Obesity: Disease or Not? The American Medical Association (AMA) defines obesity as a disease. More and more we are seeing Americans struggle with being overweight and it has become a growing epidemic in our society not only among adults but also with children. Is obesity truly a disease? Or is it an underlying issue within our own mind that allows us to reach a point where our health is in jeopardy? As obesity is defined by some as a disease we need to take a look at the bigger picture at hand and delve into the underlying issue. We as a society need to take a look at the larger picture to understand what truly causes obesity in adults and children and what the long term effects of being overweight can do to someone’s health.
Obesity is being called a disease by the American Medical Association. But what defines someone as obese? The American Medical Association is using the BMI (body mass index) to try to determine if an individual falls within the category of
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It can also be an issue of not making the right choices when eating. Meaning choosing the greasy drive-thru over making a healthy home cooked meal. Obesity can also occur when someone is predisposed to it genetically and it is totally out of their control. There are so many factors that may cause someone to become overweight but to say it is a disease may be far-fetched. There are many different factors that can cause someone to be obese and society does create this perception of someone who is overweight. “Stigma of obesity that comes from widespread though that it is just the outcome of excessive eating and not enough exercise” (Fitzgerald, 2013). She is pointing out the people who are obese are that way because they may not make the right choices when it comes to what they eat or how they take care of themselves. Kahan