Daniel Arguelles

Proposal for Community Report

Responsible for at least 2.8 million deaths on a yearly basis, primary causing agent in
diabetes, ischematic heart disease, and even some types of cancer. Obesity has
become an overwhelming problem over the last forty years that has managed to
victimize more than half of billion adults and over forty-two million children; such is the
magnitude of this issue that many health and world organizations have made strong
efforts to prevent, treat, and cure it. It is within this process that my interest lays upon.
Is obesity a disease? As simple as this question may seem, it is not. It wasnt until 2013
that the American Medical Association (AMA) declared it as a disease, but the very
declaration still doesnt resolve the issue, many controversy revolves around it since the
definition of disease is rather ambiguous. Moreover, declaring obesity as a disease
involves many factor to be taken account of, not just biological or physical.
The community report will revolve around presenting detailed information regarding the
disease and its characteristics, present both the favor argument by which obesity is a
real disease, and the evidence suggesting that obesity is merely a condition. It is
important to denote that the purpose of the paper will be to inform the audience in order
for them to generate an opinion based the facts presented, not to convince or suggest
what a correct answer to the center argument would be.
One of the many definitions of obesity can be stated as a disease in which excess of
body fat has accumulated to such a level that the health state may adversely result

affected. Body mass index can be used to account for the prevalence of obesity in the
population. It is a weight for height index in which that weight in kilograms is divided by
the square of height in meters (kg/m^2). According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), body mass index (BMI) is classified into seven categories. These seven
categories are the following, underweight has a BMI lower than 18.50 (<18.50) with a
low risk of comorbidities, disease that may develop as a result of a health condition, the
normal range falls within 18.50-24.99 with an average risk of comorbidities, overweight
is considered when BMI is larger or equal than 25.00 (>25.00).
Following the overweight classification, four categories are used to separate the
overweight BMI; pre-obese classification has a range of 25.00-29.99 and an increased
risk of comorbidities. Obese classification I has a range of 30.00-34.99 and a moderate
risk of comorbidities, obese class II has a BMI range of 35.00-39.99 and a severe risk of
comorbidities, the last overweight classification is the obese class III which has a BMI
larger or equal than 40.00 and a very severe risk of comorbidities.
It can be inferred that BMI is widely used to classify the obesity and determine the level
of obesity in the population, nevertheless it is important to denote that these BMI ranges
are age independent and apply equally for both men and women. However, they may
not account for diversity within individuals belonging to different populations.
Due to the nature of the variables to consider when measuring the BMI, abdominal fat
mass can greatly affect the total body fat, hence affecting the result of BMI, to account
for this gaps, other methods for measuring abdominal fat accumulation are considered.
Waist-Hip Ratio is an example of a different method that has been conveniently used
over the past ten years, however recent research suggests that waist circumference

alone is a more simple measurement and doesnt rely on height, moreover can reflect
risks for cardiovascular disease and other types of chronic diseases. Furthermore,
obesity can be determined by measuring body composition, anatomical distribution of
fat, energy intake, and insulin resistance, to mention a few.
The importance of classifying overweight and obesity provides valuable information that
can aid in the identification of individuals at risk of mortality or developing diseases as a
consequence of this condition, comorbidities. It assists in developing effective
intervention both at individual and community level, and permits a comparison between
populations.
Obesity, a disease or merely a condition?
Having stated the different standards and characteristics of obesity, lets proceed now to
the ongoing debate regarding the status of obesity as either a disease or not. Few years
back, to be more exact on 2013 the American Medical Association (AMA) on its annual
meeting besides discussing the future of prominent disease- related researches decided
to universally consider obesity as a disease, suggesting that by concluding upon this,
treatments, preventions, and interventions can be further studied and hence optimized
for the well-being of the society.
As simple and routinary as this may seem, just voting to either considered a condition a
disease or just a condition, it is not, and many other aspects need to be accounted of.
Let us remember that the medical area does not just revolve around the biological
aspects of the society, such is the importance of perfectioning the health care service
provided, that many lineaments and laws have been established to ensure the welfare

of the doctor, but what about the patient? The medical field has become such a
bureaucracy that it is hard to distinguish between politics and medicine. But lets break
the pieces, what does this decision mean to the victims of obesity? It means that they
are not just obese now, they are sick and obese and the treatments that their physician
will now implement, because of now being a disease, will not be covered by their
insurance company, since insurance companies do not take into consideration obesity
as a disease. It means that one day they woke up from being obese to being sick, more
weight to the stigma.
Meanwhile the physicians who support the recent label of obesity argue that by this
new classification, treatment, prevention and intervention can be optimized to ensure a
better off future for this disease. Many other experts argue on the fact that obesity does
not fit under the criteria for becoming considered as a disease, stating that it is a
condition that can be a potential originator of illnesses, just as smoking is not a disease
but it can cause lung cancer, is the same with obesity, which can lead up to
cardiovascular diseases.
Moreover, it seems that this ongoing debate moreover relies whether obesity is good
enough to be considered a disease or not, but what is a disease? Which criteria are
considered in the decision of stating the issue as a disease or not?
Very interestingly, neither the favor nor the counter part have part of this issue have
clearly established a definition of what disease is, and what makes an issue a disease.
Many disease definitions are available, but for the purpose of this report, since it will not
establish any correlation nor present any novel information, mere interpretations. The

following definition so as the disease defining conditions were chosen based on

previously done literary research, as the best defining disease.
A condition in which bodily health is seriously attacked, deranged, or impaired.
Pathologically, disease is an alteration of state of the human body or of some of its
organs or parts interrupting or disturbing the performance of the vital functions; any
departure from the state of health presenting marked symptoms; various forms of
disease may be caused by parasites, filterable viruses, and nutritional, environmental or
inherent deficiencies. (Webster's Third New International Dictionary). The following
conditions are considered in the classification of disease or non-disease

A condition of the body, its parts, organs, or systems, or an alteration thereof;

Resulting from infection, parasites, nutritional, dietary, environmental, genetic, or

other causes;
Having a characteristic, identifiable, marked, group of symptoms or signs;
Deviation from normal structure or function (variously described as abnormal
structure or function; incorrect function; impairment of normal state; interruption,
disturbance, cessation, disorder, derangement of bodily or organ functions).

Analyzing the conditions and the definition stated above, obesity does fit within some
characteristics established, but on the other hand it does not fit within all of them, are
some good enough to present such a strong statement on obesity? What is the cut? But
more importantly, what facts or arguments support that the definition by which diseases
are established as such will work for other conditions? Obesity certainly is not the only
health related issue that does not quite fit with the criteria but still remains in the loop
because of its harmful consequences, therefore, how did the declaration of obesity as a

disease was established if there is not even a clear definition of the standard to which
obesity needs to be submitted.
It is clear that obesity is not a type of disease as all the ones to which we are quite
familiar, but does not make it one, and further down, physicians altogether ensure to
eliminate any kind of ambiguity within this determinations since no one is half-obese or
half-cancerous.
Delimiting the parameters within obesity fits should be the first step towards determining
the future of it, not having a strong backup will only crumble any further advance. But let
us not be mistake it is very clear that obesity is a real time, lethal problem, a silent killer
that lures unseen through our society that truly needs special attention, but failing to
attack it on the right time with the correct approach will only allow more time for obesity
to reside between us.

References
Brown H. (2015). How A disease became A disease.
Dailey, K. (2013). Obesity is A disease in the U.S. should it be?
Heshka, S., & Allison, B. D. (2001). Is obesity A disease.25
Puhl, M. R., & Heuer, A. C. (2009). The stigma of obesity: A review and update.
The World Health Organization. (2004). Obesity: Preventing and managing the global
epidemic. ( No. 894).
HBO Documentary Film Series (Producer), & . (2012). The weight of the nation: Stigma.
the human cost of obesity. [Video/DVD]