This is regarding the Aug. 9 editorial “Is obesity a disease?” I should like to offer a few considerations. Medically speaking, disease is an abnormal, undesirable bodily state. A proper disease diagnosis must include its cause. It is a fact that obesity is caused by eating more calories than consumed. It is biologically impossible for anyone to survive, let alone be obese, without food intake.
It is a fact that the state of obesity can be undesirable, dysfunctional and life-threatening depending on the amount of excess of fat tissue and the bodily constitution. Eating, however, is a voluntary act. Explanations such as “starving,” “craving” or “I can’t help myself” do not do away with the fact that one makes the voluntary choice to eat or not to eat–provided food is available.
We humans choose. We are entitled to and responsible for the consequences of our choices. We wouldn’t like to have it in any other way.
