The American Medical Association Errs in Clasifying Obesity as a "Disease"

In declaring obesity to be a disease, the American Medical Association has erred, as its action will provide an excuse for those that have the ability to control their weight, but elect not to do so.

There is plenty of blame to go around for the obesity epidemic which threatens our future.  In the past, home-cooked meals were the norm.  Today, we live in the era of eating many meals away from home, unhealthful “fast food”, and “supersizing”. Restaurant portions are far larger than those that were offered in the past and we have a tendency to eat all that is put on our plates.  Television, radio, and print advertising bombard us with enticements to eat food that is high in calories, including empty calories, fat, sugar, and salt. Our bodies were not designed to be sedentary, but we now spend much of our time sitting in front of some type of screen rather than engaging in vigorous aerobic outdoor activity, and when we go shopping, we must ride around until we find a parking spot that is within feet of the entrance.  Heaven forbid that we would walk a hundred yards!

The word “disease” has typically been associated with illnesses that are considered to be contracted through no fault of the sufferer:  Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease are prime examples. To classify as disease the inability to push oneself away from the table and to fail to educate oneself as to healthful eating drives a further nail into the coffin of personal responsibility.