The Medicalization Of Obesity

Classification of Obesity

Obesity Link label has come to be defined as a medical condition where excess amounts of fat are accumulated, which therefore poses a health risk to the patient. Obesity is a recent health crisis that began with the technological advances in the 18th century, which led to the rapid increase of easily accessible resources. It is most often related to poor habits, such as overeating, lack of exercise and Prior to this, malnutrition and food scarcity around the world was a huge concern for many. This has also led to the issue of hunger and food insecurity, which occurs when we are unable to provide a large population with safe, nutritious foods.

BMI

Obesity is most commonly measured by using the body mass index. The BMI works by taking the ratio of the height and weight of a person, in order to categorize their health status. A BMI between 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, overweight is defined as a BMI between 25 to 29.9, while obesity occurs at BMI levels of 30 or greater.

Obesity Trends

There has been an increase globally for all ages and sexes, however, the largest increase is among women and children. Link label The chances of becoming obese or gaining weight are not the same across all race, gender and sexes. African American women and children, along with Hispanic women and children, are shown to have a higher chance of gaining weight or becoming obese. From an intersectional standpoint, their culture, location and socioeconomic status interconnect to affect the lifestyle choices that they are able to make.

Causes

Diet

Majority of Americans who are overweight admit that a large part of their diet consists of poor foods that are low in nutrition but high in calories. These foods typically include processed foods, sweets, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Additionally, those who may work desk jobs or live sedentary lifestyles are shown to be less active physically, which may lead to weight gain. Exercise is an important aspect of a balanced-lifestyle that helps to burn calories or energy consumed.

Genetics and the Body

Those with parents who are obese are more likely to become obese as well. Genetic illnesses or other various forms of illnesses may also increase one’s chance of obesity since it may inhibit one’s ability to exercise and therefore cause weight gain or lead to obesity. Insulin and Leptin are also hormones that are correlated to weight gain, depending on the body’s ability to produce these hormones, it may affect one’s chances of weight gain.

Social Determinants

Although the technological advances led to a large amount of food being produced, it has also eventually led to the rise of obesity from the increase of unhealthy foods that are often cheaper than foods that are safe and more nutritious. There are larger social problems that lie behind the increase in obesity, such as income inequality. Those who are wealthier are able to afford resources such as gym memberships or health coaches. Hunger is correlated to the increase in weight gain for low-income families since nutritious foods are more expensive in comparison to the low-cost processed foods, that are readily available to us. Media has also affected consumer's perception of food. For example, there is also an increase in the marketing for many companies that produce-packed, processed foods.

Medicalization of Obesity

Medicalization is the process in which human conditions come to be defined as a problem which needs to be medically treated. It occurs through the social process of humans recognizing certain diseases that need medical attention. Excessive weight gain hasn’t always been defined as a medical problem, it has undergone this process following the change in society's perception of the "ideal body". It was not until the 19th century when weight gain and "plumpness" was seen as a health problem that requires medical attention. Following the medicalization of obesity, there are currently various treatments available to patients who are overweight. This includes treatments from taking prescription drugs all the way to getting bariatric surgery.

Concerns

Although obesity does lead to the risk of other illnesses, being overweight or weight gain is not necessarily an illness on its own. Instead of encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle, the medicalization process may act as an excuse for some who are obese. Furthermore, there are many companies who are monetizing the idea of treating obesity as an illness with products, such as weight loss pills or diet teas. There are also television programs that heavily advertise on the subject of obese participants. However, obesity is most commonly seen among those who belong to low-income families, therefore medicalized treatments are expensive and difficult for them to afford. There are other problems that need to be taken into consideration, such as food insecurity in low-income locations globally.

References

1. Caroline M Apovian; The causes, prevalence, and treatment of obesity revisited in 2009: what have we learned so far?, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 91, Issue 1, 1 January 2010, Pages 277S–279S, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.28473A

2.Gutin, Iliya. (2017). In BMI we trust: reframing the body mass index as a measure of health. Social Theory & Health. 1-16. 10.1057/s41285-017-0055-0.

3. Ortiz, Selena E, et al. “The Medicalization of Obesity, Bariatric Surgery, and Population Health.” Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine, vol. 21, no. 5, 2016, pp. 498–518., doi:10.1177/1363459316660858.

4. Paradis, Elise. (2016). "Obesity" as Process: The Medicalization of Fatness by Canadian Researchers, 1971-2010. 56 - 88.

5. Van Dijk, Wieteke et al. “Medicalisation and Overdiagnosis: What Society Does to Medicine.” International Journal of Health Policy and Management 5.11 (2016): 619–622. PMC. Web. 9 Apr. 2018.