Medical experts remain divided on whether obesity should be classified as a disease, especially as demand for new weight loss drugs grows.
Julia Belluz writes for The New York Times.
In short:
- The medical community lacks a precise definition for obesity as a disease, relying on the flawed body mass index (B.M.I.) metric.
- Misdiagnosis due to B.M.I. can lead to unnecessary treatments for some, while others with serious health risks may go undiagnosed.
- New efforts aim to define "clinical obesity," considering fat distribution and related symptoms, to better guide diagnosis and treatment.
Key quote:
“We’re telling a lot of people that they’re sick and diseased when they’re healthy.”
— Dr. Scott Kahan, obesity clinician and faculty member at George Washington University School of Medicine
Why this matters:
Obesity affects over a billion people, with substantial costs to health systems. Clearer diagnostic criteria could ensure that resources are allocated effectively and help reduce stigma around body size.
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