Do you think being overweight is a sickness like being an alcoholic or a crack addict is?

Answer 1

I would say that it can indeed become a sickness. I've always been overweight. It led to depression and anger, and no matter what I did, I felt a COMPULSION to overeat to the point where I felt sick. I'd binge, but never purged, as one does with bulemia.

I finally topped out at 315 lbs and decided I needed to get help. So I started seeing a nutritional counselor, visiting support forums and started to try to educate myself about proper eating. It's taken a year and a half, but I've lost 100 lbs and I'm still working on it. It's still hard sometimes, and I have to fight myself occasionally to keep from falling into old habits and I have to avoid situations that could trigger a binge.

The other part of it is that certain foods like sugar do create a physical addiction. Sugar hits the bloodstream, which triggers a spike in blood sugar. Insulin is released to handle the sugar, but overcompensates, which leads to a crash--fatigue and craving for more sugar, so you eat more sugar and the process starts all over again.

Answer 2

Sometimes, yes, because I think that people can be addicted to eating (it's a psychological disorder, classified just like bulimia and others) if they use overeating to make themselves feel better instead fixing whatever the bigger problem is that's causing their anxiety or depression.
However, sometimes it's biological, not psychological. Diseases like thyroid problems can cause a person's weight to blow up suddenly, or to go up and down. So can some medications--particularly steroids. In those cases, I don't think it's anymore a sickness than other medication side effects like nausea as a side effect of chemo, or getting a rash happens as a result as an allergic reaction. I think it's sad that the difference between these two situations isn't more widely recognized, because the way that these two weight problems need to be treated are very, very different. People who are overweight because of a medical problem who are doing their best to keep themselves healthy do not need judgement for being overweight when it's not their fault; likewise, however, people who have an overeating disorder should not make excuses for their illness when they are not spending time taking care of themselves.

Answer 3

Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't. Overweight may be the result of medical conditions like hypothyroidism and therefore may be considered a sickness. Likewise, there are addicts to food which also qualify as being sick ... albeit less sick than a crack addict or alcoholic.

Then there are others who fail to realize the difference between a "need to eat" and a "want to eat". This failure to differentiate between needing nutrition and simply wishing to consume for comfort may be construed as a sickness by some -- but others may find it simply a lack of personal control.

Life is about getting past things and eating as a crutch or to mask problems associated with the activities of daily living and socialization are not germane to a healthful lifestyle -- but are more neurotic than "real" (physical) sickness per se.

So there you have it, being overweight may or may not be a sickness or an addiction or simply a lack of control. It depends on what is causing it and the causation may veiled in one or more of the many frailties of the human condition.

Answer 4

Yes, I believe it is for the majority of people in this country. The thing that has changed is the food. Everyone says that you can change your eating habits, and that you will lose weight. Were people this fat 10, 20, 30 , 50 years ago? NO! The reason is that we are a fast food nation. The food is processed so that its cheap and plentyfull. You would think this to be a good thing, when in reality its a bad thing. We are all being slowly murdered by the food giants. It is a sickness because you cannot just stop eating cold turkey like a smoker or alcoholic and your "fix" is at every corner store.

Answer 5

First of all let me start by saying that I have never seen a fat crack addict. I don't see being over weight is a sickness. Sometimes we can try to lose weight and it works then we gain it back by eating or drinking because our problems in life.It's whats in the inside that counts and only you know what you can do and want to do.If you don't love the person you are from the inside how do you expect to do something about your weight? We don't live in your world so who are we to judge.

Answer 6

No I do not think being overweight is an sickness. You can be overweight because of a sickness.

Now, uncontrolable over eating I believe can be considered an illness however

Answer 7

The addiction is if you are obsessed with food and eating. Just being overweight does not mean you are addicted. But if you find that you are planning what you are going to eat next while you are still eating, if all you can think about is going to the pantry, fridge or going shopping---if you find that you eat secretively and hide food and empty wrappers--if you find that you are eating out several times a day (chinese, then chicken, then burger) so that they don't recognize you at the same restaurant twice in one day.................you're addicted and it IS a disease.

Answer 8

I think it can be. This is worth looking into if one is overweight. Much of the eating is done out of boredom or a emotional thing. It would be profitable to find out why one is overeating and correct it. If the problem is emotional, to deal with the problem, would stop the eating. Being bored is easily remedied, get a job, or to do something besides sitting around and eating!

Answer 9

No... and I also don't believe that being an alcoholic or a crack addict is a sickness... It maybe a medical condition, but not a sickness. someone may be overwieght due to a thyriod problem, that is a medical condition not a sickness.

Answer 10

There may very well be medical reasons for a small percentage of people to be overweight. I think the vast majority of overweight people, however, are simply eating too much of the wrong food, and not exercising enough. It's that simple, we don't have enough will power or motivation to make a healthy meal, measure out reasonable portions, or exercise enough to make our bodies work properly.