Doctors Want to Consider Completely Recategorizing Obesity
(Daily360.com) – According to CDC reports from early 2020, about 41.9% of adults and 19.7% of children in the United States were considered obese. The issue has been historically seen as a self-imposed affliction based on behavioral choices. A new study by Dr. Harry MacKay from the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas shows excessive body weight might warrant reclassification.
On September 28, ScienceAdvances published the results of MacKay’s research. The doctor believes the condition should be lumped in with disorders of the brain like ADHD and autism.
(New York Post):#Obesity should be reclassified as a brain disorder like #ADHD: doctors : Obesity is currently treated as a behavioral disease, but a new study has prompted some in the medical community to reconsider how it is .. https://t.co/Ik3Kb1BSPm
— NewsOnePlace.com (@newsoneplace) September 30, 2022
The medical professional compared the epigenetics of mouse brains to those of obese humans, finding similarities in both species in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (HAN), an area responsible for energy regulation. The research shows that part of the brain changes a lot in early childhood and is sensitive to influence. If something goes wrong in a person’s younger years to alter HAN gene expression, their body could be more susceptible to packing on extra weight in adulthood.
Obesity is a serious condition that left untreated, can lead to devastating and costly health conditions. If the new classification were to take place in the medical field, the distinction could help doctors and researchers find new and better ways to treat and screen for obesity.
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