Classificaton, embroiled in conflict

“Society takes inconsistent stands on what they classify as disease. Like obesity, lung cancer and AIDS may be viewed as self-inflicted, yet they are still regarded as diseases. Although obesity claims far more lives than these two diseases, obese individuals, unlike the sufferers of AIDS or lung cancer, are generally left to care for themselves by either exercising more and or eating less. Considering the rising prevalence in obesity, they aren’t very effective in self treatment. ….one thing is clear, until obesity is widely accepted as a disease, by the medical community, health care payers and the general public, it will not be treated as such and the epidemic will not be contained.”

B. Conway and A. Rene
The International Association for the Study of Obesity.

recurrent theme

‘Industrialized nations have had 150 years of public health progress, which entailed a decline in endemic and epidemic disease that are often largely preventable with good sanitation and enlightened social policies. If those responsible for advancement in this front in other parts of the world have the determination and if those who can afford to help contribute to the task, the role of the scientists will be simplified. If this ideal situation develops, the applications of physiological and biochemical new findings will not be clouded by the impossibility of putting them into practice.’ 

J. Nutr. 130: 1391s 2000

very much true and very much applicable to many other fields