why the ‘disease’ label doesn’t always fit0

• SCIENCE
• June 1, 2026

People with the same body mass index can have radically different health statuses. Credit: Hiraman/Getty Nearly one billion people worldwide live with obesity1. Yet the scientific community is divided over what obesity means for health. For decades, obesity was viewed mainly as a health risk, increasing the likelihood of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death2.