The American Medical Association officially classified obesity as a disease in 2023 so that it can be treated like other chronic diseases without social or medical bias. Obesity can result in or increase your risk for other chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and mental illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Although research doesn’t show that peanut butter specifically reduces obesity, snacking on nuts and nut products such as peanut butter can suppress your hunger hormones while stabilizing your blood sugar, according to a 2019 article in the Journal of Medicinal Food. People who snacked on pretzels felt less hungry, but their blood sugar and insulin levels spiked after their high-carb snack. Those who ate mixed nuts didn’t see the same effect on their blood sugar and insulin levels, and their hunger and appetite hormones were lower. Eating more nuts, like almonds, every day might reduce your risk of obesity over time. A 2019 systematic review in Nutrition Research found that people who ate at least one to two servings of nuts per week were associated with fewer pounds gained.