First Person: Obesity Disease Classification Will Lead to Overmedication

The American Medical Association last week declared obesity a disease. That's a step, doctors say, that will help medical professionals better treat a condition that affects 78 million adults and 12 million children. Yahoo News invited Americans who qualify as obese -- those with a BMI above 30 -- to share their story and perspective on the news. Here's one.

FIRST PERSON | The announcement that the AMA will classify obesity as a disease looks promising at first. Advocates for the decision told The New York Times that it will remove some of the stigma of being overweight, and it may encourage insurance companies to compensate patients for new drugs, surgeries, and counseling.

But as someone who is classified as obese, I don't think this is the right direction to deal with the increasing obesity problem in our country.

The main measure of obesity is the body mass index, which is considered by many to be "simplistic and flawed," according to the Times article. This could lead the overtreatment of patients for a sickness they don't actually have, or to harassment by well-meaning doctors. At 6 feet tall and 230 pounds, I've had my BMI measured between 29 and 32, placing me either just under or just over the "obesity line."

Yet I do not have any of the health problems associated with obesity. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels are great, and I have no indicators of diabetes. I also work out regularly.

This isn't to say I couldn't do a better job of being healthy. My diet isn't great, and it contributes greatly to the extra 50 pounds I carry. This is something I have to be responsible for. But, as of yet, I have no other health problems, and I feel fine about my appearance.

Now, given the AMA's decision, is my doctor obligated to have lengthy conversations with me, for which he can then bill my insurance? Should he offer me one of the new obesity drugs so the pharmaceutical company that makes it can earn more money? Surgery and pills make far more money than consultations about diet and exercise.

This leads to a second concern: The AMA insists this new information will encourage more pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs. I agree with them, but I don't see this as a positive thing. It adds to the growing number of health conditions that are treated in our country with pills and surgery. While there are people who genuinely need medications to overcome weight problems, I think we are already far too quick to prescribe drugs. This is especially concerning in the case of a health problem that, in many cases, is due at least in part to lifestyle choices. If you're already doing all you can to lose weight, that new pill might be a godsend. But our culture craves the quick fix, and far more people are going to demand the drug and make no accompanying lifestyle changes.

Shoving the responsibility of "fixing" obesity on the medical community allows other responsible parties to shrug off possible solutions from other areas of our life and culture. It will not be enough to stem the obesity problem in America.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/first-person-obesity-disease-classification-lead-overmedication-182800504.html

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