How should we define obesity – is it a disease, a disability or a lifestyle condition? And why does the definition matter?
In fact it matters a great deal, because the label we use has significant implications for the way people view obesity, and crucially for who’s liable. While ‘disability’ marks it as something to be accepted and lived with, and ‘disease’ gives people an excuse to defer responsibility for their health onto the medical profession, ‘lifestyle condition’ makes the problem seem more reversible, with lifestyle change – our sector’s area of expertise – clearly signposted as the logical solution.
So how are we currently defining it? That depends on where in the world you are: in the US, for example, obesity is now seen as a disease in its own right – not simply the precursor to other diseases such as type 2 diabetes – following an American Medical Association vote last year.
But in Europe, the debate has been raging recently over whether obesity is in fact a disability, thanks to a case brought to the European Court of Justice by a Danish childminder who claims he was sacked for being too fat.
The US definition didn’t gain universal approval. Putting the onus on doctors to step in and provide informed support – and remunerating them for doing so – could in many ways be seen as a positive move. But at the same time, as Dr Chris Beedie of the UK’s Aberystwyth University said at the time, by medicalising the condition “it puts the emphasis on treatment, not prevention, inevitably leading to expensive medical interventions to tackle what is a societal problem”.
But if the US decision didn’t win everyone over, the European debate has had commentators positively up in arms. Should obesity be deemed a disability, the emphasis wouldn’t even be on treatment. Rather, it would be on accommodating obesity, with employers across the EU facing expensive new obligations to adjust workplaces to cater for obese employees.
Quite aside from the impact on corporates, surely we can’t let this happen? Simply accepting obesity as something to be catered for, rather than a tide to be turned, goes against everything our sector believes in. Indeed, as ukactive CEO David Stalker said when the story broke in June, the European deliberations distract focus from the more fundamental issue: “That obesity is a lifestyle condition that requires a balanced lifestyle, including regular activity and healthy eating. We should really be discussing the best means of delivering this message and the support needed to tackle obesity and other lifestyle conditions.”
Stalker makes two important points, categorising obesity as a lifestyle condition but simultaneously stressing the need to focus not on labels but on solutions – both observations that sit well with the way the fitness sector markets itself. Rather than endlessly defining what the already very evident problem is, let’s invest our energy into finding solutions, following ukactive’s lead in moving the debate away from a focus on obesity towards a focus on physical inactivity.
How should we define obesity – is it a disease, a disability or a lifestyle condition? And why does the definition matter?
In fact it matters a great deal, because the label we use has significant implications for the way people view obesity, and crucially for who’s liable. While ‘disability’ marks it as something to be accepted and lived with, and ‘disease’ gives people an excuse to defer responsibility for their health onto the medical profession, ‘lifestyle condition’ makes the problem seem more reversible, with lifestyle change – our sector’s area of expertise – clearly signposted as the logical solution.
So how are we currently defining it? That depends on where in the world you are: in the US, for example, obesity is now seen as a disease in its own right – not simply the precursor to other diseases such as type 2 diabetes – following an American Medical Association vote last year.
But in Europe, the debate has been raging recently over whether obesity is in fact a disability, thanks to a case brought to the European Court of Justice by a Danish childminder who claims he was sacked for being too fat.
The US definition didn’t gain universal approval. Putting the onus on doctors to step in and provide informed support – and remunerating them for doing so – could in many ways be seen as a positive move. But at the same time, as Dr Chris Beedie of the UK’s Aberystwyth University said at the time, by medicalising the condition “it puts the emphasis on treatment, not prevention, inevitably leading to expensive medical interventions to tackle what is a societal problem”.
But if the US decision didn’t win everyone over, the European debate has had commentators positively up in arms. Should obesity be deemed a disability, the emphasis wouldn’t even be on treatment. Rather, it would be on accommodating obesity, with employers across the EU facing expensive new obligations to adjust workplaces to cater for obese employees.
Quite aside from the impact on corporates, surely we can’t let this happen? Simply accepting obesity as something to be catered for, rather than a tide to be turned, goes against everything our sector believes in. Indeed, as ukactive CEO David Stalker said when the story broke in June, the European deliberations distract focus from the more fundamental issue: “That obesity is a lifestyle condition that requires a balanced lifestyle, including regular activity and healthy eating. We should really be discussing the best means of delivering this message and the support needed to tackle obesity and other lifestyle conditions.”
Stalker makes two important points, categorising obesity as a lifestyle condition but simultaneously stressing the need to focus not on labels but on solutions – both observations that sit well with the way the fitness sector markets itself. Rather than endlessly defining what the already very evident problem is, let’s invest our energy into finding solutions, following ukactive’s lead in moving the debate away from a focus on obesity towards a focus on physical inactivity.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
