Treat the Obesity First?

So, I've been struggling with an internal debate about the new guidelines from the Endocrine Society about treating obesity and comorbidities.That's why I'm late to this party.

On the one hand, I think recognition of obesity as something that can and should be treated is great. On the other, I worry that putting obesity--defined here solely by BMI--above actual health problems is a risky, dangerous proposition.

The Good

It's refreshing to see guidelines for obesity treatment that view medications as positive and not as last-resort efforts. Of course, these are the guidelines for "Pharmacological Management of Obesity".

There is a clear recognition of the array of factors that cause obesity. 

The Bad

The labeling of individuals with obesity is clear from the start. Throughout the document, individuals are referred to as "obese patients" while diabetes is "patients with diabetes", not diabetics. The first and most important step in treating obesity appropriately is recognizing it as a disease, not a characteristic of the person.

One of the only recommendations they make based on the highest-quality evidence is that lifestyle modifications be included in all obesity treatment. I'm not pretending for moment that lifestyle modification is NOT useful, but it doesn't work long-term. A wide variety of reasons exist for this, from an unsupportive environment to metabolic changes occurring as a result of weight loss. The evidence is just not that good.

Successful treatment is defined only as weight loss. If someone stays at exactly the same weight, but show clear improvements in health, have we failed?  If weight loss occurs and there are no improvements in comorbidities, have we succeeded?

Health, not weight

I suppose my greatest concerns are with the media reporting of the guidelines, more than the guidelines themselves. Most articles report, and the lead author comments, that the "new paradigm" is the "treat the obesity first, then the comorbidities". I think the message should be "treat the obesity along with the comorbidities" and that's actually closer to what's in the actual guidelines.

Treating obesity is something that we absolutely, 100% need to do, and do more effectively. However, I can't overstate my opinion that we must view everything through the lens of health. Obesity is not simply size.