Should obesity be treated as a disease?

Obesity has significant impacts on the body

Question: Should obesity be treated as a disease?
Position1 of 3›: Obesity is a disease
Argument1 of 2›: Obesity has significant impacts on the body

Heart disease, clogged arteries, and respiratory issues are a few of many symptoms of obesity.

The argument

The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008; the medical cost for people who have obesity or morbid obesity was $1,429 higher than those of a healthy weight. Obesity can cause heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Obesity is just as serious as a disease.

Context

Obesity causes joint pain, liver, heart, and colon diseases, and even breathing problems. With all of these consequences, obesity must be a disease.

Premises

[P1]Obesity cost the US an estimated $147 billion in medical costs in 2008, with obese individuals' costs $1,429 higher than those of healthy weight. [P2] It can cause heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. [C] Therefore, because obesity has such significant impacts on the body, obesity is a disease.

Counter-arguments

Obesity is a serious problem, especially in America. Not only are there countless health risks, but thousands of people also die each year due to obesity. However, thousands of people die from car accidents and shootings. Just because something has an effect on human bodies, doesn't make it a disease. For example, food poisoning has numerous symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting. It can even lead to death in some cases. Food poisoning is due to ingesting spoiled food or drink, so that means it is caused by the human's actions. Obesity has numerous symptoms, can end in death, and is caused by a person's actions. Neither are a disease.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Many things have physical symptoms and many can cause death. This does not mean they are all diseases.