What harm is There in Labeling Obesity a DiseaseSuggesting that obesity is a disease, rather than a condition, may prove counterproductive as the description appears to reduce the motivation of obese individuals to control their weight.

Although the new classification may promote greater acceptance of diverse body sizes and reducing stigma, researchers found that obese individuals placed less importance on health-focused dieting and reported less concern about weight.

These beliefs, in turn, predicted unhealthier food choices.

As published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers from the University of Richmond and the University of Minnesota wanted to objectively document how the American Medical Association (AMA) 2013 declaration that obesity is a disease, has influenced health and diet messaging.

“Considering that obesity is a crucial public-health issue, a more nuanced understanding of the impact of an ‘obesity is a disease’ message has significant implications for patient-level and policy-level outcomes,” said psychological scientist Dr. Crystal Hoyt.


Hoyt and colleagues hypothesized that labeling obesity as a disease could encourage the belief that weight is unchangeable and make attempts at weight management seem pointless, especially among obese individuals– the very people that the public-health messages are targeting.



Height and weight data were used to calculate participants’ body mass index and to classify participants as “average weight” or “obese,” in line with World Health Organization guidelines.

Results showed that the particular message obese participants read had a clear impact on their attitudes toward health, diet, and weight.



Interestingly, these participants reported greater body satisfaction, which, in turn, also predicted higher-calorie food choices.

“Together, these findings suggest that the messages individuals hear about the nature of obesity have self-regulatory consequences,” said Hoyt.

The researchers point out that there may be benefits to the disease-focused message, such as promoting greater acceptance of diverse body sizes and reducing stigma, which may help obese individuals engage with health- and weight-related goals.

The new findings indicate, however, that there may be some hidden costs to the “obesity is a disease” message, including less motivation to eat healthy.





Source: Association for Psychological Science
Obese word collage photo by shutterstock.