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LaTigresse -> RE: Obesity, a cost to healthcare (6/3/2012 7:13:17 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri
quote:
ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess
I have to say, I don't think this is such a bad idea. After all, it is quite obvious that people are not able to control the quantity of what they consume. And consuming ones daily caloric intake through sweet drinks is not healthy. Period.
People's ability to assess when they have consumed enough is very poor. If you keep feeding people more and more, they will just consume it. So, because our internal cues are so easily deceived, I think it is reasonable to start to define what is a reasonable serving size of certain things. If people can buy 40 ounces, they will consume it without regard to whether they have had enough or not after 8 ounces, or even 20. That's the reality.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15761167
I also feel that to the extent that we as a society bear the long term costs of certain personal decision that perhaps we, as a society, should have a say in some of these things. In other words, if people who insist on having to consume huge quantities of sweet drinks every day also pay out of pocket for all of their medical expenses, then I have no problem with establishments being able to serve gigantic serving portions. But we all end up paying with our own money for the health choices of other people. And as obesity, and the health costs around obesity, continue to increase, all of us will bear the burden.
So for those of you who are in favor of "freedom" on this issue, then I say, anyone who drinks a lot of sweet drinks should not be allowed to have medical insurance. They can be free to become obese as long as they take on the responsibility for the costs associated with that choice. Fair is fair. [sm=2cents.gif]
Are you saying that because someone is obese and drinks "a lot" of "sweet" drinks, he/she will be barred from getting insurance? What's next? People who engage in extreme sports? Wasn't the idea of universal health care to get everyone covered so we aren't covering the costs of those who don't have insurance and go to the ER? And, if you engage in sexual intercourse and get pregnant (assuming you can, were trying, didn't take enough precautions, etc.), we are still going to bear the costs of that for you? How is it you can single out people who are obese and not others who take risky behaviors that will also drive up care costs? Smokers next? Drinkers? People who don't wear seat belts? Motorcycle riders especially if they don't wear helmets? Speeders? People who eat a lot of fried foods? People who salt their foods heavily?
Are going to regulate how much dietary fiber we eat on a daily basis because it has been shown to have a beneficial effect on colon cancer? Are we all going to have to switch to oatmeal or Cheerios for breakfast because the oat fiber (the soluble fiber, more specifically) has been shown to absorb cholesterol from the foods we eat, thereby preventing us from absorbing it, keeping our blood cholesterol down?
If they can decide this stuff for us, and prevent us from ingesting it, where does it end? 1984?
quote:
By the way this has NOTHING to do with the concept of universal health care. Even with private insurance, the rest of us pay for things like obesity. That's how pooled fund risk management works. Has nothing to do with whether
ACTUALLY.....as a person that has worked in the health insurance industry and is still closely involved in small group business......the part I bolded has been going on for years.
If you are over weight, you can be denied health insurance. If you have diabetes, you can be denied health insurance. If you have any heart disease, you can be denied insurance.
If you participate in any number of high risk activities, you can be denied health insurance. (I could not sell a health insurance policy to an otherwise healthy woman, if she was a stripper..) There are many activities and careers, that will guarantee a rider on the policy, limiting coverage, if they will decide to cover you.
If you already have insurance and develope these conditions, the insurance company, can, and will, continue to raise your premium until you can no longer afford it.
The problem in this country isn't the people that already have health insurance. Statistically, people that have health insurance are healthier than those who do not. Many of those who do not have health insurance wait and go to the emergency room for their health care, then skip out on the bill. Driving our health care costs up. Most that do not have health insurance do not get regular checkups, learning of potential problems early on, when they may be resolved by a few simple lifestyle changes.....like Type II diabetes.
Because the people that do not have health insurance go to the doctor for wellness checks much less, they do not get the information required to make small corrections and the support to live healthier lives. What that means is that when they do go, it's because there is something seriously wrong. Usually something that costs a helluvalot of money to treat. Because they do not have health insurance.........the bills do not get paid. Either they go to collections, driving our health care costs up to compensate, OR, they are covered by the government and paid for by our tax dollars. These people also tend to leave the workforce earlier, paying less taxes and drawing social security earlier. In addition to requiring additional state aide while they still live. They also rarely are able to pay for death expenses.
I am not a huge fan of the current health insurance deal. I think there are a lot of fixes that need to happen. It is unfortunate that our government can not work together to come up with realistic fixes to care for the people that elect them.
One this I know for sure........we have one side that wants to ignore the whole thing.....then be forced to pay at the end. And the other side that wants to promote a healthier, and more proactive approach. Their approach will cost most on the front end but.......it's pretty fucking obvious it will save more money on the back end.
I work and I have health insurance. As well as a retirement plan AND, my death expenses planned for and covered. I don't like the idea of the government telling ME what I can and cannot eat. Then again, I am smart enough to avoid soda...so it doesn't affect me there.
When I was a kid, my parents parented me and taught me what was right and wrong. They also created a structure that didn't allow me to do 'wrong' without consequences. They were responsible for me. I couldn't have it both ways. I couldn't do whatever the hell I wanted and still have a safe and happy environment. We, as a people, expect our government to take care of us when we are in need. But we balk when they try to create a structure that lessens that 'need'. As grown ups, we shouldn't need........but it is glaringly obvious that 'we' are too fucking stupid to create our own boundaries. Too stupid to create a safety net, a back up plan. We love to pretend that we can do whatever the hell we want and nothing bad will ever happen to us. Yet, when the reality of our consequences come knocking, we go running for 'mommy and daddy' to save us.
So what it really boils down to is we either take care of the stupid that cannot take care of themselves OR, we sit back and watch them pay the consequences.......even if the stupid is ourselves. Ya can't have it both fucking ways.
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