Stay Informed: What Is Obesity and How Should It Be Treated?

This transcript has been edited for clarity. 

Hi. I’m Priya Jaisinghani, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist. Did you know that, in the United States, the prevalence of obesity is projected to reach 50% by 2030? Despite its widespread impact, obesity was only officially recognized as a chronic disease by the American Medical Association in 2013.

What is obesity? It’s a highly prevalent, chronic, multifactorial, and progressive disease. It’s defined by the excessive accumulation or distribution of fat tissue that poses a risk to your health. Obesity is linked to over 200 diseases and affects virtually every system in the body.

Obesity develops from a combination of physiologic, environmental, genetic, and behavioral factors. The good news is that there are effective approaches for treatment. Treatment includes lifestyle changes, medication therapy, and surgery. Treatment is tailored to the individual, addressing not just the weight itself but also the underlying factors driving it.

It’s important that obesity is approached with understanding and evidence-based care. 

Stay informed and stay inspired with me, Dr J.