Rethinking Obesity Beyond Aesthetic Concerns
Obesity is not merely a cosmetic issue, but a complex disease with devastating health consequences. It spreads through lifestyle factors like diet and inactivity, transcending personal choices to impact entire communities.
Despite being dismissed by some as merely a cosmetic issue, obesity is increasingly being recognized as a serious and complex disease with far-reaching consequences. Martha Kaufer Horwitz, director of Nutrition at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Salvador Zubirán, highlighted this concern during a lecture at the UNAM (National University). “It's a disease characterized by a change in the body composition due to an excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat,” she warned.
According to Horwitz, obesity isn't just a simple issue of carrying extra weight. It's a complex, multifactorial disease with a host of related risks that can have severe health repercussions. The disorder is marked by an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in the body, affecting both individual and public health. Horwitz argues that labeling obesity as a disease allows governments and health professionals to be more accountable for its early detection, prevention, and comprehensive treatment.
