Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut??

Collarspace Discussion Forums

Home Login Search

Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut??

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

All Forums >> [Casual Banter] >> Off the Grid >> Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut??

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut?? - 2/7/2008 2:50:45 PM

FirmhandKY

Posts: 8948
Joined: 9/21/2004
Status: offline

Suprisingly ... the "health nut" costs more:

Obese People Cheaper To Treat, Study Says

Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on.

The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000.

Interesting "twist" on those numbers though ...

Firm

_____________________________

Some people are just idiots.

Profile

Post #: 1

RE: Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut?? - 2/7/2008 2:54:43 PM

Zensee

Posts: 1564
Joined: 9/4/2004
Status: offline

quote:

Researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them. On average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years.

A twist when given a sensationalist headline, maybe. Not much of a twist when considered in context of the article.

Z.

_____________________________

"Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water." (proverb)

(in reply to FirmhandKY)

Profile

Post #: 2

RE: Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut?? - 2/7/2008 2:58:14 PM

kittinSol

Posts: 16926
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: FirmhandKY

Suprisingly ... the "health nut" costs more:

Because he/she lives longer

. If you die prematuraly from fatness/smoking/both you'll cost the system less money than if you go on, and on, and on...

_____________________________

(in reply to FirmhandKY)

Profile

Post #: 3

RE: Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut?? - 2/7/2008 3:02:50 PM

KenDckey

Posts: 4121
Joined: 5/31/2006
Status: offline

OK then why aren't they complaining about the "health nuts?"

(in reply to kittinSol)

Profile

Post #: 4

RE: Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut?? - 2/7/2008 3:11:54 PM

domiguy

Posts: 12952
Joined: 5/2/2006
Status: offline

They seem like rather poor and inept economists....If you live a healthy life when does the majority of your health care costs begin?

Since they use alzheimers as one of the potential costs that healthy people will have to endure...It usually strikes one at a rather advanced age.

Starting from age 20 doesn't make much sense...Again, where do the majority of health costs begin? For instance if someone dies from lung cancer at age 50 compared to dying from alzheimers in your seventies or eighties....there is a huge impact in the value of present day dollars.

I did find an interesting fact when looking up some info regarding this....

Jeanne-Louise Calment of France, who died in 1997, lived to be 122 years and five months. . She was bright and spry into her later years. She took up fencing at age 87. I hesitate to say this, but she smoked until she was 117.

So smoke'em if you got'em. I unfortunately quit before reading this.

_____________________________

(in reply to Zensee)

Profile

Post #: 5

RE: Highest Health Care Costs: Obese, Smoker, Health Nut?? - 2/7/2008 3:32:24 PM

FirmhandKY

Posts: 8948
Joined: 9/21/2004
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zensee

quote:

Researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up the most expensive health costs. But because both the smokers and the obese people died sooner than the healthy group, it cost less to treat them. On average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years.

A twist when given a sensationalist headline, maybe. Not much of a twist when considered in context of the article.

Z.