Recently, I saw an advertisement for Fat Con 2025. The first conference was held in Seattle, with a follow-up conference occurring in Philadelphia in October of this year. The objective of the conferences is to embrace fat joy, where fat humans can come together to celebrate their bodies and their lives, and I have to say I have concerns.
Not only is this a dangerous precedent, but any criticism of the event, and you are labeled as a fat shamer. Sorry, nothing could be further from the truth. There are many health concerns that are associated with obesity that are minimized because clinicians may be viewed as insensitive and inconsiderate towards obese people. This is also counterintuitive to the thinking of many here in America who wish to see America become healthy again.
In the United States, the prevalence of obesity stands overall at 40.3%, meaning a little over forty of every one hundred people are obese. Severe obesity, which means you have a BMI of over 40, is 9.4 %. Sadly, there are countries with much higher obesity rates, especially in the South Pacific and Caribbean Islands. Regardless, it isn’t healthy, and there can be real long-term consequences to being obese.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, being obese and having COVID-19 tripled the risk of hospitalization. Many believed it was due to impairment of the immune system. Another risk is that many obese people are in a state of chronic inflammation, and COVID-19, which promotes inflammation, would exacerbate that chronic inflammatory state.
In addition, obesity can cause other chronic conditions. For instance, obesity is a major risk factor for asthma, and, as always, there are multiple variables involved in obesity bringing about asthma. Obese people have lower lung volumes because fat can actually press into the chest cavity and squash the lungs.
Other variables that contribute to asthma in obese people are chronic inflammation, hormonal changes, altered airway mechanics, and alterations in the immune system. Another risk factor is GERD. It is well known that GERD is a risk factor for asthma, and obesity has been shown to aggravate GERD.
These risk factors for the management of asthma in obese people require more medications, and the risk of serious consequences in this population increases. Thankfully, there is an alternative, but it involves a lot of work on the part of the individual. It requires dietary modification and regular exercise.
For some strange reason, I don’t believe any of this will be mentioned at Fat Con 2025. Ironically, some celebrities who used to champion body imagery, like Jonah Hill, Rebel Wilson, and Lizzo, have all lost a significant amount of weight. The question to ask is why these celebrities, who used to promote positive body imagery, decided to go on a weight loss journey. Could it be for health reasons?
As someone who has struggled with weight for decades, I know the challenges firsthand. As a physician who does a tremendous amount of work with chronic illnesses, I’ve learned that there is no substitute for a healthy body and lifestyle, so I’ll keep promoting weight loss and exercise and point out my concerns about events like Fat Con 2025.
