HEALTHIs obesity a disease? Clinicians disagreeAdvocates for this designation say it will mean that this problem will be taken more seriously. Those opposed say it will negate personal and societal responsibility.By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. Feb. 6, 2006. According to J. Michael Gonzalez-Campoy, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist from Eagan, Minn., patients who have a body mass index of more than 30 have the disease of obesity. They need to be advised on lifestyle changes, prescribed medication if appropriate and referred for surgery as necessary. In other words, the condition is serious. "Obesity is a disease, and it should be treated like any other disease," said Dr. Gonzalez-Campoy, chief executive officer of the Minnesota Center for Obesity, Metabolism and Endocrinology. Paul Handel, MD, a Houston urologist who works on obesity issues, also believes obesity is a serious problem. It is not a disease in its own right, he believes, but leads to many serious diseases and should be addressed by policies that encourage individual responsibility and lead to societal changes that nurture healthier lifestyles. "If we consider obesity a disease, what it really implies is that individuals have no control over what's happening, and, therefore, as a nation and as a culture, we need to commit more of our resources to treating the complications of the weight and obesity problem rather than saying it's a preventable event that really demands a societal response," said Dr. Handel, vice president and chief medical officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Texas. These two physicians take obviously divergent positions in the ongoing debate about solutions to America's weight problem. The discussion turns on a very basic question: Should obesity be defined as a disease? [...]Full text of AMNews content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2006 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
|
AMA meeting special section
See comprehensive House of Delegates coverage. Meeting coverage | Slide show | PDF Feature articlesWhat's in a number? Cost variance figure drives policy and courts controversy Breaking through barriers Incoming AMA president ready to tackle tough issues Twitter What's the use? Physicians tell how they use the microblogging tool
Follow us on Twitter
Comprehensive coverage
Most-viewedJuly 6 issueHouse health reform bill first to tackle Medicare physician pay Hospital system tries letting patients read physicians' notes Columns and series
From the vault: 5 years agoAMA studies liability surcharges July 5, 2004We're hiringClinical topics reporter
|