Is obesity a disease?
It wasn’t. But it is now
For years there has been a push to recognise obesity as a disease in its own right, and therefore something that needs to be treated in and of itself, rather than just as a risk factor for other things, such as diabetes, heart disease, strokes and some cancers. And there is indeed much evidence that being obese can result in exceptionally poor health. But many who are obese are not unwell in the slightest. This argues that obesity per se should not be treated as an illness.
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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Is obesity a disease?”
From the January 18th 2025 edition
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