Obesity is more than a simple definition. "When we look at obesity as a disease … there's a pathophysiology, meaning different parts of the brain and gut that regulate one's weight status, so it's extremely complex. People say that losing weight is not rocket science. I would say that it's actually much more complex because we have such variability between one individual to the next," Stanford said.Despite findings that genetic, environmental and metabolic factors cause obesity, it's often viewed by society and even healthcare providers (HCPs) as the result of poor personal choices, rather than a disease. Though the American Medical Association recognized obesity as a disease in 2013, the medical establishment has yet to catch up, and most HCPs are not well educated in obesity medicine. Because of this stigma surrounding obesity, Stanford often meets resistance from her patients to accept treatment. "They have been told … that if only they did something better, if only they worked out an hour longer, only ate a few calories less, then they should be able to solve this issue.… The problem is that when we continue to believe that mantra … we will continue to fail at treating this most common disease," she said.