TY - JOUR
T1 - Should Europe follow the US and declare obesity a disease?
T2 - A discussion of the so-called utilitarian argument
AU - Vallgårda, Signild
AU - Nielsen, Morten Ebbe Juul
AU - Hansen, Anne Katrine Kleberg
AU - Ó Cathaoir, Katharina Eva
AU - Hartlev, Mette
AU - Holm, Lotte
AU - Christensen, Bodil Just
AU - Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård
AU - Sørensen, Thorkild I.A.
AU - Sandøe, Peter
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) decided to recognize obesity as a disease. One of the main arguments presented in favor of this was broadly ‘utilitarian’: the disease label would, it was claimed, provide more benefits than harms and thereby serve the general good. Several individuals and groups have argued that this reasoning is just as powerful in the European context. Drawing mainly on a review of relevant social science research, we discuss the validity of this argument. Our conclusion is that in a Western European welfare state, defining obesity as a disease will not on balance serve the general good, and that it is therefore more appropriate to continue to treat obesity as a risk factor. The main reasons presented in favor of this conclusion are: It is debatable whether a disease label would lead to better access to care and preventive measures and provide better legal protection in Europe. Medicalization and overtreatment are possible negative effects of a disease label. There is no evidence to support the claim that declaring obesity a disease would reduce discrimination or stigmatization. In fact, the contrary is more likely, since a disease label would categorically define the obese body as deviant.
AB - In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) decided to recognize obesity as a disease. One of the main arguments presented in favor of this was broadly ‘utilitarian’: the disease label would, it was claimed, provide more benefits than harms and thereby serve the general good. Several individuals and groups have argued that this reasoning is just as powerful in the European context. Drawing mainly on a review of relevant social science research, we discuss the validity of this argument. Our conclusion is that in a Western European welfare state, defining obesity as a disease will not on balance serve the general good, and that it is therefore more appropriate to continue to treat obesity as a risk factor. The main reasons presented in favor of this conclusion are: It is debatable whether a disease label would lead to better access to care and preventive measures and provide better legal protection in Europe. Medicalization and overtreatment are possible negative effects of a disease label. There is no evidence to support the claim that declaring obesity a disease would reduce discrimination or stigmatization. In fact, the contrary is more likely, since a disease label would categorically define the obese body as deviant.
KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
KW - obesity
KW - disease
KW - stigma
KW - utilitarian argument
KW - medicalisation
U2 - 10.1038/ejcn.2017.103
DO - 10.1038/ejcn.2017.103
M3 - Review
C2 - 28952605
VL - 71
SP - 1263
EP - 1267
JO - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
JF - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
SN - 0954-3007
ER -