Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Is Obesity a Disease? And What Should Be Done About It?

Is Obesity a Disease? And What Should Be Done About It?

You have noticed your obese friend suddenly slimmer. You want to know what she's doing, but you don't want surgery or side effects.

My Miami patient Marcia weighed 303 pounds. She noticed newly trim, formerly 325 pound Kim walking the golf course, and asked her how she'd lost weight. Marcia now weighs 190, has quit smoking and a year later, has gained control.

Labeling Marcia and Kim as diseased only makes them victims, and medicalizes their problems. Deciding obesity is a disease stigmatizes the obese, as if they didn't feel enough unwanted attention already.

The "disease" label is about money, not health. It's about getting insurers, including Medicare, to pay for remedies. It's about creating a so-called "fat tax." It's about tariffs on fast food sales and food production. And it's about promoting expensive lifestyle drugs, still being tested. Many doctors do not recommend any obesity drugs, and are worried about their side effects.

Some people think that fat is in their genes. And genes are everything-for infants. For people over age 50, however, 80% of your health is your choices. What you eat changes the proteins your genes make, and help your body protect itself against actual diseases to which you're susceptible, such as heart disease and cancer. Knowing what's in what you eat and finding nutrient-rich, calorie-lean food are personal responsibilities.

The science of obesity is new. Olympian Maurice Greene (5'9" 176#) is overweight, because his Body Mass Index is over 25 kg/m2. Although muscle weighs more than fat, he would be labeled "overweight": an insurance risk. Lenders, employers and insurers may use that diagnosis against you unfairly. Weight distribution and body fat-not pounds alone--should be measured before labeling people.

Neither Marcia nor Kim thought they had a disease when they came to see me. They felt well. Actually, very few obese patients feel ill. Yet they have-and now control-high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoarthritis. They do it with their personal choices, including individualized diets, self-monitoring, accountability, and structured, step-by-step fitness.

Understanding the risk of overweight comes one person at a time. Obesity is not a disease of deranged genes, willpower or pseudoscience. Obesity is a problem of planning. That's what my patients Marcia and Kim needed. You need a plan-not a label--to succeed.

John La Puma M.D. is co-author of the NY Times bestselling RealAge Diet and Cooking the RealAge Way, with Dr. Michael Roizen. His published recipes are online, and he is Medical Director of CHEF Clinic (http://www.drjohnlapuma.com), a unique, referral-based, nutrition-only national medical practice with patients nationwide who want to lose weight no matter what it takes. He is also an Executive Member at Costco.

family-safe home cleaners Des Plaines ...

In The News:

Ford's new privacy promise pledges not to sell driving data to insurers or brokers, but disabling connected car data sharing could cost you key features.

Google says Videostrong deliberately installed backdoor malware in over 1.3 million Android TV boxes, turning them into a botnet for criminals.

Foundation Future Robotics co-founder Mike LeBlanc says the MK 2 humanoid is ready to engage enemies with machine guns in Ukraine's combat zone.

EAIGLE says its AI camera technology cuts truck check-ins from 10 minutes to under 30 seconds, potentially reducing fuel waste across supply chains.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

After the military, some veterans are left wondering what's next? Nonprofit organization Vets to Drones is helping them take on a new path by becoming certified drone pilots.

Natasha Lopez says a Flock camera system helped a Georgia deputy track her family, and after she spoke out, a fake Facebook page targeted her children.

Data broker opt-outs may not keep your personal information private for long. Five common myths leave retirees especially vulnerable to scams.

What's Nvidia's future after the resignation of CEO Jensen Huang amid scandals? Weigh in here!

Meta's AI age-estimation technology now scans Instagram accounts worldwide, placing millions of teens into stricter safety settings automatically.

The FTC sent warning letters to 25 companies over misleading health insurance ads as open enrollment brings a surge of deceptive offers online.

Michigan's new prison scoring system claims 30% better violence prediction, but Recidiviz says it doesn't actually use AI to classify inmates.

University of Texas at Arlington researchers reveal how AI analyzes public Instagram posts to craft spear phishing emails that feel personal.

VOLTA-AUTODOXER malware uses AI to analyze stolen data and rank victims by potential value, helping criminals target the most profitable accounts.

Daimler Truck's Oregon demos show how a Freightliner Cascadia's automatic emergency braking responds when dummy cars suddenly cross a moving truck's path.

Facebook ads promising to recover stolen funds are targeting scam victims again, and Meta confirmed removing flagged accounts after investigation.

Tesla Cybertruck production is winding down at Gigafactory Texas to make room for Cybercab robotaxi manufacturing, but key questions remain for owners.

Identity theft can hide in phone accounts, medical records and utility bills long before it shows on a credit report. Eight places to check now.

JR East's towering ZIZAI ZX-3 chainsaw robot tackles dangerous branch-cutting along Japan's Koumi Line while a trained operator controls it remotely.

A massive DHS data leak exposed records of over 41,000 employees, revealing links to undercover ICE operations, Palantir tools and AI platforms.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

UCLA's PhoneBot turns old Android phones into the brain of a two-legged humanoid robot that walks, follows people and stands up after falling.

A fake Amazon invoice charging $988.18 for an iPad lists the same customer support phone number three times to steer panicked victims into calling.

A handful of food delivery robots from Uber Eats and other platforms have gotten kicked and knocked over in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Data broker opt-out forms may not protect your family. People search sites can still expose your info through a spouse's or parent's profile.

Is Obesity a Disease? And What Should Be Done About It?

Weight Loss