Redefining obesity in 2025: Helpful or harmful?

Well, it’s 2025. Where does the time go?!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with loved ones.

Of course, if you overindulged a bit over the last few weeks, that’s okay. But let’s now commit to getting back to your healthy habits.

This is important because we’ve actually reached a point where the obesity epidemic has become so dire that experts are considering making it a disease called clinical obesity.

And while part of me welcomes this recognition—after all, it could help prevent patients who struggle with their weight from slipping through the cracks…

The other part of me is deeply saddened. It highlights just how far we’ve fallen victim to this metabolic disaster—and how there’s no clear end in sight.

Let’s talk about it…

There’s more to obesity than your weight

It’s no secret that Big Food has single handedly created a society that expects cheap, convenient foods. And perhaps the worst part? Those products are not only void of any nutritional content, but are designed to be addictive.

As a result, we’re now seeing generational obesity—meaning that this level of weight is epigenetic and, therefore, very difficult to reverse.

When I started my career, I believed we could conquer the obesity epidemic. But now, I’m not entirely sure.

That’s why this new framework for diagnosing and treating clinical obesity might be a step in the right direction. At the very least, it could bring obesity risks to the forefront and provide professional help to those who need it most.

Of course, the powers-that-be may still get this wrong. See, I’m reading that the clinical term will help distinguish between a “condition of risk” versus a “condition of disease.”

But—whether your weight is increasing your risk of developing subsequent conditions or if you’re already suffering from comorbidities due to your weight doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.

In fact, excess weight increases risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and more. In other words, everyone who is obese is at risk for disease, even if they’re deemed “healthy otherwise.”

(Remember, there’s no such thing as healthy obesity. You can read more about my stance on that in the May 2017 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives. Click here now.)

Your lifestyle choices will always matter

As a weight-loss doctor—and someone who personally overcame childhood obesity—I have seen the challenges of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Of course, the new GLP-1 agonist drugs might be a step in the right direction. And I thoroughly believe they are a viable option for those struggling to achieve significant weight loss. (They tend to help kickstart a change in eating habits that will lead to permanent weight loss.)

While these drugs are amazing for finally bringing the topic of obesity out of the closet, they aren’t magic. You still need to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, like eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

So, while a clinical obesity diagnosis might help more patients access these therapies, I’m not holding my breath that it revolutionize patient care.

My biggest concern here is the potential normalization of obesity—a world where being obese is seen as acceptable or even “healthy.”

We simply can’t live in that kind of world.

I’ve spent my entire career focusing on helping people become the best versions of themselves. And if this new term of “clinical obesity” is another way to sabotage my efforts… well, I’ll be very disappointed.

Source:

“Coming Soon: A New Disease Definition, ‘Clinical Obesity.’” Medscape, 11/05/2024. (medscape.com/viewarticle/coming-soon-new-disease-definition-clinical-obesity-2024a1000k5r)