, they will probably start issuing handicap parking permits to obese people, or ‘modifying’ workouts and games in elementary schools to accommodate obese children’s ‘condition’ only making the problem worse.
ReplyDeleteObesity is not a disease and should not be classified as one. Obesity is a consequence of poor lifestyle choices. With some discipline in eating and intense exercise, obesity can be beat. It is dependent on the individual’s will power. The CDC discusses that “rarely, a clear pattern of inherited obesity within a family is caused by a specific variant of a single gene (monogenic obesity)”. Therefore, as asserted by the CDC, “most obesity cases are cause from an energy imbalance that occurs when a person consumes more calories than their body burns”. Classifying it as a disease is going to give obese individuals a crutch to lean on. If the individuals believe they have a disease, they will likely just accept it, and not change their diet and exercise habits. What can correct most obesity issues is a healthy diet and exercise. Obesity is not a disease.
ReplyDeleteObesity is not a disease, it is a choice! My reason for saying this is that unlike other diseases such as cancers and STD’s, obesity is not one. However, obesity can be the cause of actual diseases such as Heart Disease, and type 2 diabetes. We as future educators need to inform the public that just because you are obese, does not mean that it should be your crutch for the way you have to live your life. It is preventable and treatable without the need of a fancy pill or procedure. It is a preventable case according to the CDC, “rarely it is inherited within a family and is caused by a specific variant of a single gene. “All it takes is a little work and proper diet. If this does become a disease, the public may use this as a crutch and collect state issued help in forms of medication and other things that only cause more debt. Let’s stop this preventable situation of obesity.
ReplyDeleteObesity is very treatable and with it now being classified as a disease is just unheard of. I believe it is the person’s choice and if he or she wants to make poor lifestyle choices then that is on them. Educators can only do so much to educate people, and if someone doesn’t listen then then that’s their “choice.” We as people continue to make this problem worse by allowing ourselves to feel sorry for these people. In most public schools PE only has to be taken for only a few semesters so we see why childhood obesity is a big problem because we do not make them take it. AMA has helped obesity people once again by calling obesity a disease and now we will have people blame their weight rather than the poor decisions they have made. With a good diet and a little bit of exercise a week, obesity can be treated and possibly prevented!
ReplyDeleteShould high school students be allowed to take more Physical Education credits?
ReplyDeleteIn high schools today, administrators are trying to reduce or all together take out physical education. These school districts feel that physical education does not have the same importance as the other core subjects. In my opinion, physical education is just as, if not more, important as the other subjects being taught in our public schools. Students need to learn at an early stage in their life the fundamentals of how to work out and why working out is important for the longevity of their lives.
The Arlington Independent School District will only allow a student to take four units of physical education. I feel that no maximum limit should be placed on the number of credits a student can receive from physical education. The school districts need to understand that physical health is a very important aspect in life. If the body is not in shape, it will have a negative effect on the mind and body. Students need to be taught this at a young age to appreciate how to handle weight training and to be physically healthier. This country is already overweight as a whole and needs to start doing something about that, and I think that public schools are the best place to start.