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Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Obesity
  • Introduction
  • Obesity and BMI
  • Obesity rates
  • Obesity defined as a disease
  • Pros
    • Pro 1: Obesity is widely defined as a disease by medical groups.
    • Pro 2: Treating obesity as a disease lowers the risk of other diseases.
    • Pro 3: Treating obesity as a disease has social value by lowering the stigma associated with being fat.
  • Cons
    • Con 1: Medicalizing obesity discourages people from taking responsibility for their unhealthy choices.
    • Con 2: Obesity alone is not an indicator of ill health.
    • Con 3: Treating obesity as a disease has led to the glorification of unhealthiness.
  • U.S. obesity levels by state
  • Global obesity levels
  • Assessment quiz
  • 1-minute survey
  • Discussion questions
  • Sources
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Images
Should obesity be treated as a disease? BMI
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Obesity: Media

Should obesity be treated as a disease?
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Should obesity be treated as a disease?
Should obesity be treated as a disease?
Fat (adipose) tissue as seen with a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
© Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library—Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
BMI
BMI
Body mass index chart.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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