Earlier this week the AMA classified obesity as a disease. There are LOTS of reactions this this.... What do y'all think?

One link- many more out there: http://seattletimes.com/html/health/2021250057_obesitylabelxml.html

This is a rather large controversy right now, but I'm glad they classified obesity as a disease. I don't know anyone who chooses to be obese or wakes up one morning and says "Oh hey, I think I'd like to start working towards being fat!" Making it worse, discrimination against the obese is the last socially acceptable form of abuse. How many times have heard or seen fat people brutally made fun of? I used to be huge, I know first hand how cruel people can be. Classifying obesity as a disease will open up doors in the medical community to actually get help for obese people. Pointing a judgmental finger at them saying "just eat less and get off the couch, fatty" isn't help. It's about time we stop laying blame and labeling the obese "lazy" and actually offering help and support to treat the disease itself.

I just read that article and frankly, I was really offended by the "professional" who sounded off with his opinion. Like Missy said, I didn't wake up one morning and say that I wanted to be morbidly obese.

If giving obesity an official designation as a disease means that access to better health care will be easier, I'm all for it. Obviously, this man has never had a weight issue and lacks the compassion I look for in my healthcare professionals.

So you mean insurance co's will pay for my cosmetic surgery now? hahaah j/k

I hope this leads to medical professionals receiving more education and development around issues of obesity. This may also have positive outcomes in terms of legal protections against discrimination.

I do have pause over what I'm sure will be a new onslaught of companies pushing commercial weight loss products for the sake of a buck. But such is the way of the world.

I guess my last thought is that so far the conversations I've read/heard seem to be missing the power of "and". I agree our culture needs to move to a more body-positive way of viewing and treating each other and fat shaming must end. At the same time we also need to feel empowered to be our healthiest possible selves (and this is about individual responsibility as well as systemic change around things like mental health, socioeconomic status, access and food deserts). I have to believe there is a way for us to improve ourselves at the individual and community level.

I read a comment somewhere (not on this forum, but related to this issue about obesity being a disease) from a person who said that food cannot be an addiction because there is no chemical dependency like there is with drugs and/or alcohol. If that's true than what about the gambler? Gambling is an addiction but there's no chemical dependency. So...that theory goes belly up.

Besides..when you hear about people who are addicted to booze and drugs talk about their addiction, it's very easy to substitute food for drugs/alcohol and have the feelings be the same. I have a good friend who is a recovering alcoholic and she explained to me that there's no way an alcoholic can walk away from a half finished drink. The alcoholic drinks to excess and cannot stop with one or two drinks. Is that not a familiar experience for us food addicts? Leave food over?? No way. Eat till you are sick....sure...been there, done that.

It's all about excess...be it food, drugs, alcohol, gambling, whatever. For those who will never understand, we cannot pick and choose when it comes to addiction. Some can't be diseases and others be behaviors. For the addict, it's all the same regardless of the addiction.

I have a good friend who is a recovering alcoholic and she explained to me that there's no way an alcoholic can walk away from a half finished drink. The alcoholic drinks to excess and cannot stop with one or two drinks. Is that not a familiar experience for us food addicts? Leave food over?? No way. Eat till you are sick....sure...been there, done that.

I've never heard it compared that way and it is SPOT ON!

I think it time for obesity to be recognized as a disease.

As far as the "chemical" dependency. Our brains react an respond to sugar just like heroin.

An go through much of the same phases of withdrawal as such.

So I think that's a chemical dependency.

First off I've been banded for almost 2 years. The first year was easy to lose weight. The 2nd year was the year that I learned I was dependent on the chemicals that are in our processes foods.

During the 2nd year of my banding I really had to make myself learn about nutrition.

A fat person is not just addicted to food, a person is addicted to chemicals.

Have you ever heard a fat person say they love grilled chicken and a broccoli and carrots steamed.

But, you've heard fat people say they could eat pizza or fried chicken everyday.

I feel so bad when I see a obese child. I feel bad when I see parents poisoning their children with junk food.

First off I've been banded for almost 2 years. The first year was easy to lose weight. The 2nd year was the year that I learned I was dependent on the chemicals that are in our processes foods.

During the 2nd year of my banding I really had to make myself learn about nutrition.

A fat person is not just addicted to food' date=' a person is addicted to chemicals.

Have you ever heard a fat person say they love grilled chicken and a broccoli and carrots steamed.

But, you've heard fat people say they could eat pizza or fried chicken everyday.

I feel so bad when I see a obese child. I feel bad when I see parents poisoning their children with junk food.[/quote']

I feel for the obese child also. My oldest son was under weight and my youngest very obese. When he went to college he was around 400 lbs. he is almost 35 and trying again, to lose and is around 300. I am very proud of him since he was been in the food industry since he was 16. I blame school lunches. His high school had Taco Bell and pizza delivered every day.

I feel for the obese child also. My oldest son was under weight and my youngest very obese. When he went to college he was around 400 lbs. he is almost 35 and trying again, to lose and is around 300. I am very proud of him since he was been in the food industry since he was 16. I blame school lunches. His high school had Taco Bell and pizza delivered every day.

It breaks my heart to see obese children, too. I have a 12 year old nephew that now weighs more than me. He's teased all the time because of his weight. It seriously makes me want to cry because I remember being a fat child and the torment I went through. It breaks my heart to know my nephew is suffering the same thing.

School lunches are abysmal at best. It blows my mind how they can complain about what kids eat yet the schools feed them complete crap. Have you ever seen their pizza? They actually have to press napkins on it to soak up the grease before eating it. What really infuriated me was the fact they'd serve this unhealthy trash to kids as part of the lunch price, but if they want a side salad or a fruit cup? It's extra!!!!!

The other reason childhood obesity is so high is because they're simply not active like we were growing up. I remember during the summer, I'd be out the door after Breakfast and not home again until the street lights came on. Now? They spend all day on their butts playing Xbox or Playstation, on their computers, and playing on their smart phones. Our society as a whole has become extremely sedentary.

Obesity is a disease and we are dependent on the chemicals.

I'm just going to add this: Why is it that in the 80s the average size if a woman was a size 8 and now it's a size 12? Do you know the chemicals that are in even the healthiest of foods? Our pork and chicken are stuffed full of arsenic, estrogen, caffeine and anti-depressants so it is more appealing and available in higher quantities for a lower price. This is just 2 market items! TWO!

Add this fact to our own addictive behaviors and you have a nation of people who are eating themselves to death.

We are to " blame" but we sure have a lot of help!

The strong ones are here trying to make a change.

This is my rant on government conspiracy! (I did a 12 pg research paper on the subject. Sure is enlightening! )

Obesity is a disease and we are dependent on the chemicals.

I'm just going to add this: Why is it that in the 80s the average size if a woman was a size 8 and now it's a size 12? Do you know the chemicals that are in even the healthiest of foods? Our pork and chicken are stuffed full of arsenic' date=' estrogen, caffeine and anti-depressants so it is more appealing and available in higher quantities for a lower price. This is just 2 market items! TWO!

Add this fact to our own addictive behaviors and you have a nation of people who are eating themselves to death.

We are to " blame" but we sure have a lot of help!

The strong ones are here trying to make a change.

This is my rant on government conspiracy! (I did a 12 pg research paper on the subject. Sure is enlightening! )[/quote']

This has to be influenced in some part by genetics because obesity does not plague all Americans. 38 percent of adult Americans are obese and most Americans are eating the same diet.

I think obesity can be a disease for some people. I had to have my formula watered down before I was even a year old and have literally struggled with weight my entire life. My parents are in medicine and science and they understand very well the consequences of a poor diet and have always advocated a healthy life style. They always made sure I was eating healthy and I've always been involved in sports. I've been overweight/obese all 21 years of my life despite my efforts to be healthy. I realize in my later years as I've been responsible for my own body I haven't done everything I need to do to lose the weight but the fact that it's been a struggle my entire life leads me to believe there has to be something biologically 'off' about me. But whether it's a disease or not, I think the point is it has to be 'treated'; diet, exercise, wls...whatever it takes.

This has to be influenced in some part by genetics because obesity does not plague all Americans. 38 percent of adult Americans are obese and most Americans are eating the same diet.

I am sure there are a lot of other factors involved in this discussion and mine is just a side note on the subject, one not to be discarded easily. But in comparison to other countries our food supply is tainted and our percentage of obese people is higher so you must look at all factors. That was my point.

@Dylan

I too worked at a fast food restaurant in HS. I went to work at KFC at 14. I worked there until I was 27. I ate a high amount of carbs literally everyday.

I would never let my kid work at a fast food restaurant.