How viewing addiction as a disease hampers action

Addiction Economy Thought for Today - how obesity viewed through the biological model, as a disease, hampers effective action.

How about this evidence on childhood obesity - truly shocking:

"Children who are severely obese could have just half the average life expectancy if they don’t lose weight in adulthood, according to a study.
Research suggests that a severely obese four-year-old boy has a life expectancy of 39, half that of a boy the same age with a healthy weight in the UK.

"Wiedemann added: “It is clear that childhood obesity should be considered a life-threatening disease. It is vital that treatment isn’t put off until the development of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or other ‘warning signs’ but starts early.

“Early diagnosis should and can improve quality and length of life.”
A quarter of children aged 10 and 11 in England are living with obesity, and worldwide 159 million children are obese."

This is the Biological Model in play. The danger of seeing obesity is a disease, and individuals as the carriers of various treatable ailments, is that the focus is on 'diagnosis and treatment' not prevention, restricting the sale of harmful products aimed specifically at children and prosecuting those harming them.

If obesity is seen as the direct consequence of economic and political decisions, which it is, and not simply a disease, then different, and more effective actions are taken.