Is Obesity a Disease? Obesity, defined as a body mass index ≧ 30 kg/m², is now considered to be a chronic disease with a polygenetic background. The distribution of this condition in Germany has reached epidemic dimensions. The comorbidities of excess body weight such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis represent a growing burden on the health care system. The mandatory consequence is to develop and promote preventive and therapeutic strategies to control the obesity problem. At present, effective treatment options, ranging from dietary measures to bariatric surgery, are available and have been proven to reduce body weight in the long run and thereby ameliorate or remove most comorbid conditions.

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© 2003 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg
2003
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