Should obesity be treated as a disease?

This position holds that obesity should be classified as a disease. It argues obesity meets the definition of a disease, has significant harmful effects on the body, and contributes to thousands of deaths, much as recognised illnesses do.

This position holds that obesity is not a disease. It argues obesity can stem from outside forces such as injury or medication, or simply from overeating, and that having negative physical effects does not make something a disease—plenty of harmful conditions are not classed as illnesses.

This position holds that obesity should be understood as a mental illness. It argues that most of obesity's causes are rooted in mental health — that psychological conditions can drive the behaviours leading to weight gain — so it is best classified and treated as a mental illness.