AACE/ACE Position Statement: Obesity is a Chronic Disease

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist (AACE) and the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) announced the publication of its position statement that describes its framework for a new diagnosis of obesity as a chronic disease. This statement appears in the journal Endocrine Practice and is available online.

The position statement follows the recent AACE/ACE’s March 2014 AACE/ACE Consensus Conference on Obesity: Building an Evidence Base for Comprehensive Action that evaluated various issues regarding the obesity epidemic. The aim was to establish evidence base that could be used to develop a comprehensive plan – both medically actionable and economically viable – to diagnose and treat obesity as a disease state.

The publication details the following:

A new obesity diagnosis algorithm in which traditional body mass index (adjusted for ethnic differences) and waist circumference measurements would be augmented by assessment of the presence and severity of obesity-related complications to guide treatment and intensity of therapies;
Structured criteria for diagnostic staging of weight-related medical conditions based on complications-specific criteria; and
Tiered primary, secondary and tertiary therapeutic interventions for prevention or treatment of obesity and obesity-related complications.

AACE will develop a detailed action plan, implementation strategies, and logistics that are necessary to advance obesity interventions and treatment.

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