What's your opinion about obesity? Choice or Disease?

There are several studies in mice (i.e. leptoprin study) that found that mice who were obese lacked certain hormone (s) in the blood stream. Do you think obesity is a choice, or do you think that science hasn't caught up with what the real problem is in obesity (molecular/genetic malfunction). Do you think people "want" to be obese by overeating daily?

BACKGROUND: Before an insulin deficiency was detected, many American and other physicians blamed the diabetic for the rise in blood glucose. What we know of today as "diabetes" is actually a lack in the production of insulin and/or insulin resistance at the cellular level. However, prior to this knowledge diabetics were told to eat less sugar, and blamed for their disease (even thought of as possessed with demons!). Is our country steeped in the tradition of blaming the victim, or is blaming the victim a temporary way to "cope" with what science and knowledge hasn't caught up with yet?

Physiologically, your information is exactly right (see first link). I believe you may have something there about genetics as well; it is such a complex study! Do you believe working with the reams of info we are now able to store and process on computer chips will help these questions evolve to an even greater degree? I'm just a neophyte but I am so interested!

Oh. Guess I'm suppose to be 'answering' the question here, not asking more of them... *shamefaced grin* Yes, my own experiences with friends and family members has borne this out time and again.

For instance, my ex was a painfully thin man of incredible appetite, who ate bags of Doritos and Double Stuff Oreo cookies in front of the television every night- without moving for hours- and never gained an ounce. Whereas I had to (and still have to!) be on that NordicTrac 30-45 min, 3-5x a week and constantly watch what I eat in order to approve of my own appearance. (He used to feel so sorry for me 'depriving myself', as he put it, that he wouldn't eat his junk food until after I went to bed; I could always hear him quietly crunching and crackling away out there... *Laughing to myself*)

In sociology, I believe the almost predisposed 'blaming the victim' viewpoint is all too common, especially among those who are too ignorant to know how to think for themselves, of course; but also among those, unfortunately, who can. I believe it then takes a turn into the realm of psychology, where we can more closely examine this kind of emotional thinking (see 2nd link- even though unverified it still sounds pretty accurate). People sometime despise themselves and project their feelings onto others, for instance. Of course this is all over-simplification, but you get my meaning.

Anyway, there is a little more grist for your mill. Interesting question! :-) Source(s): http://www.hormones.gr/preview.php?c_id=...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/psychologic...

Thank you really great question, and my answer is my own theory,no proof.
I believe that we as humans carry around all the genes or what have you to develop every illness known, and unknown to man,so we are carrying around all the potential seeds,(disease) and a lot of the time it is by our very act of living. breathing, eating, working, that we encounter the activator of the seeds, for example it has been proved if you smoke cigarettes, or inhale certain substances are very likely to develop cancer.But some people do not develop cancer after years of smoking or working in toxic environments Why? again my answer.again it has to do with the body's ability to sort out the good from the harmful, As to you question about obesity. Yes you could classify it as a disease, But as with smoking it is a self induced disease, because we have the choice to teach and learn what is good and what is not.We have choices, and because we make wrong or bad choices, we harm our selves. I think I understand where you are coming from if obesity is classified as a disease, then several thing could happen, One- people would use it as an excuse for not taking personal responsibility for their ignorance on what causes obesity. Two the government would possibly be over come with people requesting disability, and I believe that may be already going on.Three, that the drug companies might have another cash cow to distribute drugs for a disease.
So I believe that obesity is a disease, and the cure is Education, rewards for doing the right thing for instance 12-15 hours of exercise a week, no taxes on healthy food, and tax the living daylights out of junk and fat causing foods.I believe that we have come to expect our government to take us by the hand and get us out of a mess, and that would work if it was reward the good. and tax the bad, because right now it is the opposite. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to vent
Thanks, Rich, for your insightful answer. I think it's different with all people. Some time ago, I was skinny for my self, now over the years I've put on a few##. It's all different, we're all different!!!