obesity is officially a disease

According to the American Medical Association, obesity is now officially a disease. A highly preventable disease, but a disease nonetheless.

I think that's probably the right call. For many people, lung cancer is highly preventable -- just don't smoke -- but it would be weird not to call lung cancer a disease.

The decision wasn't without debate, though. In fact, the AMA's Council on Science and Public Health actually recommended against calling obesity a disease. The main issue revolves around using body mass index, or BMI, as a measure for obesity. A 5'11'' man who weighs 215 pounds is technically obese, but he may be fairly healthy and probably doesn't need to be treated aggressively. There was also a worry that calling obesity a disease might let people off the hook in trying to prevent it in the first place.

Ultimately, the AMA's House of Delegates ignored the council's recommendation, voting in favor of a resolution to recognize obesity as a disease.