Regarding Obesity as a Disease
Open accessAbstract
In 2013, the American Medical Association recognized obesity as a complex, chronic disease requiring medical attention. Defining obesity as a disease is a very public process, largely driven by expectation of costs and benefits. Although the public has been slow to embrace this definition, evidence is emerging for broader awareness of influencing factors beyond personal choice. This decision seems to be working with other factors to bring more access to care, less blame for people with the condition, and more favorable conditions for research to identify effective strategies for prevention and clinical care to reduce the impact.
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Only 2% of patients with overweight or obesity in the United States were ever prescribed medications for weight loss.
“it is estimated that only 2% of patients with overweight or obesity in the United States were ever prescribed medications for weight loss (Kyle et al, 2016;Semla et al, 2017;CDC, 2023).”
From Emerging pharmacotherapies for obesity: A systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as Kyle et al, 2016
The “Potential Effects of Regarding Obesity as a Disease” section discusses new obesity drugs and barriers to insurance coverage, but gives no prescription rate. Searches for the 2% estimate and weight-loss medication prescribing found no passage establishing that percentage for US patients with overweight or obesity. (LLM, conf=0.74)
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References 16 · Cited by 333
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- [14]Tanner M Obesity Is Not a Disease National Review Online 2013 Available at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/352626/obesity-not-disease-michael-tanner. Accessed November 20, 2015
- [21]Smith S AMA Joins Call for Coverage of Obesity Treatments and Medications - TOS Connect The Obesity Society 2014 Available at: http://tosconnect.obesity.org/news/press-releases/new-item2. Accessed November 21, 2015
- [22]National Conference of Insurance Legislators NCOIL Legislotors Adopt Resolution Encouraging Coverage For Obesity Treatment 2015 Available at: http://www.ncoil.org/HomePage/2015/07292015ObesityResolutionPR.pdf. Accessed November 20, 2015
- [24]Kushner R Butsch S Aronne L Review of Obesity-Related Items on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Examinations for Medical Students: What is Being Tested? Presented at: ObesityWeek November 2, 2015 Los Angeles, CA Available at: https://guidebook.com/guide/48144/poi/4317961/?pcat=185403. Accessed November 20, 2015
- [28]Katz D Another Judge Finds that Obesity May be a “Disability” Under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) The National Law Review 2015 Available at: http://www.natlawreview.com/article/another-judge-finds-obesity-may-be-disability-under-ada-americans-disabilities-act. Accessed November 20, 2015
- Authors
- Kyle, T. K., Dhurandhar, E. J., & Allison, D. B.
- Affiliations
- Texas Tech University (US)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kyle, Theodore K.
- Venue
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-09
- Volume
- 45
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 511-520
- ISSN
- 0889-8529 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4988332
- OpenAlex
- W2512530949
- Cited by
- 333
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 3.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30DK056336)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Bariatric Surgery and Outcomes
- Keywords
- obesity, obesity as a disease, chronic disease classification, American Medical Association, medicalization, social determinants of health, health care access, stigma, obesity prevention, obesity treatment
- MeSH terms
- Chronic Disease, Humans, Obesity
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