Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease.1 Generally
classified in adults as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or
more,2 obesity can impact your overall health.
Impacting both adults and children, many factors contribute to excess
weight gain, including: unhealthy eating patterns, lack of physical
activity, poor quality sleep, environment, and genetics.3
Despite the millions of people living with obesity, this disease often gets overlooked by healthcare professionals and leaves patients without the proper medical care they deserve.4
With the right support and resources, people with obesity (PwO) can achieve weight loss that can help make a difference in their health.5
We know that obesity is a chronic disease, not simply a matter of effort. Together with our partners, we are committed to driving change in how the world sees and treats obesity. As leaders in the science of obesity, we are working to make obesity a healthcare priority, defeat stigma and support better access to evidence-based care. We aim to be the leading force in the science behind obesity.
While healthy eating and increased physical activity are important parts of managing weight, for many people with obesity, that may not be enough.
Obesity is not treated in the same way as other chronic and
progressive diseases.1,2 That is why it is important for
healthcare professionals to understand the complexities of this
condition so they can create individualized treatment plans.
Obesity is linked with at least 60 comorbidities, including2,7,9,10:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Sleep apnea
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
Losing weight can help improve some medical conditions associated with obesity. Often, PwO are met with stigma, bias and lack of compassion. But with the right care, they can achieve weight loss that can help make a difference in their health.5
1. Bray GA, Kim KK, Wilding JPH. Obesity: a chronic relapsing progressive disease. A position statement of the World Obesity Federation. Obes Rev. 2017;18(7):715-723.
2. Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016;22(suppl 3):1-203.
3. CDC. Risk Factors for Obesity. Obesity. March 18, 2024. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/about/risk-factors.html
4. Phelan SM, Burgess DJ, Yeazel MW, Hellerstedt WL, Griffin JM, van Ryn M. Impact of weight bias and stigma on quality of care and outcomes for patients with obesity. Obes Rev. 2015;16(4):319-326. doi:10.1111/obr.12266
5. Hartman K. Obesity Care Week 2024: raising awareness to break the stigma of obesity. Obesity Action Coalition. Published March 5, 2024. Accessed June 21, 2024. https://www.obesityaction.org/obesity-care-week-2024-kristal-hartman/
6. CDC. Adult obesity facts. Obesity. Published June 4, 2024. Accessed June 21, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/data-research/adult-obesity-facts.html
7. Bays HE, McCarthy W, Christensen S, et al. Obesity algorithm 2020. Presented by the Obesity Medicine Association. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://obesitymedicine.org/obesity-algorithm
8. Raisi-Estabragh Z, Kobo O, Mieres JH, et al. Racial disparities in obesity-related cardiovascular mortality in the United States: temporal trends from 1999 to 2020. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(18):e028409. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.028409
9. Ryan DH, Yockey SR. Weight loss and improvement in comorbidity: differences at 5%, 10%, 15%, and over. Curr Obes Rep. 2017;6(2):187-194.
10. Cancers associated with overweight and obesity make up 40 percent of cancers diagnosed in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed November 22, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1003-vs-cancer-obesity.html