[Expanding definition of obesity risks reinforcing stigma].
Mossberg Karin, Zettermark Sofia
Lakartidningen · 2025 · PMID 41277408
There is no clear consensus on when a certain amount of fat tissue becomes a health risk, and despite limited evidence supporting its accuracy, BMI continues to be used to define obesity at an individual level. Most anti-obesity drugs have been approved on the basis of their weight reduction effect, rather than on demonstrated health benefits". The expanding definition of obesity risks reinforcing stigma, especially as treatments are framed in moral and behavioral terms.
Health care must balance medical necessity with awareness of social norms, ensuring that resources are directed to those most in need while acknowledging that not all larger bodies are unhealthy or in need of regulation.