Don’t call people obese – it makes it harder for them to lose weight, researchers say
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Labelling obesity ‘chronic appetite dysregulation’ might reduce some of the stigma attached to being overweight.
By Laura Donnelly, health editor
Obesity should be rebranded - to encourage people struggling with their weight, researchers say.
Scientists said those who struggled to resist temptation to overeat should be treated as though they have an illness - which they named ‘chronic appetite dysregulation’. Such a move might reduce the stigma associated with obesity, they suggested, and help people to seek professional help with weight loss.
Scientists have identified hundreds of genes that increase the risk of obesity, and affect parts of the brain that control impulses and regulate appetite.
Researchers said people in this situation should be treated as suffering from a disease, which might make them more likely to access treatments.
Margaret Steele, a lecturer at the School of Public Health, University College Cork, said instead of focussing on body mass index, doctors should c...
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