Billboard - Obesity is a disease.

http://www.meltingmama.net/wls/2011/11/obesity-is-a-disease-not-a-choice-billboard-incites-the-drama-llama.html

I'm placing my no longer obese arse firmly on the fence for a moment.

Um.

Chicago Sun-Times --

"A Northwest Indiana hospital that erected billboards with the message “Obesity is a disease. Not a decision" is facing a backlash from people offended by the signs’ suggestion that obesity isn’t a lifestyle choice.

The staff for St. Mary Medical Center’s Healthy 4 Life weight-loss program expected that some people would disagree with the signs that started going up in July in Lake and Porter counties.

But director of bariatric services Lorri Field said no one expected the angry phone calls or emails from people saying they were offended by the signs’ message about obesity’s root cause.

“I didn’t expect such an ugly debate. It’s almost like an ugly tone," she said.

The billboards are part of Healthy 4 Life’s marketing campaign for the Hobart hospital’s weight-loss programs. They feature the image of a scale in addition to the “Obesity is a disease" message.

Winfield resident September Vawter lashed out at the weight-loss program’s message in an email she sent to the hospital. She feels strongly that obesity is the result of lifestyle choices.

“There is no disease that causes your body to drive to McDonald’s to go get some fries. There is no disease that makes your hands unwrap a candy bar. It’s all habits," her email said."

Read the article here.  Please to share your thoughts.

Often people are more willing to get help when they see something, not as a weakness but as a medical problem.  I know it can be true with alcohol and addiciton issues.  There is a debate there too even if it is in the DSM IV.

I'm in the camp of whatever it takes to get people to access help and care for whatever problem they are struggling with.  When people use the disease thing as an excuse, I get a little wound up though.

I think that obesity *can* be a disease.  Is it 100% of the time? No.  But there's a point where you get so big, that you're trapped as obese. 

Like another member said: There is no disease that makes you drive to Mickey D's, or unwrap a candy bar - of course.  But when you're a compulsive over eater, it's truly out of your control and you need medical help. 

WLS is not *the* answer.  WLS coupled with Therapy is usually a great path to success. 

There ARE medical conditions like mine called lymphedema that can make your legs, arms, and even your abdomen swell with fluid making the person look enormous! I hate it when people ,(doc's included!) look at my legs and tell me I need to lose weight. This is FLUID people, not fat, so mind your own business know-it-alls!!!!

Plus, meds can make you gain weight too regardless if you eat at Mc Donalds, or an all you can eat salad bar!

Ugh....people's ignorance really peeves me off!

If obesity was not a disease, why is it that they have found numeral differences in brain function, in leptin, in grehlin, and other hormones between the obese and the not obese.

people say that obesity did not make people drive through mc donalds, but there is also research that even seeing a picture of something on a screen can affect the brain of an obese person enough so to make them break a diet.. normal people do not have this affect after seeing the same picture on a screen.

So what is really driving the person to eat?  the fact they are fat? or something internal that says eat eat, eat....

we have babies in america that are 6 months old and obese .. they are not eating mc donalds or candybars but they are obese off baby formula... something in them is telling them to eat, eat, eat.
.
Yes i believe obesity is a disease  did you really set out to be fat? was it a choice you made to become a bmi of above 40.???.. did we not all try lifestyle changes before like atkins??.. if all it takes is to change ones lifestyle, why is the medical science looking into hormones??? why is it we get surgery if all we have to do is not eat fast food... or candy bars...

lifestyle is part of the equation but its not the whole picture...

As you would say, Mama, "Sweet baby Jesus"

So yes, I do think obesity is a disease. I totally get what the angry emailer is getting at about driving to McD's or unwrapping a candy bar, but we could apply that to the alcoholic going to the liquor store or the drug addict scoring his/her drug of choice.

Addiction is recognized as a disease, yes? So what the angry emailer was missing is that many of us are addicted to food instead of alcohol or gambling.

That being said, I really don't know if the billboards will help. I think obesity hating and gay bashing are among the last forms of accepted intolerance.

*Like*!!!!!!

The billboards DO help.   In this case...

Look at the amount of discussion happening -- it landed on various news outlets.  Guess how many new patients that practice is gathering.

Sometimes you've got to pu**** to get things moving. 

Controversial...

You know, the argument could be made that adult-onset diabetes is a lifestyle choice (years of eating incorrectly, gaining too much weight, etc.); in fact, I think the medical profession may have claimed it as such.  Still, don't you get medical help to manage it?  I don't know anyone who would fault an adult diabetic with getting the medical care they need.  Why set aside obesity as having only a "mental" rather than physical aspect?

                If it bleeds, it leads!!!