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Is Obesity a Disease?
By: Alec Bergeron
Introduction
S My name is Alec Bergeron and I am currently enrolled at GCC
North.
S I picked the topic about obesity because it is very controversial
in the United States.
S And also I have a very strong opinion on the matter and I
wanted to voice my thoughts.
Initial Point of View
S My initial point of view on if obesity is a disease or not, was
that it was not a disease.
S Why?
S I have never heard of obesity being a disease.
S And not having the knowledge of the characteristics of what
defines a disease compared to being obese.
S After doing both the argument evaluation worksheets and comparing
both the pro side and con side, my view point has not changed.
Define Issue/Problem
S The issue is if in fact does being obese qualify someone of
having a disease or not.
S Obese Adjective - Obesity includes someone of having too much
body fat. Not the same as being overweight, which is someone
weighing too much. A person can be overweight with extra
muscle, bone or water.
S Disease Noun A disorder in a human, that produces signs or
symptoms that affects a specific location.
Assumptions
S My direct assumption was that, No way was obesity a disease.
S Another assumption was obesity can not be in the same category as
HIV.
S And my last assumption was that someone can not be born obese.
S After reading both the pro side and con side, my assumption is it is
the way a person diets, exercises, and their attitude in life; if someone
is obese or not.
Evidence Toward My Point of
View
S There is no gene or disease that stops someone from going to the
gym, or not having their daily vegetables, or constantly raiding the
refrigerator at midnight.
S If obesity is considered a disease, then 90 million Americans have
now been classified as sick. So saying overweight people are sick,
and a slim-fit person is well is odd to me.
S If someone is slightly overweight, does that make them slightly
diseased? Can a person come down with obesity? Is there a cure for
being obese? These questions are all ridiculous with obese being
identified as a disease.
Different Viewpoint
S There is only one other viewpoint on this matter, and that is
obesity is a disease.
S Why do people argue that it is a disease?
S That some doctors have classified it as a disease with 1) it being
an impairment of the aspect of the body, 2) it having characteristic
symptoms, and 3) it having harm or morbidity.
S Obesity is often compared to alcoholism, depression, and anxiety.
Best Counter Argument
S The best counter argument is that some doctors have classified
it as a disease in the criteria of what makes a symptom a
disease.
S But what makes the argument so weak is that if it was a
disease, than it would be causing deaths to Americans like
cancer does.
S The graph on slide #9 is showing the lead causes of deaths to
Americans, with cancer being number 2 with 23%.
Causes of Deaths in America
Sources Reliable
S What makes my sources reliable:
S 1) All my sources are well-known doctors that have studied in the
medical field.
S 2) All my sources use facts and results from experiments to back
up their opinion on the matter.
S 3) All my sources state the sources they used, so I can see if their
sources are reliable to me.
S 4) And all my sources websites look professionally done, and are
written well.
Conclusion
S I still believe that obesity is not a disease.
S But being obese is still serious and people that are obese need to take
immediate action because if it is an extreme case of obesity; being
obese can kill you.
S Doing the right things like exercising, eating healthy, and being
consistent can help major with weight-loss.
S With 35.5% of Americans being obese, I predict that will only
continue to rise because how lazy this nation has gotten.
Recommendations
S The recommendations I have for the U.S. to bring down the
percentage of 35.5% of people that are obese is:
S 1) Balance a food checkbook, monitor on how many calories
you have eaten compared to burned.
S 2) Weigh yourself regularly.
S 3) Accumulate a 30-minute period of exercise, preferably all days
of the week.
S 4) Make opportunities throughout the day to burn calories, like
taking the stairs instead of the elevator; every little bit counts.
Refrences
S www.gallup.com/poll/165671/obesity-rate-climbing-
2013.aspx
S http://obesity.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1611
S https://townipproject.wikispaces.com/Obesity+in+the+U.S.+an
d+the+World
S http://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/healthy-
living/obesity/prevention/prevention-adults.html

Questions?