Is obesity really a disease? YES!

Is obesity really a disease? YES! Obesity is a real disease that affects billions of people across the world at a cost measured in trillions of dollars. Obesity causes or contributes to over 230 conditions including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and arthritis. According to the World Health Organization, obesity and overweight conditions will claim the lives of at least 2.8 million people this year. Major medical organizations, researchers, schools and the military agree: the obesity pandemic is a real threat to health, wellness, life quality and even national security!

It helps to “rethink” our ideas about obesity. For years, many felt that overeating led to obesity and the solution was simply to eat less and exercise more.  The truth: obesity is a complex, chronic, relapsing disease that causes people to store and accumulate unhealthy amounts of body fat. The disease of obesity has multiple contributing factors, including genetics, environmental, hormonal, social, and behavioral causes. While there is no cure for obesity presently, we can halt and reverse the progression of the disease and its related conditions. Treating obesity successfully begins with recognizing and addressing it as a primary disease. The next steps include identifying the factors contributing to a person’s obesity and developing individualized, patient-centered treatment including nutritious eating plans, fun fitness, mental wellness, and medication or surgery when indicated. 

One of the best ways to beat obesity is to fight it together! We can do this!

–Contributor–
Dr. Thomas George, Jr., DNP, CRNP, FNP-C

Chief Executive Officer

Family Nurse Practitioner

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Wellspring Family Medicine
O: 301-334-7855 ext. 133

Shelley Argabrite
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