Many of us spend a lifetime trying to loose 5-20 pounds… but what about those whose extra baggage is not just about clothing size or vanity but for whom weight affects health. For patients with dangerous girth, The American Medical Association’s new policy reclassifying obesity from a condition to a disease will spark many changes in the way they are treated.
And while there have been many jokes about this decision made most along the lines of Bill Maher’s “”The American Medical Association declared obesity a disease. Wow. People are already taking advantage of this. They’re calling in sick with a case of the ‘fats’†the policy shift by one of America’s leading medical associations is a seismic and serious shift in how those with a BMI of 30+ will be treated.
Dr. David Heber, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and a professor of medicine and physiology, described the shift as, “a great step forward in designating obesity as a disease since there are many related health problems that often accompany the condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. However, the policy’s criteria of listing any adult with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 may miss some key populations. It would be even more helpful if additional criteria, such as body composition, were taken into account since there are people who have a high BMI due to high muscle mass, not fat. These individuals do not have excess body fat, may be healthy and should not be considered obese,†Heber noted about the Body Mass Index, the most common measure used to determine if a person is under, over or a healthy weight.
“Conversely, other people may accumulate excess body fat around the internal organs, which could impact their health, but who have a BMI in the normal range. These individuals would benefit from exercise and building muscle mass to improve health. Thus, criteria in addition to BMI, such as body composition, would be helpful in identifying individual patient needs.â€
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