The state of having excess fat, or having obesity, is termed, in Latin, as obesitas¹. Obesitas is used as a noun, as a state of being, and can also be utilized as an adjective to explain the qualities of a person, community, or nation as a non-judgmental, non-sarcastic method of explanation. We use obesitas to describe today’s state of affairs, in which obesity has become a pandemic.

The word ‘obesity’ is used to define a chronic metabolic disorder associated with stigma and ostracization². Various other terms and phrases, such as adiposity and chronic weight management, have been proposed to reduce the negativity linked with obesity and its care. Indeed, there has been a growing concern about body shaming and stigmatization, which, to an extent, has centered around the word “obesity”. At the same time, we must not ignore the prevention and treatment of obesity at both a clinical and public health level³.

Obesity seems to have become endemic. Hot spots exist in the Pacific Islands, the Middle East, North America, and the Caribbean⁴. Obesity rates seem to be plateauing in these areas, as is evidenced by recent data from USA. Results from the National Health and Nutritional Epidemiological Survey suggest that the prevalence of obesity has not grown for the past 4 years⁵. This can also be understood from obesity endemicity indices, which use the prevalence of overweight and obesity or of childhood and adult obesity to predict the future burden of obesity. Thus, there is a probable need for a better term that encompasses the national, regional, and global scale of the epidemic of weight gain, rather than referring to it simply as “obesity”.

The word “obesitas” gives an ‘Old World’ feeling of nostalgia. At the same time, it encourages a proactive approach in fighting the obesity pandemic. Thus, it allows attention and action to address the illness, without encouraging sarcasm or stigmatization of the syndrome. Obesitas can be used as a noun, as in “She lives with obesitas”, or “His barophenotype is that of generalized obesitas”, and as an adjective, as follows: “Obesitas is the flavor of the modern world”.

The word may be rearranged and modified to read obesisat, which can refer to a weight tracking device, or clinical evaluation tool; obesistat, referring to the hypothalamic set point that prevents change in weight, obestasis, which describes the mild venous and lymphatic edema that may accompany obesity, and obesitus, a word that may signify a person living with overweight or obesity. Obesitas can be used to issue a clarion call for action at a micro (individual), meso (group), or macro (national) level: “Let’s overcome obesitas”.

Obesitas is similar to Maturitas⁶, a respected journal that deals with menopause. It may perhaps be an apt title for a future journal or newsletter on obesity. Until that happens, this editorial’s title should suffice to spearhead its use in clinical communication, as well as lay language.

1. Obesity. Available at: https://www.etymonline.com/word/obesity. Last accessed October 7, 2024.
2. Westbury S, Oyebode O, van Rens T, Barber TM. Obesity stigma: causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Curr Obes Rep. 2023;12(1):10-23.
3. Madhu SV, Kapoor N, Das S, Raizada N, Kalra S; on behalf of Endocrine Society of India. ESI clinical practice guidelines for the evaluation and management of obesity in India. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2022;26(4):295-318.
4. One in eight people are now living with obesity. Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/01-03-2024-one-in-eight-people-are-now-living-with-obesity. Last accessed November 11, 2024.
5. Larkin M. US adult obesity prevalence over 40%, severe obesity over 9%. Available at: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/us-adult-obesity-prevalence-over-40-severe-obesity-over-9-2024a1000hal?form=fpf. Last accessed October 7, 2024.
6. Maturitas. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/maturitas. Last accessed October 7, 2024.