We have sin tax, cigarette tax, beer tax, etc etc. When are we going to have a fat tax to help our medical costs? Here is the proposal – all employees that have a BMI over 30 (required by Doctors annual checkup) should be surcharged with a national “fat tax”!
Everyone should be responcible for their own health. American’s rely too much on someone else to take care of their health. I should not have to pay higher premiums because people are irresponcible, and their is no excuse.
You also have to take into account the absolute uselessness of the BMI calculation itself. Considering how & when it was developed, it does not effectively measure “obesity”. For instance, I’m 6’0″ and weigh approximately 190 lbs. According to the BMI calculation, I’m obese. What it doesn’t account for is that I work out regularly and simply have a larger mass due to muscle weight. My total body fat percentage is in the single digits.
What do you say? Obese or not? According to the BMI scale I would be…
And let’s add a surcharge to ee’s for EAP services also. Proposal – all ee’s that have personal problems, family & relationship issues, work & career or financial issues (required by annual assessment) should be surcharged with a national “crazy tax”!!
OK, so we agree there needs to be a more objective definition/standard for being obese. Let’s get back on point. Truly obese people should bear more of the cost for their medical and diability insurance instead of enjoying subsidies from every other person in the country. The burden to the country is staggering. The stark reality is we’re running out of economic and medical resources and may have to start making hard decisions on where to allocate them. This is where social issues intersect with reality. Who will bear the cost of subsidizing wages and medical expense of obese people? Unfortunately we don’t currently have an answer and you can bet no politician will walk into this kill zone.
Let’s tax everyone for everything they do. That’ll fix it. The smokies and the fatties and drunkies and the junkies, let’s take all their money to teach ’em a lesson. And then let’s go after the cussers and the speeders and the texting-while-drivers and the not-going-to-churchers, take all their money too. The ones with the volume too high and the pants too low and the ones who have unprotected sex with numerous anonymous partners, take their money away until they live perfect lives. The ones who sit at their desks and don’t work as hard as you do, the ones who don’t fold their laundry as soon as the dryer buzzes. Let’s face it, we should be taxed until we achieve perfection. But since I’m perfect, I don’t have to worry about that so I’ll sit here and shake my fist at those who aren’t perfect because that’s my right as a perfect person. And no, none of that sounds absurd at all. It’s sound and proven perfect science, just like BMI.
TX Guru, I totally agree with you that the BMI is not a proper measuring tool for any person with an athletic build. Incidentally, your BMI is 25.8, which is in the “overweight” category. But in reality, any man with total body fat lower than 10% is a total stud… particularly if you have an athletic build. I have a similar BMI index but only carry around 12% body fat – too many pints at night I suspect – but the point is, Though BMI is not designed for athletic types, athletic types are not costing the country millions of dollars either.
Fat Tax? Nah, but maybe higher health insurance premiums might help mitigate some of the problem.
So over it—you need to be careful. You are going to be solicited to run for office with ideas like that. Those taxes are just what Illinois needs to balance its budget and pay off its debts.
We see it all the time with workers compensation claims. Those who are in poor shape tend to have more injuries on the job and longer periods of rehabilition, thereby increasing the costs not only to the insurance industry but also to the employers. We all pay for it so there must be a measurable way to incentivize employers to offer wellness programs to try and lower those costs and increase productivity.
Everyone seems to be ignoring Beths comments. The question is “how as a society, do we deal with people who are grossly overweight and are taxing shrinking resources (economic and medical”? The costs are staggering and we’re crumbling under the burden. Nobody wants to proffer an answer to the basic question: “Who is expected to pay for these costs?” People are already over-taxed. And let’s face it, the costs are likely to increase, not decrease.
I agree with you. I’, 6’2″,weigh 205, and I have a 32″ waist because I regularly workout, and using the BMI index I’m Obese. The healthcare industry need to dump the BMI index for calculating someone level of fat.
The “logic” behind some of these arguments is asinine. The insurance premiums aren’t higher because the population is overweight or obese; the premiums are higher because those that are overweight or obese have a higher likelihood of having medical problems in their lifetimes at a younger age than in time past-such as Type II Diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Women have up to a one in three chance of developing breast cancer. Should men get a break on their premium because their chances are lower of getting breast cancer? Women don’t have a prostate. Can women get a discount for that? Overeaters aren’t trying to become seriously ill. Smokers are trying to get lung and esophageal cancer. People who don’t use condoms aren’t trying to get HIV or an STD. Overeaters need exercise, counseling on nutrition and portion control, some need specific medical care and all need positive reinforcement of the goal to attain a healthy weight.
Instead of suggesting a fat tax &/or griping about your co-workers medical needs, look around and see how many of those Fatties would help you or support you, if you were diagnosed with a serious illness.
That is correct Ralph. And, if you can not afford to pay 100% for your own health care then die in peace brother, because don’t get into my pocket for health care subsidies because you ate yourself to death. RIP
Tom–I have never expected anyone to pay my way for me for anything. I am a responsible adult. If I want to chow down on a steak and a couple of beers every now and then, who’s business is that other than mine? If I choose to mac and cheese and beer and chips and CRAP–who’s business is that other than mine?? I don’t choose to eat like that, but even if I did, shouldn’t it be my choice?? It’s all this same payor BS that the Liberal Progressive government is cramming down our throats that I don’t agree with. People need to be responsible for their own actions, that’s the bottom line. So yes…stay out of my refrigerator, stay out of my bedroom, stay out of my business!! I pay my taxes like all responsible adults in America. I don’t expect to have to pay for anyone else and I don’t expect anyone to pay my way, either.
Look at it this way: the obese, the smokers, the alcoholics, die sooner. On the shortfall, you may spend more in medical premiums, but in the longfall, you save on SS and Medicare.
We also are not addressing the issue of being chained to your desk for 10 hours a day not counting excessive commuting times. Do we not think that some of our jobs contribute to this problem as well?
Are we also failing to consider the aging of America? The older you get, the less able you may be to workout.
This is not a tossaway issue, but the blogger that pointed out a whole lot of personal lifestyle issues for potential taxing was right on…what about excessive alkcohol use? What about unprotected sex? What are the costs of those personal lifestyle behanviors? OH, should we mention drug abuse, too?
Obesity causes medical conditions, Medical conditions are subject to underwriting and rate adjustments. We already have mechanisms in place that “charges more”.
I am a bit shocked by the calls for taxes and control. What if an obese person is actually “healthy” but just doesn’t meet the narrow criteria that is being drawn in this blog.
Have we come to the point in our society where “what my neighbor may cost me” give us license to control their lives, their choices, and yes, their freedom?
Don’t worry. Obamacare is going to take care of all of these fatties. They are all on food stamps anyway and I don’t think they are buying carrots and broccoli with them. He will have to send them to the re-education camp to learn how to eat and have mandatory excersise program.
It would probably be more cost efficient to give all these obese fatties lap band surgery than to continue to pay their medical bills for all the various ailments they get as a result of overeating. By the way, McDonald’s does have some healthy alternatives in their menu now. They just choose to eat what they like. For many of them, the only excercise they get is their TV control or Blackberrie. Not exactly a 1 or 2 mile walk.
Funnily enough calorie consumption actually went up at fast food places once they were required to be posted. People actually want to eat things that are unhealthy when they are going to a place like Mickey D’s. Salads only make up ~2-3% of their total sales while their top core items the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin and Fries are 40% of sales. Wow!!!
I thought it was the uninsured that cost others for their problems. If a fattie is insured then his insurance pays, not us. An employer doesn’t have to employ a fat person who will cost him productivity & lost time. Thus the analogy that skinny people pay a lot more because of fat people just doesn’t jive!!
Perhaps the big employers and unions (who many have opted out of Obamacare)should institute excercise programs like the Japanese do in their plants. The Japanese educate their employees on healthy eating and excercise even in the plants they have in the US. As a result, their healthcare costs are much less than average.
“We see it all the time with workers compensation claims. Those who are in poor shape tend to have more injuries on the job and longer periods of rehabilition, thereby increasing the costs not only to the insurance industry but also to the employers. We all pay for it so there must be a measurable way to incentivize employers to offer wellness programs to try and lower those costs and increase productivity”
And how many claims do you NOT see because people, like a lot of the posters here, DON’T submit a claim for just anything.
Raise health insurance rates 10% across the board. Create a system where if your body fat is a certain level, your insurance rate drops 2%. If your cholesterol is a certain level, your rate drops another 2%. Your VO2 max is a certain level, another 2% drop. And so on… Give people one year to improve their physical fitness and they can be REWARDED for being healthy. Choose not to live a healthy lifestyle and you CHOOSE not to have your rates drop.
LET’S BE HONEST: THE FACT IS NOBODY WANTS TO PAY THE FREIGHT FOR OBESE PEOPLE. HERE’S AN ANCILLARY QUESTION: SHOULD AIRLINES BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE EQUIVALENT OF TWO SEATS FOR AN OBESE PERSON AT THE SAME PRICE IT CHARGES A NON-OBESE PERSON? WHEN DO THE ACCOMODATIONS STOP? THE ORIGINAL QUESTION REMAINS UN-ANSWERED: WHO WILL PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM? NOTE: THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM IN CANADA IS ONLY 10% VS. 90% IN THE U.S.
I have a great novel idea……how about just finding ways to lower the extremely high cost of health care in general (like nobody has ever said that before). Doctors make boatloads of money….drug companies make even more and lets face it…the insurance companies don’t want to pay for anything anyway because everything is so expensive but they still make huge money too. Something tells me that maybe its the doctors, drug and medical companies and insurance companies that are making the common person not want to pay for somebodys health care costs who may be obese. Question…would you feel better about paying more for someone who has alzhimers vs. someone who is obese?? Don’t blame the people with health issues blame the people who make it so expensive to treat the health issues!! Simple huh??
If Healthcare was simple, we wouldn’t be having a debate for the past two years and having such wide diversity of opinion on how to handle it and how to bring costs down for everyone. Unfortunately, Congress and this President rammed through a 2,700 page bill which the majority didn’t want and is sure to raise everyone’s cost and will lead to rationed care. Just ask anyone from Great Britain how good their system is. My guess is that obese people there are given very little benefits for healthcare problems.
Maybe Ocare is the answer. There will be less money in the public’s pocket, so less to spend on food. I am investing in the dog food companies as Alpo may become the new Spam.
Let’s round up all the obese people and relocate them to one state. There would be medical specialists to help them, and businesses to accodate them. They could even have their own airline with retro-fitted C-130’s so they’d have ample space. We’d experience rate their healthcare and disability coverages. We could control the amount of food shipped in so maybe they’d lose weight.
Being obese is not always a choice either…However, in most situations it is a manageable situation…..but sometimes it is unavoidable due to other health issues. Guess your not a doctor!
I sense that you’re kidding, Abdullah, but sadly there are a lot of people who would love to see something just like that happen.
Fat people are a target because you can look at them and tell they’re fat, even if you know nothing else about them. Therefore, they’re judged instantly (and often harshly).
Anyone here recall a recent blog for Marie Claire by Maura Kelly? She talked about how disgusting it is to see two large people being affectionate on that TV show “Mike & Molly.” The piece was bigoted beyond belief and I can’t believe it ever saw the light of day but it proves my theory that fat people are the last acceptable prejudice.
We’re fat. We’re not terrorists and we’re not out to make your lives hell or “disgust” you and shockingly enough, many of us are not on the edge of death.
The majority of us are regular people. We have jobs, families and mortgages. And like our thinner fellow humans, we have some bad habits.
***Just because you’re not fat doesn’t mean you live your life better than I do, so don’t even fool yourself.***
Some of us are fat because we eat too much, some of us are fat because we were born with slow metabolism or thyroid issues. Can you tell which is which by looking? No. Is it any of your business? No.
I’m fortunate to work for a company that provides health insurance, so don’t worry your pretty little heads. This Fattie McFatterson isn’t costing /you/ a dime. Again, none of your business but I thought sharing that fact might comfort some of you.
Want to send me to a city or town where I’m with other chunky monkeys who aren’t subject to the bigots of this world? By all means, point me in the right direction. I’ll buy an entire row of seats on the next plane there, so as not to inconvenience anyone with my fatness.
Corpulence was once a sign of beauty, good health and postperity. My have times changed. Have we become more or less prejudicial in the last 100 years. I wonder?
I agree JT. The Feds could start a “Biggest Loser” program in every major city and reward the obese for losing weight. It will cost a lot less than what Obamacare is going to cost in the future.
So much of what has been said here is disgusting. You don’t know what the situation is with people that are overweight or obese. Is it physical, or psychological, is it a way of coping from being hurt in their past,(death of a loved one, abuse as a child, physical injury). You don’t know. Yes many people do make poor choices when it comes to what they eat, and face it if it is bad for you it tastes so much better than what is good for you. But we cannot judge them and make those decisions for them. How about more help instead of less help. More guideance and help is given to drug users or alcoholics than to people who are over weight. Counseling, education etc. Not to mention how expensive it is to eat right and go to a gym. Give me a break. Personally I had a 40% cut in my wages this year, I lost my husband to brain cancer, and I have two kids at home. I now work 2 jobs, and at the end of 16 hours all I want is a bowl of cereal and to go to bed. I am too tired to cook a chicken breast and toss a salad. If I could even afford the chicken and salad in the first place. If Top Ramen is all you can afford it is all you can eat.
sorry Watcher, did not mean to be a damp towel, I am just angry that people are so ignorant, and they don’t know what they are talking about. Shame on them for their ignorance, I just pray…YES PRAY!!! they never have a set back in their lives that will cause them to put on weight and find themselves among the 60% that are overweight.
My,my. What a diversity of opinion expressed, some with humor, some not. When healthcare is mentioned, it is sure to have a lot of debate. All of this was brought on by the Progressives in Congress & White House thinking they know best for us and designing something to apply to all when the majority of Americans want them to stay out of our “kitchen”, pun intended.
I am sure every one of the statisticians quoted in the article and all the researchers are progressive shills. Just in case you misinterpret, that is a SARCASTIC response to your post.
There has been a lot of ridiculous things said. I think this fat chick has some things to say.
A fat tax? What about people spreading STDS? I mean really. Just because you are fat doesn’t mean you are second class. It isn’t like we don’t know we are fat, Society doesn’t ever,ever let us forget that we are. We are lowly fat people, after all. The world doesn’t let us forget it.
In my case, I have a few medical conditions that make my metabolism slow way down… to the point where it almost stops. I have been on diets, lost a few pounds, but that took months. The sad fact of the matter is that I cannot afford to buy the food I need to stay healthy. The are just are too expensive. I dont get Food share, or assistance of any kind.
Does that mean that I go and eat buckets of fried chicken, or gallons of ice cream? Do I eat full bags of candy bars and chips? NO. I DON’T. In fact I don’t eat that much at all.
Send us all to a state… Together? Really? What is this a concentration camp? That isn’t funny.
I am Fat. I know this. I am sorry that my fatness is making you pay more. I’m sorry that my life is so meaningless and worthless that I annoy you all because Im fat.
I am a good person, I pay my taxes, do what I’m supposed too. I work hard, I am nice to people. I help out when ever I can.
I pay for most of my medical Insurance which I saw a 29% increase due to co-workers having cancer or other life threatening illnesses(the president told us this)
Am I mad at those people? No. Life isn’t predictable, its not cookie cutter. You can be healthy as a horse and then BAM hit by a bus.
Us fatties have always been harassed, tormented and judged.
Don’t worry though, soon us fatties, old people, sick people, people who do have a “good percentage of living” etc will all lose heath care all together, and rot in a ditch.
the people that say people who are obese should just pay a fat tax, or a tax on food dont know what is actualy going on. the people that would suffer from these taxes are the people who dont need to. a good chunk of the obese people in the US will eventually run out of money because of insurance costs anyway. they wont be able to pay for it and they will have their family or their freinds pay for it, or whoever takes them in once they loose there house because of dept. you need to know the real consiquences of it all.
many obese people end up haveing health problems that will screw them over financialy. taxes or premiums will just make it happen quicker. but it wont stop it from happining. people need to just go outside and go for a walk. itl keep them healthy enough to keep them from actually being obese. not bmi obese.
We have sin tax, cigarette tax, beer tax, etc etc. When are we going to have a fat tax to help our medical costs? Here is the proposal – all employees that have a BMI over 30 (required by Doctors annual checkup) should be surcharged with a national “fat tax”!
How much “Fat Tax” will we charge you for your FAT HEAD?
Everyone should be responcible for their own health. American’s rely too much on someone else to take care of their health. I should not have to pay higher premiums because people are irresponcible, and their is no excuse.
You also have to take into account the absolute uselessness of the BMI calculation itself. Considering how & when it was developed, it does not effectively measure “obesity”. For instance, I’m 6’0″ and weigh approximately 190 lbs. According to the BMI calculation, I’m obese. What it doesn’t account for is that I work out regularly and simply have a larger mass due to muscle weight. My total body fat percentage is in the single digits.
What do you say? Obese or not? According to the BMI scale I would be…
And let’s add a surcharge to ee’s for EAP services also. Proposal – all ee’s that have personal problems, family & relationship issues, work & career or financial issues (required by annual assessment) should be surcharged with a national “crazy tax”!!
OK, so we agree there needs to be a more objective definition/standard for being obese. Let’s get back on point. Truly obese people should bear more of the cost for their medical and diability insurance instead of enjoying subsidies from every other person in the country. The burden to the country is staggering. The stark reality is we’re running out of economic and medical resources and may have to start making hard decisions on where to allocate them. This is where social issues intersect with reality. Who will bear the cost of subsidizing wages and medical expense of obese people? Unfortunately we don’t currently have an answer and you can bet no politician will walk into this kill zone.
Let’s tax everyone for everything they do. That’ll fix it. The smokies and the fatties and drunkies and the junkies, let’s take all their money to teach ’em a lesson. And then let’s go after the cussers and the speeders and the texting-while-drivers and the not-going-to-churchers, take all their money too. The ones with the volume too high and the pants too low and the ones who have unprotected sex with numerous anonymous partners, take their money away until they live perfect lives. The ones who sit at their desks and don’t work as hard as you do, the ones who don’t fold their laundry as soon as the dryer buzzes. Let’s face it, we should be taxed until we achieve perfection. But since I’m perfect, I don’t have to worry about that so I’ll sit here and shake my fist at those who aren’t perfect because that’s my right as a perfect person. And no, none of that sounds absurd at all. It’s sound and proven perfect science, just like BMI.
TX Guru, I totally agree with you that the BMI is not a proper measuring tool for any person with an athletic build. Incidentally, your BMI is 25.8, which is in the “overweight” category. But in reality, any man with total body fat lower than 10% is a total stud… particularly if you have an athletic build. I have a similar BMI index but only carry around 12% body fat – too many pints at night I suspect – but the point is, Though BMI is not designed for athletic types, athletic types are not costing the country millions of dollars either.
Fat Tax? Nah, but maybe higher health insurance premiums might help mitigate some of the problem.
Can we all raise our hands into the air with an AMEN!
So over it—you need to be careful. You are going to be solicited to run for office with ideas like that. Those taxes are just what Illinois needs to balance its budget and pay off its debts.
We see it all the time with workers compensation claims. Those who are in poor shape tend to have more injuries on the job and longer periods of rehabilition, thereby increasing the costs not only to the insurance industry but also to the employers. We all pay for it so there must be a measurable way to incentivize employers to offer wellness programs to try and lower those costs and increase productivity.
Make a federal sales tax This way when I buy too much food to feed my fat face, I will pay more in sales tax. Then we can Pay as we eat!
Everyone seems to be ignoring Beths comments. The question is “how as a society, do we deal with people who are grossly overweight and are taxing shrinking resources (economic and medical”? The costs are staggering and we’re crumbling under the burden. Nobody wants to proffer an answer to the basic question: “Who is expected to pay for these costs?” People are already over-taxed. And let’s face it, the costs are likely to increase, not decrease.
I agree with you. I’, 6’2″,weigh 205, and I have a 32″ waist because I regularly workout, and using the BMI index I’m Obese. The healthcare industry need to dump the BMI index for calculating someone level of fat.
STAY OUT OF MY REFRIGERATOR! IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HOW I CHOOSE TO LIVE MY LIFE OR WHAT FOODS I CHOOSE TO PUT IN MY MOUTH!!
The “logic” behind some of these arguments is asinine. The insurance premiums aren’t higher because the population is overweight or obese; the premiums are higher because those that are overweight or obese have a higher likelihood of having medical problems in their lifetimes at a younger age than in time past-such as Type II Diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Women have up to a one in three chance of developing breast cancer. Should men get a break on their premium because their chances are lower of getting breast cancer? Women don’t have a prostate. Can women get a discount for that? Overeaters aren’t trying to become seriously ill. Smokers are trying to get lung and esophageal cancer. People who don’t use condoms aren’t trying to get HIV or an STD. Overeaters need exercise, counseling on nutrition and portion control, some need specific medical care and all need positive reinforcement of the goal to attain a healthy weight.
Instead of suggesting a fat tax &/or griping about your co-workers medical needs, look around and see how many of those Fatties would help you or support you, if you were diagnosed with a serious illness.
That is correct Ralph. And, if you can not afford to pay 100% for your own health care then die in peace brother, because don’t get into my pocket for health care subsidies because you ate yourself to death. RIP
Tom–I have never expected anyone to pay my way for me for anything. I am a responsible adult. If I want to chow down on a steak and a couple of beers every now and then, who’s business is that other than mine? If I choose to mac and cheese and beer and chips and CRAP–who’s business is that other than mine?? I don’t choose to eat like that, but even if I did, shouldn’t it be my choice?? It’s all this same payor BS that the Liberal Progressive government is cramming down our throats that I don’t agree with. People need to be responsible for their own actions, that’s the bottom line. So yes…stay out of my refrigerator, stay out of my bedroom, stay out of my business!! I pay my taxes like all responsible adults in America. I don’t expect to have to pay for anyone else and I don’t expect anyone to pay my way, either.
Look at it this way: the obese, the smokers, the alcoholics, die sooner. On the shortfall, you may spend more in medical premiums, but in the longfall, you save on SS and Medicare.
We also are not addressing the issue of being chained to your desk for 10 hours a day not counting excessive commuting times. Do we not think that some of our jobs contribute to this problem as well?
Are we also failing to consider the aging of America? The older you get, the less able you may be to workout.
This is not a tossaway issue, but the blogger that pointed out a whole lot of personal lifestyle issues for potential taxing was right on…what about excessive alkcohol use? What about unprotected sex? What are the costs of those personal lifestyle behanviors? OH, should we mention drug abuse, too?
I wondered how long it would take for someone to get belligerent while talking about this subject. Well done, Tom.
Obesity causes medical conditions, Medical conditions are subject to underwriting and rate adjustments. We already have mechanisms in place that “charges more”.
I am a bit shocked by the calls for taxes and control. What if an obese person is actually “healthy” but just doesn’t meet the narrow criteria that is being drawn in this blog.
Have we come to the point in our society where “what my neighbor may cost me” give us license to control their lives, their choices, and yes, their freedom?
Don’t worry. Obamacare is going to take care of all of these fatties. They are all on food stamps anyway and I don’t think they are buying carrots and broccoli with them. He will have to send them to the re-education camp to learn how to eat and have mandatory excersise program.
Slim,
Delete.
Tom, get out of here with your common sense.
Of COURSE I want to control my neighbor’s freedom. That’s my right as a perfect person. Hello!? Can’t you read? Illiterate! Tax him!!!
The sad thing is that is costs a lot more to buy fruits and vegetables than it does to go to McDonalds.
It would probably be more cost efficient to give all these obese fatties lap band surgery than to continue to pay their medical bills for all the various ailments they get as a result of overeating. By the way, McDonald’s does have some healthy alternatives in their menu now. They just choose to eat what they like. For many of them, the only excercise they get is their TV control or Blackberrie. Not exactly a 1 or 2 mile walk.
Funnily enough calorie consumption actually went up at fast food places once they were required to be posted. People actually want to eat things that are unhealthy when they are going to a place like Mickey D’s. Salads only make up ~2-3% of their total sales while their top core items the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin and Fries are 40% of sales. Wow!!!
How much is spent on cleaning up all the VD and psychological problems and so on associated with teh gays?
My brother is 6′ 5″ & 225 lbs. His doctor told him that he’s obese according to fed govt standards.
So, non-story.
I thought it was the uninsured that cost others for their problems. If a fattie is insured then his insurance pays, not us. An employer doesn’t have to employ a fat person who will cost him productivity & lost time. Thus the analogy that skinny people pay a lot more because of fat people just doesn’t jive!!
Perhaps the big employers and unions (who many have opted out of Obamacare)should institute excercise programs like the Japanese do in their plants. The Japanese educate their employees on healthy eating and excercise even in the plants they have in the US. As a result, their healthcare costs are much less than average.
“We see it all the time with workers compensation claims. Those who are in poor shape tend to have more injuries on the job and longer periods of rehabilition, thereby increasing the costs not only to the insurance industry but also to the employers. We all pay for it so there must be a measurable way to incentivize employers to offer wellness programs to try and lower those costs and increase productivity”
And how many claims do you NOT see because people, like a lot of the posters here, DON’T submit a claim for just anything.
Raise health insurance rates 10% across the board. Create a system where if your body fat is a certain level, your insurance rate drops 2%. If your cholesterol is a certain level, your rate drops another 2%. Your VO2 max is a certain level, another 2% drop. And so on… Give people one year to improve their physical fitness and they can be REWARDED for being healthy. Choose not to live a healthy lifestyle and you CHOOSE not to have your rates drop.
LET’S BE HONEST: THE FACT IS NOBODY WANTS TO PAY THE FREIGHT FOR OBESE PEOPLE. HERE’S AN ANCILLARY QUESTION: SHOULD AIRLINES BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE EQUIVALENT OF TWO SEATS FOR AN OBESE PERSON AT THE SAME PRICE IT CHARGES A NON-OBESE PERSON? WHEN DO THE ACCOMODATIONS STOP? THE ORIGINAL QUESTION REMAINS UN-ANSWERED: WHO WILL PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM? NOTE: THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM IN CANADA IS ONLY 10% VS. 90% IN THE U.S.
Frozen food has less calories. In Canada, when you open your front door, the light goes on.
I have a great novel idea……how about just finding ways to lower the extremely high cost of health care in general (like nobody has ever said that before). Doctors make boatloads of money….drug companies make even more and lets face it…the insurance companies don’t want to pay for anything anyway because everything is so expensive but they still make huge money too. Something tells me that maybe its the doctors, drug and medical companies and insurance companies that are making the common person not want to pay for somebodys health care costs who may be obese. Question…would you feel better about paying more for someone who has alzhimers vs. someone who is obese?? Don’t blame the people with health issues blame the people who make it so expensive to treat the health issues!! Simple huh??
In Canada and even in our Alaska, people burn more calories just to stay warm. The result is less obesity.
“would you feel better about paying more for someone who has alzhimers vs. someone who is obese??”
Alzhimers is not a choice. With hard work and discipline, obesity, on the other hand, can be treated.
Not so simple, huh??
If Healthcare was simple, we wouldn’t be having a debate for the past two years and having such wide diversity of opinion on how to handle it and how to bring costs down for everyone. Unfortunately, Congress and this President rammed through a 2,700 page bill which the majority didn’t want and is sure to raise everyone’s cost and will lead to rationed care. Just ask anyone from Great Britain how good their system is. My guess is that obese people there are given very little benefits for healthcare problems.
Maybe Ocare is the answer. There will be less money in the public’s pocket, so less to spend on food. I am investing in the dog food companies as Alpo may become the new Spam.
Let’s round up all the obese people and relocate them to one state. There would be medical specialists to help them, and businesses to accodate them. They could even have their own airline with retro-fitted C-130’s so they’d have ample space. We’d experience rate their healthcare and disability coverages. We could control the amount of food shipped in so maybe they’d lose weight.
Tom, Our diet may be Rice & Beans before all is said and done after the economy is wrecked ala Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.
Make the TV show The BIggest Loser a new Federal program. It would be one more way for the government to “help” us.
Being obese is not always a choice either…However, in most situations it is a manageable situation…..but sometimes it is unavoidable due to other health issues. Guess your not a doctor!
We could move to Canada or Alaska & freeze our butts off….then move back! Hey, it could work!
I sense that you’re kidding, Abdullah, but sadly there are a lot of people who would love to see something just like that happen.
Fat people are a target because you can look at them and tell they’re fat, even if you know nothing else about them. Therefore, they’re judged instantly (and often harshly).
Anyone here recall a recent blog for Marie Claire by Maura Kelly? She talked about how disgusting it is to see two large people being affectionate on that TV show “Mike & Molly.” The piece was bigoted beyond belief and I can’t believe it ever saw the light of day but it proves my theory that fat people are the last acceptable prejudice.
We’re fat. We’re not terrorists and we’re not out to make your lives hell or “disgust” you and shockingly enough, many of us are not on the edge of death.
The majority of us are regular people. We have jobs, families and mortgages. And like our thinner fellow humans, we have some bad habits.
***Just because you’re not fat doesn’t mean you live your life better than I do, so don’t even fool yourself.***
Some of us are fat because we eat too much, some of us are fat because we were born with slow metabolism or thyroid issues. Can you tell which is which by looking? No. Is it any of your business? No.
I’m fortunate to work for a company that provides health insurance, so don’t worry your pretty little heads. This Fattie McFatterson isn’t costing /you/ a dime. Again, none of your business but I thought sharing that fact might comfort some of you.
Want to send me to a city or town where I’m with other chunky monkeys who aren’t subject to the bigots of this world? By all means, point me in the right direction. I’ll buy an entire row of seats on the next plane there, so as not to inconvenience anyone with my fatness.
Corpulence was once a sign of beauty, good health and postperity. My have times changed. Have we become more or less prejudicial in the last 100 years. I wonder?
I agree JT. The Feds could start a “Biggest Loser” program in every major city and reward the obese for losing weight. It will cost a lot less than what Obamacare is going to cost in the future.
So much of what has been said here is disgusting. You don’t know what the situation is with people that are overweight or obese. Is it physical, or psychological, is it a way of coping from being hurt in their past,(death of a loved one, abuse as a child, physical injury). You don’t know. Yes many people do make poor choices when it comes to what they eat, and face it if it is bad for you it tastes so much better than what is good for you. But we cannot judge them and make those decisions for them. How about more help instead of less help. More guideance and help is given to drug users or alcoholics than to people who are over weight. Counseling, education etc. Not to mention how expensive it is to eat right and go to a gym. Give me a break. Personally I had a 40% cut in my wages this year, I lost my husband to brain cancer, and I have two kids at home. I now work 2 jobs, and at the end of 16 hours all I want is a bowl of cereal and to go to bed. I am too tired to cook a chicken breast and toss a salad. If I could even afford the chicken and salad in the first place. If Top Ramen is all you can afford it is all you can eat.
Enough of this — I am now taking my 5’0″ 200# self out to the street for a ciggy. Someone please meet me with a stiff cocktail :-)
I love it when IJ posts this type of article.
LOVE IT, Toula, you made me laugh out loud.
And after reading LP’s post, a good laugh was needed.
LP, hang in there, sweetheart, this too shall pass. I hear and understand.
Nor are you an English professor.
Funny how in the same paragraph of pointing out that I am not a doctor, you would say “in most situations it (obesity) is a manageable situation”.
sorry Watcher, did not mean to be a damp towel, I am just angry that people are so ignorant, and they don’t know what they are talking about. Shame on them for their ignorance, I just pray…YES PRAY!!! they never have a set back in their lives that will cause them to put on weight and find themselves among the 60% that are overweight.
And thank Watcher for your kind words.
LP, sometimes people need to walk a mile in someone else’s moccassins…
HANG TOUGH, LADY.
“***Just because you’re not fat doesn’t mean you live your life better than I do, so don’t even fool yourself.***”
Just think of all the health nuts who are P O’d because they are in the hospital dying of NOTHING.
Hey Toula, I will bring my 6’1″ 100# self out to join you. Could you bring a piece of lettuce with you? No dressing though, I might become obese..
My,my. What a diversity of opinion expressed, some with humor, some not. When healthcare is mentioned, it is sure to have a lot of debate. All of this was brought on by the Progressives in Congress & White House thinking they know best for us and designing something to apply to all when the majority of Americans want them to stay out of our “kitchen”, pun intended.
Oh STOP, for heaven’s sake.
I am sure every one of the statisticians quoted in the article and all the researchers are progressive shills. Just in case you misinterpret, that is a SARCASTIC response to your post.
Wow,
There has been a lot of ridiculous things said. I think this fat chick has some things to say.
A fat tax? What about people spreading STDS? I mean really. Just because you are fat doesn’t mean you are second class. It isn’t like we don’t know we are fat, Society doesn’t ever,ever let us forget that we are. We are lowly fat people, after all. The world doesn’t let us forget it.
In my case, I have a few medical conditions that make my metabolism slow way down… to the point where it almost stops. I have been on diets, lost a few pounds, but that took months. The sad fact of the matter is that I cannot afford to buy the food I need to stay healthy. The are just are too expensive. I dont get Food share, or assistance of any kind.
Does that mean that I go and eat buckets of fried chicken, or gallons of ice cream? Do I eat full bags of candy bars and chips? NO. I DON’T. In fact I don’t eat that much at all.
Send us all to a state… Together? Really? What is this a concentration camp? That isn’t funny.
I am Fat. I know this. I am sorry that my fatness is making you pay more. I’m sorry that my life is so meaningless and worthless that I annoy you all because Im fat.
I am a good person, I pay my taxes, do what I’m supposed too. I work hard, I am nice to people. I help out when ever I can.
I pay for most of my medical Insurance which I saw a 29% increase due to co-workers having cancer or other life threatening illnesses(the president told us this)
Am I mad at those people? No. Life isn’t predictable, its not cookie cutter. You can be healthy as a horse and then BAM hit by a bus.
Us fatties have always been harassed, tormented and judged.
Don’t worry though, soon us fatties, old people, sick people, people who do have a “good percentage of living” etc will all lose heath care all together, and rot in a ditch.
the people that say people who are obese should just pay a fat tax, or a tax on food dont know what is actualy going on. the people that would suffer from these taxes are the people who dont need to. a good chunk of the obese people in the US will eventually run out of money because of insurance costs anyway. they wont be able to pay for it and they will have their family or their freinds pay for it, or whoever takes them in once they loose there house because of dept. you need to know the real consiquences of it all.
many obese people end up haveing health problems that will screw them over financialy. taxes or premiums will just make it happen quicker. but it wont stop it from happining. people need to just go outside and go for a walk. itl keep them healthy enough to keep them from actually being obese. not bmi obese.