Argumentative Essay: Is Obesity A Disease?

Words: 1048
Pages: 5

Obesity is a Disease Heart failure, stroke, diabetes, death. All of these are health problems caused by obesity. Three hundred thousand people are dying per year because of this disease. A disease? Yes! Obesity causes many diseases, decreases quality of life, and shortens one’s precious life. Therefore, obesity should be classified as a disease. Many signs and symptoms associated with obesity that lead to the definition of a disease. A disease can impair bodily functions, cause harm and/or morbidity to the body, and they can cause other illnesses. Obesity has all of these characteristics. Many government entities and medical groups recognize obesity as a disease. Why are people debating about whether obesity is a disease or not? According to the definition of a disease, all of these characteristics show that obesity is a disease. Signs and symptoms to a disease are included in …show more content…
The Food and Drug association, also known as the FDA, and the American Medical Association categorize obesity as a disease through numerous studies. On June 18, 2013, the American Medical Association officially announced that obesity is a disease. The Internal Revenue Service, the IRS, sees obesity as a disease also. The direct cost for obesity expenses per year is five hundred and thirty-five billion dollars per year. Stefan Vintila, the author of Obesity as a Disease: Both Sides of this Debate, writes, “We all know obesity is a huge medical problem and leads to many life-threatening diseased which are costing us a fortune in expenses.” This is the reason why the IRS is now counting weight loss expenses as a medical deduction from taxes. Many insurance companies may also pay more for obesity related medical bills, so they are able to help those people financially. Government entities and medical groups categorize obesity as a disease and most are doing something to show that it is a