Fatness: Now a disease!

[gambitia]

The American Medical Association has officially recognized obesity as a disease, a move that could induce physicians to pay more attention to the condition and spur more insurers to pay for treatments.

“Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three

Comments

[mollywobbles867]

I am of two minds from this: for one, this could mean that insurers would pay for gym memberships or exercise equipment or food services like Nutrisystem. But, it also means that doctors may start pushing diet medications more than ever.

[nitasee]

But, it also means that doctors may start pushing diet medications more than ever.

Bingo! We have a winner here! I sense this is the real reason for recognizing obesity as a disease. It just makes cent$!

Seriously, I really do think that's a big reason behind the change. There's money to be made. And they don't even have to invent a disease to cure, they can just call it a disease and play upon the concerns and especially7 insecurities that so many people have - am I too fat? I especially see the pharmaceutical industry playing on the insecurities of young women - the very people who are pressed the most in culture about how mush they weigh.

If you ever want to know more about the cynical and mercenary methods of the pharma industry, I highly recommend reading Pills-A-Go-Go. It's a bit dated, but the same schemes are still being used.

[kaelstra]

This is exactly why. It's just yet another way our society can basically sell us weight-loss.

[gambitia]

Some have pointed out that perhaps this would increase access to parks, gyms, and other safe exercise places, and pressure the government to provide better access to whole foods.

The problem I have with this view is that these are good things we ought to be doing regardless of our nation's weight. I'm also worried that, when such programs failed to produce any weight loss (spoiler alert: they won't), they will be discontinued.

The main reason I can't get onboard with Michelle Obama's obesity campaign (or any similar health campaign) is its focus on obesity. Making sure kids have adequate time to play? Great! Promoting fresh food, including gardens, farmers' markets, and the like? Great! Doing all of these things because kids today are perceived as way too fat? Not okay. These are things that should be done because kids having enough time to play is a good thing, full stop. People having access to sufficient fresh, nutritious food is a good thing, full stop. These things should be done because they are intrinsically good

[crossfire]

The problem I have with this view is that these are good things we ought to be doing regardless of our nation's weight. I'm also worried that, when such programs failed to produce any weight loss (spoiler alert: they won't), they will be discontinued.

Exactly.

[cindyanne1]

The main reason I can't get onboard with Michelle Obama's obesity campaign (or any similar health campaign) is its focus on obesity. Making sure kids have adequate time to play? Great! Promoting fresh food, including gardens, farmers' markets, and the like? Great! Doing all of these things because kids today are perceived as way too fat? Not okay. These are things that should be done because kids having enough time to play is a good thing, full stop. People having access to sufficient fresh, nutritious food is a good thing, full stop. These things should be done because they are intrinsically good things to do.

Agree with this so much! I mean I agree with your whole post, but this part in particular.

[curseangel]

I completely agree with everything you have said.

(My other issue with Michelle Obama's obesity campaign - the biggest one - is that since it's called an "obesity campaign," not only does it start the body-hating young and start kids out thinking that being fat is absolutely the worst thing because even the First Lady says so, which is already a prevalent social attitude, but it also makes fat kids more of a target for bullying than they already are, and fat kids already basically have a target painted on them. Focusing solely on "making kids less fat" makes fat kids visible, targeted, and "to blame" for anything about the initiatives that the thinner kids don't like. It's so incredibly gross, and thinking of my own childhood and the serious abuse I suffered because of my weight not just from my peers but from my own family... it makes me want to be sick and I feel like there's nothing I can do. Because apparently making it a "health campaign" just wouldn't be good enough?? Ugh I HATE THAT PROGRAM SO MUCH. /tl;dr and slightly OT,

[ebay313]

I don't really see this possibly leading to insurance paying for gym memberships. There are plenty of things considered diseases already that can be helped by exercise, so if they don't now, why start?