AMA classifies obesity as a disease (Page 4)

If there was a drug that doctors could simply throw at it, they would have no need to.  The line of Americans demanding it, everybody from the morbidly obese to those that just can't drop those last 10 pounds, would be out the door.  

The quote was getting a bit long, but to Kevin's point. According to what I heard on the radio yesterday, the FDA has approved only 2 weight loss drugs in the past few decades, and one was later recalled and involved in a class action suit.

I don't have a lot of experience with the FDA, perhaps the BT brain trust has someone in the know. But my fear is that now that the AMA has decided it is a disease the standards at the FDA will be lowered and the drug companies will be able to peddle many more weight loss drugs. Of course only time will tell, but my suspicion is that we will see a large increase in the "weight loss drug" market in the next 5-10 years. 

Follow the money... 

Right, but no one is questioning whether or not compulsive over eating is a mental illness.  It's already classified as a mental disorder by the America Psychiatric Association as indicated in the DSM V along with other eating disorders.

That does not make compulsive over eating a disease any more than other things listed as mental illness in the DSM like anxiety, pedophilia, compulsive lying, etc.  What if we called every mental disorder a disease?

Plus, this is not even an argument over how we classify compulsive eating.  It's an argument over how we classify obesity.  If we allow the medical community to treat compulsive eating disorders then much of that will be handled psychologically/psychiatrically.

If we just treat the obesity itself, which again I see as a symptom and not a disease, than we are treating just that, a symptom.  And not the problem or disorder itself.

PSA: You can take the mouse and highlight a section of text and hit the delete button and it will go away. It is good for removing 10 quotes.

So then, you tell me... where did the AMA get it wrong? What criteria did they not meet for it to be a disease? You keep saying it should not be classified as a disease, but you give no reason why. I linked the actuall report for their classification... did you read it?

And a broader question to those that oppose this finding... WHY?

What is it you fear will be next? Why the reluctance to let the AMA do what it has done for the past hundred so years? Do you care about anything else they do?

Alcoholism is an east example... 80 years after the AMA classified it as a disease, most people still believe it to be a moral failing. it was another 50 years before the American Psychiatric Association classified it as a disease.... that yes it had a mental component.... yet still today, many say well sure it's a disease... but it is still the DB fault for doing it... sorry, it's still that POS's fault for doing it.

Why the big uproar? What, all the obese people are going to cancel their gym memberships and just accept it isn't them and die at 600 pounds?

The fact is that addicted people are not real thrilled with their life. They want better, today more than any other time help is available and more and more people turn their lives around from the many avenues of help available... is that what we are upset over? And yes, addiction to substances is a medical disease.

I have stated my stance on using the word "disease" - and that's all I have been really talking about.  Me saying it's not a disease doesn't mean I condone judging, prejudices, name calling, or that it's not a serious issue.

But I pose this question.  I assume that disease like cancer or any multitude generally impact people equally across the world.  That is, roughly the same amount of people in Europe get cancer as Americans.

Then why would this disease select Americans so prevalently?  1/3 of Americans are considered obese now?  Why is the disease so wide spread here?

The level of obesity has risen dramatically here over the last several decades.  Why such the widespread spreading of this disease?  Has there been such a dramatic increase in cancer?

With other diseases like HIV or small pox, after we discover the cause and how to control it, it goes away and gets limited.  Why not with obesity?  Do we not know the causes yet?

Does everyone in the world have an equal amount of risk at getting the disease but only modern day Americans have the conditions for it to show itself?

I have trouble calling something a disease when only well off Americans in a nation of quick, high calorie, low nutrition foods and sedentary living conditions get it, and the rest of the world have a much higher resistance.

Again, it's an addiction and condition that our environment make it easy to indulge in - which is every bit as serious an issue.

Gotcha on the quotes and trying it now!

I'm not sure what you mean by where did the AMA get it wrong?  If the APA decides to list something in the DSM V as a mental disorder that doesn't mean the AMA can't decide it's a disease also.  Alzhimer's is a perfect example of this.  It's a mental disorder but also a disease.  

Regardless of whether or not a disorder is listed by the pysch community in the DSM V, the AMA still makes an independent decision on whether or not it's classified as a disease.

I have given the reason that I don't think obesity should be called a disease many times.  It's because I fear that MD's will just offer to treat every person with an obesity problem with drugs.  And the obesity drug companies will churn out more drugs.  And I think that most people who are obese would benefit more by treating the mental aspect of the issue, not just the physiological aspect.  Because, as I said many times before, obesity is the SYMPTOM of a bigger problem and that problem varies from person to person.

And we need to treat these underlying problems that cause the obesity SYMPTOM, not just give pills that supposedly make adipose tissue go away!

Kido, did you even look at the link for the report? Do you know how the AMA classifies diseases? Do you know what criteria are needed for a classification of disease? What did the AMA get wrong?

So because you "fear" what others will do with it, the AMA should withhold findings?

Obesity has been around for a very long time. I do not think anyone thinks somebody get's to 300 lbs because they are emotionally fit. OEA has been tackling the problem for a long time. It is a physical, mental, problem, and many people have been tackling it on all fronts for a very long time. I do not think the AMA calling a duck a duck is going to change any of that.

And besides the AMA and FDA... weight loss "drugs" supplements, and snake oils are a multi billion dollar industry and has been for a very long time. That isn't going to change.

But look at gastric bypass surgery... now with the time it has been around... that is no silver bullet either. Many gain their weight back. Their stomachs grow back... because they thought they were just going to get a surgery and be "cured". But we know it is not that simple.

As far as obesity being the symptom... not quite sure what to do with that. There are things that I won't go into that give me understanding of what you are saying. All cold medicine does is treat symptoms, but most take cold medicine. And having 200 pounds of fat on your body is a problem, and treating that is a good thing. Then yes the underlying causes need to be addressed so it does not come back... like there is treatment, and then maintenance to keep it in "remission". I get what you are saying, and I do not have an answer for that.

I've been a vocal part of obesity threads in the past, I've read all the posts in this thread and I still feel the same way I've always felt.  That is, people want to blame something or someone for why they themselves are in a situation (obese, alcoholic, gambling problems etc.) or why others are in a situation.

Our country has slipped into a culture of "I want" and "I need" and there's very little personal responsibility out there...

Regardless of why millions of Americans are obese, the fact is they lack the ability to climb out...That to me is the point that's lost in this debate because everyone wants to explain or validate the WHY (it's a disease, it's a symptom, it's laziness it's you name it)....Not the WAY OUT...

Outside of psychological issues that contribute to obesity, I believe the food manufacturers in this country are the worst culprits based on the ease of access and price points being enablers to people who have self discipline issues... It's down right expensive to eat healthy or at least eat healthy and as convenient as the boxed heat and serve crap filling the grocery aisles...

When I hear the word "disease", what comes to mind is something I could get through no fault of my own.  I'm not obese because I know what I need to do and what I don't need to eat... I'm not a better person than someone who's obese but I'd say that qualifies me as more disciplined.. If someone is obese and they believe it's a disease, if they buck the trend and shed all the weight are they cured??

To the two posters who are battling their obesity, good luck with the fight.  Deep down I'm thinking you each know why you ate or continue to eat the way you do, hopefully you've figured out a way to lock the tiger up...

You, being on the other side of the street, only see one thing... the blame (which there is truth there). What you do not see is the millions on the other side of the fence that actually do focus on the WAY OUT. It's not your fault, you do not need to.  But millions work on the way out every day. I think indeed that is the part that is worst about this... but that is not the point of discussing the finding.

People throw their lives away every single day. Suicide, addiction, criminality, obesity. They will all die as a result of their actions. Great, glad they got what they deserve right? Usually they are condemned for their selfishness... or perhaps they were just sicker than others, and their disease was just as fatal as cancer.

But millions work really hard at turning their life around every day. Millions dig themselves out of a hole they made for themselves. Not only do they have to deal with the damage they themselves did, but they also have to deal with what got them there in the first place which "normal" people do not have to deal with. I love a fighter, and I applaud anyone that can recognize they are not where they want to be in life and do something different no matter what the subject. But that usually goes unnoticed.

But just because you yourself (general sense) has not had to walk in those shoes, do not think others are not doing it.

I feel like you're kind of making my argument for me.  Yes, obese people are in a hole and millions are working to dig themselves out.  And they should continue to do that mental and emotional work.  Obesity is largely a disorder of behavior.  Regardless of why one is apt to behave in a way that makes them over eat, they need to work on how to not do that.  It doesn't matter if that behavior is genetic, learned or both.  The solution is still the same: learn how to behave in such a way that condones being of a less than obese weight.

There's maybe a tiny percentage of people who have a disorder or disease entirely separate from the obesity in and of itself that causes them to be obese even if they eat 1500 calories and exercise every day.  But that's the anomaly.

For the whopping majority, it is a disorder that can be largely reversed with behavioral changes.  How will calling it a disease help those people learn to behave differently?

Calling it an eating disorder already leaves the door open for the psychiatric community to treat it as a disorder, not a disease with a combo of therapy and psychotropic drugs.

And as usual your lack of ability to engage in a discussion with logic and fact is only exceeded by your pathetic need to resort to personal attacks.

See, I can do it too. 

So I take it you did not read the report and their reasons for calling it a disease? ... or the part I underlined about physical imbalances after the weight is lost?

Not sure if you are talking to me or Aaron, but it sounds like both. I certainly won't claim to know the ins and outs of pharma research. And I don't wear a tinfoil hat, tyvm. But if you look at the history of some major classes of drugs over the last few decades, it doesn't take an Alex Jones nutcase to see that the American public is being prescribed drugs more and more for conditions that were not considered problematic until the drug was invented. Statin drugs are being revealed more and more as a huge problem. They do what they are made to do,no doubt. The question, why do we have them do what they do? Why did the America that ate tons of butter and saturated animal fat, but little sugar, know nearly NOTHING of type two diabetes, heart disease or obesity?

Big pharma did not change the dietary recommendations all by themselves of course, but they were certainly well-positioned to respond to the new problems with medical fixes. And yet, we're in an insane mess today, 30 years into the lowfat, high-carbohydrate diet dogma.

Blood pressure recommendations didn't change until there were blood pressure medications to lower it to the new "right range."

I don't see big pharma as any different than another opportunistic industry. The trouble is, we collectively have decided to rely on drugs to solve problems that the industrial modern food system created, meanwhile accepting the industrial modern food system as the new norm, and calling it "conventional."

I wouldn't go so far as to say big pharma is trying to make us sick. But they sure as hell have no incentive to encourage us to be well naturally.