If anorexia and alcoholism are diseases because they are addictive and may kill you then should smoking be...?

considered a disease as well? Cancer is a disease, NOT anorexia or alcoholism. Judging by the answers I am getting (one person even said that alcoholism is an allergy), diseases are something that your addicted to and that can harm you. So judging by some of your previous answers: anorexia, alcoholism, and smoking are all diseases. Some people are also addicted to video games, and just like alcoholism, that can ruin your health and relations with friends and family. So by your definitions of "disease," being addicted to video games is also a disease.

i think many things became a " disease " for political correctness and also to get the insurance companies to pay-up.
think your point is well taken by this "diseased" person

I totally agree. Addiction, whether it's to drink, drugs or shopping is a mental problem, not a physical disease. Some things we get addicted to are more harmful to us than other things but they don't mean we have a disease. In the past, I have suffered from bulimia and I had to see a psychologist. This is because my problem was a mental health problem, not a physical one or any sort of disease.

there is a lot of push in the medical community for smoking to be acknowledged as an addiction. There are several problems:
a) the tobacco lobby is very strong (you have no idea how strong) and they'd do practically anything to keep the label with POISON on it off the cigs.
b) people who smoke don't fall into such a self-destuctive cycle as the alcoholics or those with eating disorders. It mostly harms them (and even that in the long run, if you count out passive smoking) and they vehemently deny that smoking causes any disease - so they're basically in denial about the whole thing.
c) because of that smoking is walking the thin line between nasty habit and addiction. There is no cold turkey when they stop smoking, they just become really nasty pieces of work.
As far as I am concerned it is an addicition, but good luck getting the public to admit it...

If that's the case, Yahoo Answers is also a disease. I can't seem to stay off here. :)

Yeah, smoking is an addiction, and is subject to the same rules as alcoholism with insurance companies. They should be more than happy to pay to help you quit, because a healthier you doesn't go to the doctor as much, thereby saving the insurance company lots of money in the long run.

Didn't you already ask this question????? I just don't understand why you are so mad and bitter about it? If it is not effecting you, THEN GET OVER IT!!!

If it is effecting you than you might want to call and get help. They do have Al Anon meetings were you can talk about this at a group level!!!!!

anything is a disease. you or anyone can consider everything and anything a disease. alcoholism IS a disease. video games ARE a disease. food IS a disease. smoking cigarettes IS a disease. if you or anyone can make whatever it is an addiction, mentally and physically, it can become a disease. we have choices, though. we can choose to stop the addiction, or we can choose not to. it all comes down to your will power; if your willing to give it up...