title: Ethics dilemmas of early detection of obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the ethics dilemmas of the early detection of overweight and obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of the ethical aspects of early detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The early detection of overweight and obesity entails a number of ethical dilemmas because it may both be helpful and harmful. It may help people to lead a healthier life and non-detection could be considered neglectful. It may, however, cause anxiety, interfere with people's integrity, focus only on individual causes and responsibilities, cause stigmatization and have adverse effects by inducing weight gain. CONCLUSIONS DOCUMENTATION OF MORE POSITIVE THAN NEGATIVE EFFECTS IS REQUIRED BEFORE EARLY DETECTION IS INTRODUCED.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark siva@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Signild
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vallgårda
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000941:ethics*; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: early detection; ethics; evidence; obesity; stigma