( CNN ) -- One word could have a big impact on the way doctors treat obesity in the United States . The American Medical Association has adopted a new policy that officially labels obesity as a disease `` requiring a range of medical interventions to advance obesity treatment and prevention , '' according to an AMA statement . The physicians ' group voted to approve the obesity policy , among others , on Tuesday during its annual meeting in Chicago . The U.S. obesity rate increased almost 50 % between 1997 and 2012 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Today , nearly 30 % of American adults are considered obese , and the problem is almost as prevalent in kids . Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years , the CDC says . Obesity for adults is defined as having a body mass index , or BMI , of 30 or higher . BMI is a way to measure body fat based on your weight and height . ( Calculate your BMI here ) Being obese increases your risk factor for developing many serious conditions , including heart disease , type 2 diabetes , high blood pressure , stroke , liver disease , sleep apnea and osteoarthritis . In fact , obesity has been linked to almost every chronic disease in some way or another . `` Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue , '' AMA board member Dr. Patrice Harris said in a statement . Obesity has long been recognized as a disease by other groups , but this move by the AMA sends a strong signal to the medical community , said CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta . Some experts worry suddenly declaring one-third of Americans `` ill '' or `` sick '' will increase the desire for quick interventions or medications and discourage people from making the lifestyle changes known to combat obesity . On the other hand , AMA 's declaration could help increase funding for future obesity research . It could also lead to payment for doctors who want to simply talk to patients about nutrition or exercise -- time that 's not currently reimbursed by insurance plans . Identifying obesity as a disease may also help in reducing the stigma often associated with being overweight , said Joe Nadglowski , president and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition . `` Obesity has been considered for a long time to be a failure of personal responsibility -- a simple problem of eating too much and exercising too little , '' he said . `` But it 's a complex disease ... we 're hoping attitudes will change . '' Nadglowski thinks the AMA 's support is also an important step in helping people gain access to obesity treatment . Most forms of insurance do not cover obesity alone . For instance , an obese patient can not hire a nutritionist or a trainer and have it covered by his or her plan simply to lose weight . `` We do cover treatment connected with a co-morbidity , '' says Don McLeod , a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services . `` For example , if you have diabetes and obesity is aggravating the diabetes , we might cover obesity treatment as a way of treating the diabetes . '' Obesity-related health care expenses cost Americans between $ 147 billion to $ 210 billion per year . Preventing and treating obesity before it leads to more serious diseases could help combat these costs , Nadglowski says . AMA 's decision comes at an interesting time . The Obesity Action Coalition has been working to introduce the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act in Congress . The bill was re-introduced in the House on Wednesday and will be re-introduced in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon , according to the office of Sen. Tom Carper , D-Delaware , one of the measure 's sponsors . A similar bill last year stalled in committee . The bill would increase obesity treatment options for Medicare patients , expand the types of providers who can offer obesity counseling and take away some obesity medication limits .
The American Medical Association adopts a new policy on obesity . - March 10 – President Bush signs the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 into law. AMA decision could increase funding for future research , doctor reimbursement .