2022-07-27 OMA Agenda - Board of Trustees

Consensus statement on obesity as a disease Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation or distribution of fat that presents a risk to health. Virtually every system in the body is affected by obesity. Other major chronic diseases associated with obesity include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The body mass index (weight in kg/height in meters 2 ) is used to screen for obesity, but it does not replace clinical judgement, as BMI is not a measure of body fat. Patients’ race, ethnicity, and age may modify the risk associated with a given BMI. Bias and stigmatization directed at people with obesity contributes to ill health and impairs treatment. Ethan Proposal: The World Health Organization (WHO) states that: “Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. The issue has grown to epidemic proportions, with over 4 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese in 2017 according to the global burden of disease.” Virtually every system in the body is affected by obesity. Other major chronic diseases associated with obesity include diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Consistent with the WHO’s statement on BMI, “BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. However, it should be considered a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals.” Therefore, while the BMI is used to screen for obesity, it does not replace clinical judgement, as BMI is not a measure of body fat. Patients’ race, ethnicity, and age may modify the risk associated with a given BMI. Bias and stigmatization directed at people with obesity contributes to ill health and impairs treatment. Every person with obesity must have access to evidence-based treatment.

Every person with obesity deserves access to evidence-based treatment.