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Obesity as a Disease: Current Policies and Implications for the Future

  • Obesity Treatment (CM Apovian, Section Editor)
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Abstract

The recognition of obesity as a chronic disease is increasing. However, there is variable acknowledgment of it as a disease in health policies across the USA. The objective of this review is to describe how obesity meets the definition of a disease, explain its interpretation in current health policies, and explore implications for obesity in future health policy adoption and development. Perspectives are presented from scientific evidence, clinical practice, and health policy areas including Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, federal government agency guidance, and healthcare quality.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. George Washington University, The School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1020 19th Street NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC, 20036, USA

    Scott Kahan

  2. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA

    Scott Kahan

  3. University of Maryland School of Nursing, 655 W Lombard St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Tracy Zvenyach

  4. Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, 3700 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC, 20007, USA

    Tracy Zvenyach

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  1. Scott Kahan
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Correspondence to Scott Kahan.

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Conflict of Interest

Scott Kahan has received compensation from Vivus, Takeda, Novo Nordisk, and Orexigen for service as a consultant, and has received textbook royalties from Johns Hopkins University Press and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Tracy Zvenyach has received compensation for employment from Novo Nordisk, currently owns stock in Novo Nordisk, and has received tuition assistance from the University of Maryland – Baltimore.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Obesity Treatment

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Kahan, S., Zvenyach, T. Obesity as a Disease: Current Policies and Implications for the Future. Curr Obes Rep 5, 291–297 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-016-0218-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-016-0218-7

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