Obesity

In this century, rich and poor countries alike are experiencing an obesity epidemic, which is becoming one of the leading concerns amongst public health practitioners. Obesity contributes to 8% of the burden of disease and leads to a shortening of life- compared to non-obese people of an average of approximately seven years in men and six years in women. Obesity causes many secondary problems including type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart disease, joint problems, obstructive sleep apnoea, cancers, reproductive problems, and mood problems too. Despite its prevalence, there is still much work to be done in understanding the causes of obesity. Dr Grant Blashki discusses the evidence for which diets and treatments work best.

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Is Obesity a Chronic Disease?
By Sarah Price and Joseph Proietto
There is disagreement about whether obesity should be considered a disease. Obesity is inconsistently referred to as a ‘condition’, a ‘lifestyle disorder’, a ‘risk factor for disease’, and even a ‘disease’ itself...