In June 2013, the American Medical Association organization voted for the first time to designate obesity as a disease. How should the people of America respond? When meeting obese people, should one cast them a glance of concern and ask how they are doing? Should flowers and “Get Well Soon” cards be sent to obese family members and friends who are diseased? If obesity is truly a disease, over 78 million adults and 12 million children in America are now classified as diseased and need treatment. One out of every three Americans will be is obese, meaning one-third of America is diseased. The rankings include a large number of famous people (Gunderman, 1). These prominent people include Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Kathy Bates, Michael Oher,
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First, the definition of obesity is relatable to the definition of disease; it decreases life expectancy and impairs normal functioning of the body. The definition of disease is “a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply direct result of physical injury.” Obesity is strongly correlated with a variety of health problems. Obesity damages the normal functioning of the body, and one with obesity will more than likely have excess fat tissue, weak metabolism, impaired normal joint movement throughout the body(arthritis). One who is a victim of obesity is at higher risk of fatal diseases. Obesity can cause dangerous diseases and conditions, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancers, high cholesterol, liver and gallbladder disease, increased surgical risk, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, complications during pregnancy, and …show more content…
First, the definition of obesity does not match the definition of disease. The definition of disease is anything but clear, and the definition is so broad that it is almost meaningless. Obesity is a condition in which one has a great amount of excess body fat and disease is a condition in which an organ or part of the human body is abnormal and harmful. If obesity should be considered a disease, should unattractiveness also be considered a disease? Second, obesity is a side effect from other diseases and conditions, not a disease itself. Conditions such as diabetes, depression, arthritis, eating disorders, coping mechanisms, and psychological complications make it difficult to maintain weight and can cause obesity. Taking certain medications can also have a side effect of obesity. Although obesity causes many problems, many victims of obesity live long, healthy lives. Obesity does not always lead to serious health problems. Obesity is sometimes a chosen lifestyle and some people actually prefer it. For example, linemen football players typically like to be bigger so they can block better. Linemen are obese most of the time, but they prefer to be that way in order to perform to their best potential. A lot of athletes are obese due to their muscle weight. Muscle is heavier than fat, and muscular people are considered to be obese even though they are
First, the definition of obesity is relatable to the definition of disease; it decreases life expectancy and impairs normal functioning of the body. The definition of disease is “a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply direct result of physical injury.” Obesity is strongly correlated with a variety of health problems. Obesity damages the normal functioning of the body, and one with obesity will more than likely have excess fat tissue, weak metabolism, impaired normal joint movement throughout the body(arthritis). One who is a victim of obesity is at higher risk of fatal diseases. Obesity can cause dangerous diseases and conditions, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancers, high cholesterol, liver and gallbladder disease, increased surgical risk, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, complications during pregnancy, and …show more content…
First, the definition of obesity does not match the definition of disease. The definition of disease is anything but clear, and the definition is so broad that it is almost meaningless. Obesity is a condition in which one has a great amount of excess body fat and disease is a condition in which an organ or part of the human body is abnormal and harmful. If obesity should be considered a disease, should unattractiveness also be considered a disease? Second, obesity is a side effect from other diseases and conditions, not a disease itself. Conditions such as diabetes, depression, arthritis, eating disorders, coping mechanisms, and psychological complications make it difficult to maintain weight and can cause obesity. Taking certain medications can also have a side effect of obesity. Although obesity causes many problems, many victims of obesity live long, healthy lives. Obesity does not always lead to serious health problems. Obesity is sometimes a chosen lifestyle and some people actually prefer it. For example, linemen football players typically like to be bigger so they can block better. Linemen are obese most of the time, but they prefer to be that way in order to perform to their best potential. A lot of athletes are obese due to their muscle weight. Muscle is heavier than fat, and muscular people are considered to be obese even though they are