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In my case, it was dietary factors that made it worse (or possibly even turned on that gene expression). Wheat was the main culprit, too little fish, among other things. I haven't had arthritis pain in years since first eliminating, and then restricting, foods that were causing pain. Didn't change anything else, just foods. No pain and am quite agile now.
All chronic diseases are progressive. Arthritis commonly leads to disabilities. So does obesity. I can see how they could make a case for obesity as a chronic disease, if arthritis is one.
Interesting. When I broke both my arms 2 years ago, all my doctors and surgeons told me sorry, but now you'll have arthritis. So far I'm fine. I don't eat any wheat, mostly meat, fish and lots of vegetables and good fats. And I stay active.
If a progressively heavier person changed their lifestyle from sedentary, Standard American Diet to a well-balanced whole foods/mostly vegetarian diet--AND started a cardio/weight training program--would they still get progressively heavier?
Me, I think not. In fact, I know not. Because that's just what I did to lose the Covid weight I piled on from stress eating and gym-less days and months. And I am a senior. And I did this without going hungry.
And lots of esteemed doctors who have reversed diabetes and heart disease through the above lifestyle changes would think not, too.
Thinking increasing obesity is an unstoppable, progressive disease is wishful thinking in that it takes the process out of our personal control. When it is very controllable.
Growing obesity is very stoppable.
But it requires permanent lifestyle changes in exercise and what we eat (not a diet of deprivation which cannot be maintained. Yo yo dieting is not good for our body and the weight comes back. Permanent lifestyle changes are the proven answer.)
"Obesity Research Confirms Long-term Weight Loss Almost Impossible"
"There's a disturbing truth that is emerging from the science of obesity. After years of study, it's becoming apparent that it's nearly impossible to permanently lose weight."
"Long-term weight loss happens to only the smallest minority of people."
"Only about 5% of people who try to lose weight ultimately succeed, according to the research."
And this is what they find when they "check back five or ten years".
But those few stories of success "keep the myth alive".
That statement is what I'm objecting to-- obesity does not impair every obese person-- unless you consider a tight squeeze into an airplane seat a disability...Average life expectancy doesn't mean much to you when you're 23 and get crushed by a car or are 93 and still not taking any pills.
Averages describe populations, not individuals, and, for obesity, there's a huge population that doesn't fit the average.
If I understand you correctly, being obese, in and of itself, cannot be a classified as a disease unless the obesity is causing some ailment or physical impairment.
According to that definition, atherosclerosis, in and of itself, is not a disease unless it causes some ailment or physical impairment.
Based on your definition, exactly when would atherosclerosis be called a disease? When the person gets a heart attack or stroke?
A friend of mine didn't have any symptoms of his atherosclerosis until his coronary artery was 80% clogged. His only symptom was that he became fatigued easily. He never had chest pains. Atherosclerosis starts small and gradually works it's way up, one percentage point at a time.
By your definition, it sounds a lot like weight gain because it is gradual and it's okay until it's not okay?!!
That statement is what I'm objecting to-- obesity does not impair every obese person-
I have arthritis but I'm not impaired so it must not be a disease and I'm perfectly healthy by your logic.
But ...
If I became obese, I would most likely have diminished respiratory function, diminished cardiovascular function, and more. Not perfectly healthy.
Quote:
there's a huge population that doesn't fit the average.
That's debatable. I only started seeing and hearing statements like this (obese=healthy) as a result of sociopolitical pressure from the fat acceptance movement (aka fat activism, fat pride, fat empowerment).
Interesting. When I broke both my arms 2 years ago, all my doctors and surgeons told me sorry, but now you'll have arthritis. So far I'm fine. I don't eat any wheat, mostly meat, fish and lots of vegetables and good fats. And I stay active.
Similar here, and eating this way has been very good for me.
Do underweight people who gain weight and move into the "healthy" weight window become less active, or is them being less active the cause of them becoming a healthy weight?
SAME QUESTION looking from the other end of the stick.
Again: "Weight gain" is not a disease. Newborns gain weight within days of birth. They can double their weight in their first year. Does this mean they're diseased? No. It means they're gaining weight. How is that possible? Because weight gain isn't a disease.
Weight gain is not the same thing as obesity.
Obesity is what happens when you gain TOO MUCH weight.
Look at the context: My original post was posted on the weight loss board, not the pediatric board and not a board for people who need to gain weight.
Look at the context: My original post was posted on the weight loss board, not the pediatric board and not a board for people who need to gain weight.
The question isn't "is weight gain a progressive disease for people who need to lose weight." The question is "is weight gain a progressive disease."
Weight gain is not a disease of any kind, for any person or animal. It just isn't.
Obesity may be a disease, but it isn't progressive, because most people who become obese, can stop being obese without medication or medical treatment.
Morbid obesity is harder to eliminate, without medical treatment, and sure that might be considered progressive.
These are all terms that have actual meanings. "Weight gain" is not a medical term. Obesity and morbid obesity are medical terms.
The question isn't "is weight gain a progressive disease for people who need to lose weight." The question is "is weight gain a progressive disease."
Weight gain is not a disease of any kind, for any person or animal. It just isn't.
Obesity may be a disease, but it isn't progressive, because most people who become obese, can stop being obese without medication or medical treatment.
Morbid obesity is harder to eliminate, without medical treatment, and sure that might be considered progressive.
These are all terms that have actual meanings. "Weight gain" is not a medical term. Obesity and morbid obesity are medical terms.
When I started thinking of weight gain as a progressive disease it wasn't because of any one individual. It was because of an overall long-term trend that can be seen in our culture. In the U.S. we have experienced several decades of an upward trajectory in weight gain. And long-term scientific studies have shown it to be virtually incurable (i.e., not reversible).
I put "long-term" in bold print because it is all too easy to find short-term individual successes.
Of course, weight-gain from an individual perspective may never be officially recognized as a disease, especially if the food industry has anything to do with it. And, most likely, they will always have a lot to do with it because the more weight people gain, the greater their sales volume will be. So why wouldn't that be their goal?
What percentage of overweight and obese people will it take to wake-up America? We are on an abnormal trajectory. When doing a search, most links concentrate on obesity as the problem. But if obesity is a problem, then being overweight is also a problem because they are on a trajectory to join the obese in the future. And where did the overweight people start? They started in the BMI 20s. 21, 22, 23, 24 and so on. So it is unstoppable weight gain that is the problem.
Binge-eating and overeating can be an addiction, a deadly addiction. But a disease, yeah, I think not.
As for diet-A or diet-B working as a panacea, doubt it even if you find a diet that works well for you. it will still take a good deal of effort and discipline to stick to it, for it to work, no matter what the diet-pushers tell you.
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Take the nonsense about if you go low-carb, you will eliminate all sugar and carb cravings..........HAHA, OK.
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