New guideline says obesity not defined by weight

A new Canadian clinical guideline says obesity should be defined by a person's health - not just their weight.

It also advises doctors to go beyond simply recommending diet and exercise. Instead, they should focus on the root causes of weight gain and take a holistic approach to health.

The guideline, which was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, specifically admonished weight-related stigma against patients in the health system.

It emphasises that obesity is a complex, chronic condition that needs lifelong management.

It says the dominant cultural narrative regarding obesity fuels assumptions about personal irresponsibility and lack of willpower and casts blame and shame upon people living with obesity.

The rate of obesity has tripled over the past three decades in Canada, and now about one in four Canadians is obese according to Statistics Canada. The guideline had not been updated since 2006.

[Source:BBC]