Obesity is a disease!

摘要

For many years, the medical literature, including seminal opinion papers in Current Opinions in Endocrinology, has described the characteristic pathophysiological state referred to as 'Obesity' and, in essence, defended the position that obesity is a disease. This last year heralded the first certification examination for the subspecialty of Obesity Medicine by the American Board of Obesity Medicine. In June 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) formally recognized 'Obesity' as a disease. This resulted after a spirited debate by the Reference Committee and then the AMA House of Delegates, in which resolution 420, written by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and cosponsored by many other medical societies, was adopted. This declaration now joins The Obesity Society, The American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, as well as the US Internal Revenue Service, the National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization to create solidarity and set the stage for a paradigm shift in obesity prevention and treatment.