Oprah’s Weight Loss Drugs, Obesity Interview: Op-Ed

As for “obesity is a disease,” the extent to which it should be called a “disease” has been debated. Moreover, being classified as “obese” comes from the BMI, which has long been called out for being racist, sexist, and profoundly unhelpful for determining someone’s health.

“At present day, [BMI] has been widely adopted by the medical world as a shorthand for healthy or unhealthy,” Jennifer Gaudiani, an internal medicine physician and certified eating disorder specialist, previously told HuffPost. “That fact is unscientific and harmful.”