As you’ve probably heard, the new DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders), which was released back in May, officially considers obesity as a medical disease for the first time in history.
We at the Bel Air Center for Addictions weren’t particularly surprised by this development. While we don’t yet know exactly what the effects will be on how obesity is perceived and treated in this country, we’ve known for a while that obesity is a disease. In fact, I believe it to be a disease driven by the mechanisms of addiction.
For this reason, I have objections with the fact that it has been classified as a ‘mental disorder’, for the same reasons I object to addiction being seen as a mental disorder; I believe both are produced by physical, treatable causes, and the ‘mental disorder’ smokescreen may prevent patients and doctors alike from recognizing that.
This is a subject I’ve put a lot of thought into, and I will soon be releasing a book that explains my theories about obesity in great detail, and suggests ways in which we can treat obesity the way addiction is treated, with a maintenance program that removes the shame and mystery from this disease. Keep reading for updates on that and other projects, and have a great weekend!