Obesity is a dangerous disease that shares key features with cancer

Obesity is itself a disease, in addition to contributing to the onset and progression of other conditions such as diabetes, heart attack and stroke. (Shutterstock)

Although obesity has been recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1948, its identity as a disease may not be widely perceived the same way as other health conditions.

People living with obesity are less likely to receive dedicated care for that condition, in contrast to patients with other diseases, such as cancer. However, obesity and cancer have several similarities. This is of global crucial importance, given the dramatic increase in numbers of affected adults and children, including in Canada.