Medscape: Obesity. The Chronic Disease Without a Clinical Classification
By Liz Scherer
Is obesity among the most misunderstood, misclassified, and mistreated diseases?
Over the past 30 years, researchers have not only identified a key hormone (leptin) that helps regulate appetite and body weight, but they’ve also determined the biologic underpinnings (eg, altered central nervous system pathways associated with energy balance) and discovered that obesity is often genetically driven.
Together, these advances, along with the development of the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, suggest that obesity is a chronic disease that might best respond to cohesive medical and lifestyle management.
Why then is obesity still regarded by many as the direct result only of a lack of self-control, poor eating habits, and a sedentary lifestyle? Equally important, what does the future hold for patients with obesity, given that it lacks broad recognition as a chronic disease?
“We’ve been dealing with this for centuries — that obesity’s just about people controlling their behaviors and that treats or prevents the disease,” said Angela Fitch, MD, chief medical officer and co-founder of KnownWell, a healthcare provider focused on primary care and obesity treatment, and past president of the Obesity Medicine Association.
“Data show that only 5%-10% of people are able to lose 20% of their weight; there’s a dichotomy between scientific understanding and the expectations for human biology,” she said.
“We really need to shift the narrative from being one of personal responsibility to what can be done in terms of solutions for these individuals in their health journey,” added Sarah E. Hampl, MD, professor for healthy lifestyles, Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri, and lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity.
Read the full article via Medscape