Publicación

02 de Marzo 2023

Obesity as a Disease: The Obesity Society 2018 Position Statement

The emerging obesity epidemic and accompanying health consequences led The Obesity Society (TOS) in 2008 to publish a position paper defining obesity as a disease. Since then, new information has emerged on the underlying mechanisms leading to excess adiposity and the associated structural, cardiometabolic, and functional disturbances. This report presents the updated TOS 2018 position statement on obesity as a noncommunicable chronic disease.

The emerging obesity epidemic and accompanying health consequences led The Obesity Society (TOS) in 2008 to publish a position paper defining obesity as a disease. Since then, new information has emerged on the underlying mechanisms leading to excess adiposity and the associated structural, cardiometabolic, and functional disturbances. This report presents the updated TOS 2018 position statement on obesity as a noncommunicable chronic disease.

Position Statement

Diseases are defined as “deviations from the normal or healthy structure or function of a part, organ, or system of the body, caused by underlying etiologies, manifested by characteristic symptoms and signs, and resulting in pathologic consequences that affect health, feeling, or functioning” (9-11). Diseases are thus defined by maladaptive changes from “normal” body structure and function that are brought about by underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and that lead to symptoms and signs that affect health. In this classical context, TOS takes the position that