Obesity As A Disease

NOTE: Obesity As A Mental Disorder

It seems strange to view something so apparently "body" as "mental" but if there ever was a bio-psycho-social disorder, it is Obesity (278.00). This disease (disorder) has a genetic basis in The Metabolic Syndrome which is a way to say that many obese people have a diabetic gene in themselves and, for sure, transmitted through several of their relatives. The psychological level is apparent in the loss of control, the eating more and more in spite of knowing that obesity is a major health risk. Shame and guilt is heaped upon obese people by themselves, their friends and some of the medical profession. And socially, the words "Let's go out for a bite" are heard throughout the land. Overeating has been institutionalized in our society with the charming term "foodie". This justifies conspicuous consumption, conspicuous leisure and conspicuous waste. Thorstein Veblen would be proud. Obesity is both a somato-psychic disorder and an addiction. It seems conspicuous by it's absence in The DSM, doesn't it?


Monte J Meldman MD
420 Lake Cook Rd #121
Deerfield, IL. 60015