Obesity is not a disablity!

Between 1962 and the year 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to  31% of the population. According to the U.S. Surgeon General report obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year.* Obesity-related conditions costs an estimated 100 billion dollars a year, this number includes medical costs and lost work hours.
According to the ADA of 1990 a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Obesity is defined as accumulation on excess body fat that has adverse effects overall health.

Instead of calling it a disability we should call it what it is, an epidemic that has been proven to shorten life spans and increase the onset of other chronic diseases. If we label it a disability we tie the hands of the doctors who can prescribe what obese invididuals need, diet and exercise.

Let me know what you think. Should it be called a disability’

*The National Center for Health