Should Obesity Be Classified As A Chronic Illness?

By Shira Litwack

If we had a diagnosis of cancer - we make it the focal point of our lives seeking treatment. If our oncologist tells us to surgically remove the cancer and follow up with chemotherapy - we do so. We don't waste time - we get it done.

However, the prevalence of obesity I believe removes much of the incentive & impetus to seek treatment. The AMA concluded obesity is a "multimetabolic and hormonal disease state". Obesity is the gateway state to diabetes, heart disease, complications to certain mood disorders, many cancers, arthritis, non alcoholic fatty liver, musculo- skeletal issues...

There is a concern in this classification that more people will want to seek drug treatment as with other diseased states rather than prioritizing the integration of healthy lifestyle habits. However, this is the part as healthcare providers we have to get across - nothing will help the fat loss if it is not combined with lifestyle modification - clean nutrition & physical activity & exercise... & reducing the amount of alcohol consumed. A few fast facts here: alcohol causes the body to store fat & alcohol provides almost the same amount of calories as fat into the metabolic equation, but has zero positive contribution to be made - alcohol is only to our detriment.

Many people also refuse to accept what level of exercise is required for fat loss & sustainability. Again - there is a difference between exercise & physical activity and both are necessary. We can't say exercise doesn't work if we don't know the factual story on what is required for each of us - taking Fido for a walk is great, but no, not enough. And time, is no excuse. Showing you the hundreds of possibilities & fitting it in with your life is the job of a good health coach. It does NOT have to be about finding time to go to the gym for a personal trainer.

The same equally goes for nutrition. We are bombarded with miracle diets - which might work great for the first week - as we have dumped water like jet fuel, but not fat.

The truth is with both nutrition & exercise, a much more customized approach to sustainable fat loss is required. Fat loss is a science. Understanding the life & behavior of the fat cell is critical to understanding why yes - obesity is a chronic illness that needs to be treated that way - as if it were cancer or heart disease. Fat cells do not go away - they shrink - and anxiously await the opportunity to refill & multiply. Once a person has accumulated excess adiposity - those cells are there to stay. We need a model of disease treatment - not haphazard exercise devices that promise from beer belly to washboard abs in just 4 weeks or rigid diets. They are all temporary at best - learning to keep those fat cells in their shrunken state is a call for chronic illness recovery.

Something else I hope to come out of the AMA's classification is we stop laying childish blame, fault... this stigma & stereotyping makes it worse for those dealing with obesity. There is no question there is an onus on the person to take charge and deal with their health, make lifestyle changes whatever else it takes. The fact is, over 80% of people who have succeeded with great fat loss statistically put the weight back on with five years - this is a combination of lifestyle factors & fat cell biochemistry. Fat cells are metabolically active - therefore, very tough to control.

And complicating lifestyle habits... are the powerful, brain washing powers of fast food companies compounded by our sedentary lifestyle of desk jobs, screen time & 750 television stations. Food addictions are very real & can be omnipotent without the help to truly eliminate unwanted habits & creating new etchings in the brain for more positive, healthier drives.

Yes. Obesity merits being called a chronic illness - however it does not have to be fatal, recovery is possible - with true sciences we have on fat loss. Statistical fact: All lifestyle modification programs from fat loss, quit smoking, physical activity... are all quadrupled with the true science of behavioral support.


Shira Litwack, Medical Fitness Professional... proud creator of thousands of health enthusiasts & corporate health cultures world wide...

Weight Loss Surgery Advisor, Lifestyle & Weight Management Health Coach, Fitness & Nutrition for chronic illness recovery

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