Adherence
Obesity should be clinically classified as a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease rather than a lifestyle choice or mere risk factor, which is necessary to combat stigma and promote effective long-term management.
Understand that obesity is a chronic medical condition, not a character flaw. This means it requires long-term management strategies similar to other chronic diseases like hypertension or diabetes, rather than short-term 'fixes' based on willpower. Seek care from providers who view it as a disease to manage, not a failure to overcome.
our group of South and Southeast Asian obesity specialists identify obesity as a chronic disease... In choosing this wording, we aim to shift a variety of erroneous beliefs, for example, that obesity results from poor lifestyle choices or inadequate willpower... Rather, obesity is in itself a complex, progressive and relapsing disease requiring effective prevention and treatment.
Why this rating
Consensus recommendation based on clinical experience and recognition of stigma, supported by references to medical associations.
Source
Obesity in South and Southeast Asia—A new consensus on care and management
Kwang Wei Tham et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2022
DOI 10.1111/obr.13520
More from this paper
- For South and Southeast Asian populations, obesity diagnostic thresholds should be lowered (BMI ≥23 kg/m² for overweight, ≥25 kg/m² for obesity) because Asians exhibit higher visceral adiposity and cardiometabolic risk at lower BMIs compared to Caucasian populations.Strong
- Clinical staging of obesity should utilize systems like the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) or Waist Circumference (WC) thresholds, as BMI alone fails to capture the severity of obesity-related complications and mortality risk in Asian populations.Good
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →