"Obesity is a disease," Oprah Winfrey declared after disclosing her weight loss with an Ozempic-like drug. "It's a brain disease," a prominent obesity doctor explained on a "60 Minutes" episode about the drugs. "Obesity is disease" even has its own discover page on TikTok.
The American Medical Association and the World Health Organization share that view, but whether obesity should be considered a disease has been referred to by health experts as "one of the most polarizing topics in modern medicine". Even Jens Jul Holst, a discoverer of the hormone that drugs like Ozempic mimic, told me he isn't sure what to call obesity. "Whether it's a disease in its own right is a very difficult question," he said. Finally, this dispute is coming to a head amid soaring demand for new weight loss medicines, as expert groups around the world rush to define what it means to have obesity.
At the heart of the debate: the medical community has never provided a precise definition for obesity as a disease. It's typically understood as an excess of body fat, using body mass index, or BMI, to gauge who has too much. But BMI - a person's weight divided by the square of their height - was never meant to be used as a diagnostic tool and can't determine whether someone is healthy or sick. And there's no consensus on the signs and symptoms that make obesity an illness the way high blood sugar levels are used to diagnose Type 2 diabetes, or chest pain and irregular imaging to tell if someone has heart disease.
この記事は The Straits Times の September 23, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Straits Times の September 23, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Over 270 dead after Israel's wave of air strikes: Lebanon
Israel unleashed its most widespread wave of air strikes against hundreds of Hezbollah targets on Sept 23, which the Lebanese health authorities said killed at least 274 people, making it the deadliest day in Lebanon in nearly a year of conflict.
Temasek's achievements over 50 years mirror S'pore's success: PM
It must retain ability to think long term, add to nation's brand of quality, integrity, he says
Iran's Guards ban communication devices after deadly attacks
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has ordered all members to stop using any type of communication devices after thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon blew up in deadly attacks last week, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters.
Back move, integrate into society, ex-chief urges former members
He says deeper understanding of Islam prompted decision to disband terror group
S'pore Poly students to get hands-on experience with Super Puma copter
They were just 13 when they first got to know each other because of their shared love for aeroplanes. Now, the schoolmates will be among the first polytechnic students to get to learn working with the AS332 Super Puma helicopter.
Temasek commits $100m to climate projects
It hopes to draw additional capital from other sources to fund such initiatives
Core inflation rises to 2.7% on higher holiday expenses
Core expenses of households in Singapore picked up in August as inflation in services rose, but overall inflation was still the lowest in more than two years.
Monkey sightings in Punggol Northshore worry residents
A Punggol resident, Ms Pang, and her husband were walking to their new Build-To-Order (BTO) flat in Northshore Drive earlier this month when they encountered a troop of about a dozen monkeys on the park connector.
Ex-girlfriend of suspect says he was aggressive person
The man accused of killing Singaporean Audrey Fang in Spain met up with his Ukrainian girlfriend days after the alleged incident and told her he was hoping to resolve his financial difficulties soon.
Man charged with murder; five others accused of rioting
A 22-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 25-year-old man after a fatal brawl near Jalan Besar that occurred around 4am on Sept 22.