Poll: Obesity: fat people or true illness?

[Inverse Skies]

At this moment in time, I do not have either the time, nor mental capacity (I'm smashed) to reference journals. However, having done are fair amount of essay based journals, I can instantly see that your references are horrifically simplified versions of the text.
"Disease can be defined as any abnormality or failure of the body to function properly and this may require medical treatment"
Well that is open to, frankly, a hideous amount of abuse. Say I purposely drink a bit of of bleach every day, because I'm a masochist. It will cause an abnormality or failure of the body to function properly which will require medical treatment, but because I'm a re**** in the brain section. It's nothing I'm born with, it's a fact that say, my parents got divorced & I'm a angsty teenager.
You fail to define what the doctor states is an abnormality or failure of the body. Is eating too many twinkies a failure? Is rape a failure of the brain's comprehensive system of what is socially acceptable? Your quote leaves far too much unanswered.
Interesting non the less, as you are coming from a point of fact/up to date information I pressume. When my mind is clearer I shall have a delve into the mentioned journals to have a gander, pressuming my university has access to them. It's good to see someone using references in a debate - the best way to expand one's knowledge & ignoring any bull.

Wow. Conducting an intelligent debate while you're smashed. REAL intelligent.

If, as you so want to put it, that a person becomes obese simply from overeating and not doing enough execise (which can very easily happen) that is STILL a disease state, as now the person as an excess of fat. Doesn't matter what lead to the disease state, it still exists.

I look forward to your journals, and discrediting them, when you're sober. Until then leave me alone.

 

[Inverse Skies]

Wow. Conducting an intelligent debate while your smashed. REAL intelligent.

A debate about abusing one's body, no less...

Lol, yes rather ironic isn't it that we're debating the merits of destroying ones body by overeating and here we have someone trying to prove us wrong whilst saturating his brain in alcohol. It's rather amusing really.

 

[Kikosemmek]

I'm fat and I've always had trouble losing weight and keeping it off. From my perspective, obesity isn't a disease. It's a condition. Addiction and/or idleness is the (behavioral) disease in most cases, causing one to over-eat or fail to change unhealthy habits which in turn lead to obesity.

For some people, discipline comes natural and they'll put themselves on a diet and/or start exercising and get thinner. For others it's harder than that, so there's no clear-cut line separating someone being 'lazy' from 'unable to change.'

 

[teknoarcanist]

Really it's a case by case thing. It's not fair to say all those suffering from obesity should 'just eat less'; at the same time, I think it's a condition that (like ADHD) is often subjected to misdiagnosis.
In general though, I'd say if there's an illness present, it's of the cultural variety. America is a very decadent country; we have a high standard of comfort and require food/drink at hand at most times (while driving, while in class, at home on the computer, while walking) while this isn't as common in a lot of other industrialized nations.
I'm not making a value judgment on either side, just noting for discussion.

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

You know Pop Sci just had an issue with a big article about obesity. America is far from the most obese nation. But we do still have a problem.